Dec 3, 2008

King Lear | Principal Topics

Double Plot
Commentary on the double plot or subplot in King Lear frequently combines discussion of its function in the play with critiques of Gloucester, Edgar, and Edmund. Historically, critics have pointed out the many parallels between the two plots, as well as the verbal echoes and cross-references from one story to the other. But more recently the differences between them have been highlighted by critics who demonstrate the discrepancies m circumstances and themes in the separate tragedies of Lear and Gloucester. In the judgment of most modern critics, the subplot Is...