Answers to the questions from King Lear

1. King Lear decided to take no further part in state affairs, but to leave the
management to younger strengths, her daughters, that he might have time to
prepare for death.
2. He called his three daughters to him to know from their own lips which of them
loved him best, that he might part his kingdom among them in such proportions
as their affection for him should seem to deserve.
Three daughters were Goneril, wife to the duke of Albany; Regan, wife to the
duke of Cornwall; and Cordelia, a young maid, for whose love the king of France
and duke of Burgundy were joint suitors.
3. No, they were not sincere in their declaration of love for the king.
4. Not at all.
They were clever enough to flatter their father with cajoles to surve their purpose
of receiving the portion of his kingdom and later they betrayed him drastically.
5. Lear was shocked because Cordelia expected her to top her sisters flattering
speeches. However, she loved her father with the honest affections of a daughter
and refused to offer Lear the empty and meaningless flatteries he desired for.
6. Cordelia declared that she only loved the king according her bond; nor more nor
less.
7. Cordelia was disgusted with the flattery of her sisters, whose hearts were far
from their lips, and seeing that all their coaxing speeches were only intended to
wheedle the old king out of his dominions.
8. Cordelias plainness in speech seemed pride to Lear.
He retracted the third portion of his kingdom which was reserved for her and
shared the same equally to his other two daughters and their husbands.
9. Earl of Kent, King Lear's loyal and selfless companion, had been ever loyal to
Lear, whom he had honoured as a king, loved as a father, followed as a master;
and he had never esteemed his life further than as a pawn to wage against his
royal master's enemies, nor feared to lose it when Lear's safety was the motive.
He protested what the king did to Cordelia being so much guided by
preposterous rashness and passion rather than little guided by reason.
10.The king exiled Earl of Kent and allotted him five days to make his preparations
for departure; and if on the very sixth day he was found within the realm of
Britain, that moment was to be his death.
11.The king of France understood the nature of the fault she committed for which
she had to lose the love of her father and accepted her as his bride.
The king of France got to know that whatever Cordelia spoke to his father was so
true and those came from her heart. This virtue of being honest in such intensive
moment when kingdom being apportioned among three daughters by the king,
the king of France considered to be a dowry above a kingdom.
12.Cordelia departed with a heavy heart as she knew the cunning of her sisters and
she wished her father in better hands.
13.The king realized the devilish dispositions of his daughters even before the
expiration of the first month.
Gonelia began to grudge even those small remnants of royalty which the old
man had reserved to himself. Every time she met her father, she put on a
frowning countenance; and when the old man wanted to speak with her, she
would feign sickness, or anything to get rid of the sight of him. It was plain that
she esteemed his old age a useless burden, and his attendants an unnecessary

expense. Her very servants affected to treat him with neglect, and would either
refuse to obey his orders, or still more contemptuously pretend not to hear them.
14.Lear could not but perceive this alteration in the behaviour of his daughter, but
he shut his eyes against it as long as he could, as people commonly are unwilling
to believe the unpleasant consequences which their own mistakes and obstinacy
have brought upon them.
15.The Earl of Kent did not leave Britain even when he was banished, not fearing
the forfeiture of his life if he was found in Britain and chose to stay in disguise as
long as there was a chance of his being useful to the king.
16.Caius was the servant of the king. Actually he was the Earl of Kent in disguise.
The Earl of Kent, in disguise offered the king his services. The king was pleased
with certain plainness and Lear took him into his service after a quick burgain.
17.When Caius found Gonerils man behaving in a disrespectful to Lear, he did not
endure it and presently tripped up his heels, and laid the unmannerly slave in the
kennel.
18.Kent was not the only friend Lear had.

His poor Fool clung to Lear as a good companion after he had given away his crown.
19. The honest fool poured out his heart even in the presence of Goneril herself, in many a bitter

taunt and jest which cut to the quick: such as comparing the king to the hedge-sparrow, who
feeds the young of the cuckoo till they grow old enough, and then has its head bit off for its
pains; and saying, that an ass may know when the cart draws the horse (meaning that Lear's
daughters, that ought to go behind, now ranked before their father); and that Lear was no
longer Lear, but the shadow of Lear.
The threat of being whipped came from Goneril.
20. She plainly told him that his staying in her palace was inconvenient so long as he insisted
upon keeping up an establishment of a hundred knights which was useless and expensive, and
only served to kill her court with riot and feasting; and she prayed him that he would lessen
their number, and keep none but old men about him, such as himself, and fitting his age.
He could not believe what she said as the hundred knights were all men of choice behaviour
and sobriety of manners, skilled in all particulars of duty, and not given to rioting or feasting,
as she said.