King Lear李尔王读书笔记.doc

The book review of King LearKing Lear is one of Shakespeares famous tragedies .Lear, the aging king of Britain, decides to step down from the throne and he decides to divide his kingdom evenly among his three daughters. Firstly, however, he puts his daughters go through a test which asks each of them to tell him how much she loves him. Goneril and Regan, Lears older daughters, give their father flattering answers and make the old king very cheerful. But Cordelia, Lears youngest and favorite daughter says that she has no words to describe how much she loves her father. She says that after she gets married she will give her husband half of her love and another half for her father. Lear is very angry and disowns Cordelia. The king of France who has courted Cordelia was deeply moved by her sincere. He says that he still wants to marry her even without her land. With a pity Cordelia accompanies the French king to France without her fathers blessing.Lear quickly realizes that he made a bad decision. Goneril and Regan swiftly begin to deprive the little authority that Lear still holds. They treat him cold and without passions. Because of unable to believe that his beloved daughters are tormenting him, Lear slowly goes mad. He leaves from his daughters houses to be honor .Unfortunately he runs up against a great thunderstorm with his Fool and Kent who is a loyal minister of his.Meanwhile, an elderly nobleman of Lears named Gloucester also experiences family problems. His illegitimate son, Edmund, cheats him to believe that his legitimate son, Edgar, is trying to kill him and robs his property. So he readily place trust in what Edmund said and set Edgar out of the country. Without any method Edgar makes up himself as a crazy beggar and calls himself “Poor Tom.” Like Lear, he starts to lead a vagrant life.When the loyal Gloucester realizes that Lears daughters have turned against their father, he decides to help Lear in spite of the danger. Regan and her husband, Cornwall, discover him helping Lear and make him blind. They put him out to the wild countryside. Finally Gloucester is brought to the city of Dover by Edgar where Lear has also been brought.In Dover, a French army lands which led by Cordelia in an effort to save her father. Edmund says love to both Regan and Goneril. Gonerils husband, Albany, is increasingly sympathetic to Lears bitter experience. So Goneril and Edmund plan to kill him.The English troops led by Edmund reach Dover and defeat the Cordelias French army. Lear and Cordelia are captured. Edgar fights with Edmund and kills him. Goneril poisons Regan because of jealousy and then kills herself when her treachery is known by Albany; Edmunds betrayal leads Cordelia to execute in prison. Finally Lear died with great sadness of Cordelias passing. Albany, Edgar, and the elderly Kent are left to take care of the country under a cloud of sorrow and regret. In the play, Cordelia loves his father most among three sisters, but she is not good at expressing, so when her father asks how much she loves him. She just says “nothing” to answer him. Someone may say she is so pure not to be hypocritical as others. Actually, I firstly thought so. However, after some consideration I changed my mind. I think she is so stupid to choose to keep salience. She grows up in the palace and lives with father more than 15 years. She should know what her father and her sisters like very much. She is expected to know her two sisters always flatter her father and they dont love him by heart. If she really cares about the old king the best way she needs to choose is to look after King Lear staying with him. Unfortunately she puts her father to her hypocritical sisters with her so-called honest. If she can be a little smart or sharp to speak her love loudly there will be another end with this story, maybe not a tragedy. I think it is necessary to express clearly and loudly though it needs courage to express oneself straight forward, not everyone can manage it. And I have to say that sometimes some suitable flatter is ok or good to keep a conversation or relationship. Everyone needs praise to encourage himself to put forward. We cant misunderstand flatter is a wrong thing because everything has two kinds. Only if we use it correctly things will be easier and more pleasure. Words can make world more beautiful. Please do not think silence is a good way to show your quality. On the contrary, the word is an important tool to prove your own ability and make you outstanding from thousands of people.Most of the readers put the death of Cordelia to his fathers foolish or her fates unfair. But I believe that she should carry at least half of the blame. Expect her stupid not to speak her love out, there is another reason. Thats her rash. She doesnt know how to lead a army or how to win a war. Whats more the French King isnt along with her. But when she heard of her hateful sisters turn to against their father she decided to dispatch troops perfunctorily. The result is that she cant save King Lear and lost her own life. People need a calm brain when they face troubles, especially serious situation. Successful man solve the problems with their wisdom and perfect plan (It needs a clearly understand to oneself and the opponents) not a impulse mind.From King Lear I learned that there are a lot of tragedy will not happen if we deal with the matters using another ways. Maybe they are some white lies or harmless tricks. And maybe we just need a little moment for us to calm down. However, the world has no constant rules. We ar