1、Unit 2 King Lear Part One: Teaching DesignPeriod 1: A sample lesson plan for reading(King Lear)AimsTo help students develop their reading ability To help students learn about William ShakespearesProceduresWarming up by learning about William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare (baptised April 26, 1564 Ap
2、ril 23, 1616) was an English poet and playwright. Shakespeare has the reputation as one of the greatest of all writers in the English language and in Western literature, as well as one of the worlds pre-eminent dramatists. Indeed, some critics have raised their praise of him to the level of bardolat
3、ry. Shakespeare wrote his works between 1586 and 1616, although the exact dates and chronology of the plays attributed to him are often uncertain. Shakespeare is among the very few playwrights who have excelled in both tragedy and comedy, and his plays combine popular appeal with complex characteriz
4、ation, poetic grandeur and philosophical depth. Shakespeares works have been translated into every major living language, and his plays are continually performed all around the world. In addition, quotations from his plays have passed into everyday usage in many languages. Over the years, many peopl
5、e have speculated about Shakespeares life, raising questions about his sexuality and debating whether someone else wrote his plays and poetry. Looking and saying about the eight model playsHi, everyone! We shall go to the theater tonight. But first lets look at these photos and learn something about
6、 the model plays which used to be so popular in China.The eight model plays included: The Legend of the Red Lantern Shajiabang Taking the Tiger Mountain by Strategy The Harbor Sweeping the White Tiger Regiment The Azalea Mountain Song of the Dragon River The Warfare on the Plain Panshiwan Red Detach
7、ment of WomenNow we go to page 11 to read a model play by ShakespeareWarming up by watching King Lear (1983) (TV)I have something wonderful to show you. A TV play called King Lear (1983) (TV). The whole production was beclouded with grayness, as suits the theme of seeing/sight, yet the acting was el
8、egiac. Diana Rigg and Dorothy Tutin were as seeming kindly as they were brutal. Robert Lindsays Edmund was as poisonous as he was seemingly loving and loyal. But what I take away most specially was Olivier, as Lear, lifting a lock of his dead Cordelias hair in his bowed hands to his face, taking a b
9、reath, a last scent. I cried. It was a most elegant summary of a parents loss. I. Pre-readinggetting to know about King LearKing Lear is generally regarded as one of William Shakespeares greatest tragedies. It is believed to have been written in 1605 and is based on the legend of Leir, a king of pre
10、-Roman Britain. His story had already been told in chronicles, poems and sermons, as well as on the stage, when Shakespeare undertook the task of retelling it. After the Restoration, the play was often modified by theatre practitioners who disliked its nihilistic flavour, but, since World War II, it
11、 has come to be regarded as one of Shakespeares greatest achievements. The part of King Lear has been played by many great actors, but is generally considered a role to be taken on only by those who have reached an advanced age.II. Reading On page 12 there is a play by Shakespeare entitled “King Lea
12、r“You are going to read it aloud to the recording. Now read the text again to: cut/ the sentence into thought groups, blacken the predicative, darken the connectives and underline all the useful expressions. What is a play?A play is a form of literature, usually consisting chiefly of dialog between
13、characters, and usually intended for performance rather than reading. However, many scholars study plays in this more academic manner, particularly classical plays such as those of Shakespeare (rare authors, notably George Bernard Shaw, have had little preference whether their plays were performed o
14、r read). The term play refers both to the written works of dramatists and to the complete theatrical performances of such. Plays are generally performed in a theatre by actors. To better communicate a unified interpretation of the text in question, productions are usually overseen by directors, who
15、often put their own unique interpretation on the production. (See theatre and related topics for more detailed information on the process of producing plays for performance.) King LearPart 1The kings throne room. Enter King Lear; the kings daughters: Goneril, Regan/ and Cordelia; the Dukes of Albany
16、/ and Cornwall, Gonerils/ and Regans husbands; and the Duke of Kent, a loyal friend of the king.LEAR: My dear daughters, I am growing old /and tired. The burden of government sits heavily /on my shoulders. I have decided to retire/ and hand over the heavy load of responsibility /to you three. See, h
17、ere is a map of my kingdom /with all the boundaries /drawn on it. I have divided the kingdom into three parts, and /allocated one part/ to each of you. Now/ tell me, my dears, which of you loves me /the most? For whichever of you has for me/ the most devotion /I will give to her /the best part of ev
18、erything /I own. Goneril, what do you say?GONERIL: Sir, I do not have the words/ to express the depth of my devotion. I love you /more than all the riches /in the world, more than my freedom, more even than my own eyesight. In fact, I love you /more than life itself.LEAR: (showing his daughter the m
19、ap) /My darling girl. You /and your husband Albany shall have this part of my kingdom/ with all its rivers/ and forests /and mountains. And /your children shall own it /after you. Now /Regan, it is your turn. What have you got to say to me?REGAN: In expressing her love for you, my sister has also ex
20、pressed mine. Yet /I love you/ even more than words can say. I adore you /more than anything else/ in the whole world. My greatest happiness is in loving you.LEAR: To you /and your husband Cornwall /and to your future children, I give this part of my kingdom/ (showing them/ on the map). This part is
21、 equal in value /to what I give to Goneril. Now/ my darling, my favourite, my Cordelia. What have you to say /to delight an old man/ and earn the best part of his kingdom?CORDELIA: Nothing, my father.LEAR: Nothing? CIRDEKUA: Nothing.LEAR: Youll get nothing/ for nothing. I pray you, speak.CORDELIA: I
22、m sorry/ but /Im not as clever as my sisters. I cannot describe my feelings/ with such fancy words. I love you /as it is right /and proper/ for a daughter /to love her father, neither less /nor more.LEAR: Try harder, Cordelia, or you may lose your share of the kingdom.CORDELIA: My dear father, you b
23、rought me into this world, you cared for me/ and loved me. In return /I love, honour /and obey you. I do not understand why /my sisters spoke as they did. If they do indeed love you/ that much, then /I dont understand why /they ever got married. You see, when I marry, it will be my duty /to give hal
24、f my love/ to my husband.LEAR: You truly mean what you say?CORDELIA: Yes, Your Majesty.LEAR: So young /and so hard-hearted.CORDELIA: So young /and so truthful, my Lord.LEAR: Well, then. Let truth be your reward. You are no longer my daughter/ but a stranger /to my heart.KENT: But sir LEAR: Be quiet,
25、 Kent. Do not come between me/ and my anger. She was my favourite daughter. With her/ I hoped to spend my old age. But /that is never going to happen now. You, servant! Go /and find the king of France/ and the Duke of Burgundy. Well see if /either wants to be a bridegroom/ when she has no riches/ to
26、 bring to the marriage. Goneril, Regan, I shall distribute my kingdom /between the two of you. I shall take nothing /for myself /except a troop of one hundred /of my most loyal soldiers /to care for/ and protect me. And /as I have no third-born daughter, I will spend my days /with you two - a month
27、/with one/ and then /a month /with the other. KENT: But sir, I beg you LEAR: Do not contradict me. It is done.KENT: But sir, please hear me out. I speak on behalf of Cordelia. I have served you /for many years/ and you know that/ I have always honoured you /as my king/ and loved you /as a father, bu
28、t /I believe /you are being influenced /by false flattery. Cordelias devotion to Your Majesty is beyond question.LEAR: Kent, if you value your life, say no more.KENT: I have to speak out, my Lord. I would rather lose my life/ than see you make such a mistake. You do wrong to cause friction between y
29、ourself and your daughter. I forecast that /such actions will cause great conflict/ throughout your kingdom.LEAR: How dare you oppose me. Get out of my sight. Pack up your things/ and be gone from my kingdom. If you have not passed /beyond my frontiers/ within five days. I will have you killed.III.
30、Copying expressions and making sentenceskings throne room, a loyal friend of the king, grow old and tired, the burden of government, sit heavily on ones shoulders, decide to do, hand over, the heavy load of responsibility to, a map of ones kingdom, with all the boundaries, draw on, divideinto, alloc
31、ateto, give to sb. sth., have the words to express the depth of ones devotion, more than all the riches, in the world, more than ones freedom, more even than ones own eyesight, in fact, love sb. more than life itself, show sb. sth., own sth. after sb., it is ones turn, have got to say to sb., in exp
32、ressing ones love for sb., love sb. even more than words can say, adore sb. more than anything else in the whole world, be in loving sb., show sb. on the map, be equal in value to, delight sb., earn the best part of his kingdom, get nothing for nothing, pray sb., as clever as sb., describe ones feel
33、ings with such fancy words, neither less nor more, lose ones share of, bring sb. into this world, care for sb., in return, love sb. that much, got married, give sth. to sb., Your Majesty, let truth be ones reward, no longer, a stranger to ones heart, be quiet, come between and, hope to spend ones ol
34、d age, distributebetween, nothing except, a troop of one hundred of ones most loyal soldiers, have no third-born daughter, spend ones days with sb., a month with one, a month with the other, I beg you ,hear sb. out, speak on behalf of sb., honour sb. as a king, love sb. as a father, be influenced by
35、 false flattery, ones devotion to Your Majesty, beyond question, value ones life, say no more, speak out, would rather lose ones life than do, see sb. do sth., make such a mistake, do wrong, cause friction betweenand, cause great conflict, throughout ones kingdom, how dare you, oppose me, get out of
36、 ones sight, pack up ones things, be gone from, passed beyond ones frontiers, within five days, have sb. killedIV. Making a list of characters of King LearCharacters of King LearKing Lear is ruler of Britain. Hes a patriarchal figure whose misjudgement of his daughters brings about his downfall. Gon
37、eril is Lears treacherous eldest daughter and wife to the Duke of Albany. Regan is Lears treacherous second daughter, and wife to the Duke of Cornwall. Cordelia is Lears youngest daughter. The Duke of Albany is Gonerils husband. Goneril scorns him for his “milky gentleness“. He turns against his wif
38、e later in the play. The Duke of Cornwall is Regans husband. He has the Earl of Kent put in the stocks, leaves Lear out on the heath during a storm, and gouges out Gloucesters eyes. After his attack on Gloucester, one of his servants attacks and mortally wounds him. The Earl of Gloucester is Edgars
39、father, and the father of the illegitimate son, Edmund. Edmund deceives him against Edgar, and Edgar flees, taking on the disguise of Tom of Bedlam. The Earl of Kent is always faithful to Lear, but he is banished by the king after he protests against Lears treatment of Cordelia. He takes on a disgui
40、se and serves the king without letting him know his true identity. Edmund is Gloucesters illegitimate son. He works with Goneril and Regan to further his ambitions, and the three of them form a romantic triangle. Edgar is the legitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester. Disguised as Tom of Bedlam, he h
41、elps his blind father. At the end of the play, he assumes reign of the kingdom. Oswald is Gonerils servant, and is described as “a serviceable villain“. He tries to murder Gloucester, but is instead killed by Edgar. The Fool is a jester who is devoted to Lear and Cordelia.V. Closing down by putting
42、the play into a story To end this period we are going to put the play into a story.A Brief Summary of King Lear - Part I The play opens with King Lear deciding how to retire his throne. He decides to divide his land up among his three daughters. Whichever daughter can lavish him with the most praise
43、 and prove they love him most, will get the best land. Regan and Goneril are the first to profess their love to their father. Lear is gratified and grants each a healthy portion of land. He saves the last, but best portion of land for his youngest and favorite daughter, Cordelia. Cordelia, unfortuna
44、tely, is unwilling to lie to her father. She will not allow herself to behave in the way her sisters did. She simply states that she loves Lear as much as any daughter should, no more, no less. The furious Lear attempts to persuade Cordelia to reconsider her answer, but after unsuccessfully doing so
45、, rashly decides to bestow no land on her and essentially banishes her from his site. One of Cordelias suitors, The Duke of Burgundy, loses all interest in the powerless daughter. The King of France recognizes Cordelias virtues and takes her even without any land. The loyal Kent attempts to change L
46、ears mind with blunt honesty, but is banished for contradicting Lears proclamation. Lear is going to live with his eldest daughters, yet still keep the title “King.“ Secretly, Goneril and Regan conspire to not allow Lear to exert his title over anything. Meanwhile, the Earl of Gloucester suffers a s
47、imilar lapse in judgement. He is easily deceived by his bastard son, Edmund. Edmund draws up a phony letter that implicates the good son, Edgar, in a conspiracy to kill his father. Then, he “accidentally“ allows Gloucester to see it. Edmund furthers his evil intentions by lying to Edgar, stating tha
48、t Gloucester is angry, and advising him to run away. This effectively pits the two against each other and earns Edmund a promotion by his father. Edgar flees into the woods and takes the disguise of a madman named Poor Tom.Proving his valiant worth, even though he was wronged by Lear, Kent returns i
49、n disguise and asks to be Lears servant. Lear accepts him unknowing of his true identity. It is clear at this point in the play that Lear expects to be treated as a King even though he has no power to back the title. The court jester, aptly named The Fool, appears and provides a scathing commentary on Lears situation. Lear recognizes what he says, but since he is the jester, The
