Post by crystalgaze on Sept 20, 2003 12:47:29 GMT
This is an excerpt of the radio play of King Lear at the end of “ I am the walrus”
Oswald
Slave, thou hast slain me: villain, take my purse:
If ever thou wilt thrive, bury my body;
And give the letters thou find'st about me
To Edmund Earl of Gloucester, seek him out
Among the British party: O, untimely death.
(Oswald dies)
Edgar
I know thee well: a serviceable villain;
As duteous to the vices of thy mistress
As badness would desire.
Gloucester
What, is he dead?
Edgar
Sit you down father, rest you
I find it interesting that John used THIS particular excerpt in his song, especially with all the Paul is Dead rumours at the time. Please bear in mind I still remain skeptical, but I have always been intrigued as to the symbolism of this particular Shakespeare snippet by John. I remembered a conversation we had at college once about this subject and I thought I might post the points we raised on the subject here.
Shakespeare was well known for using both major and minor plots in his work. The MAJOR plot of King Lear is the betrayal ( by his daughters Regan and Goneril) and subsequent madness of the King . The MINOR plot of King Lear , involving the excerpt above is as follows………( explained through various synopsis from the web)
“The subplot concerns the Earl of Gloucester, who likewise spurns his honest son, Edgar, and believes his conniving illegitimate son, Edmund. Edmund allies himself with Regan and Goneril to defend Britain against the French army mobilized by Cordelia.”
“Gloucester's story provides a parallel subplot to the tragedy of Lear. Like the king, Gloucester is a father suffering from filial ingratitude and from his inability to judge the characters of his children. Duped into believing ill of his faithful son Edgar and eventually blinded for trusting his treacherous illegitimate son Edmund, Gloucester, like Lear, learns a bitter lesson about his own foolishness.”
.
In the excerpt above, a blinded Gloucester meets with his LEGITIMATE son Edgar, who due to the betrayal of his illegitimate ½ brother Edmund ( as mentioned) is forced to live the life of a lunatic beggar. He meets his blinded father, and without revealing his identity , tries to guide him to safety. Oswald is killed by Edgar, the true son, and thus is prevented from delivering a letter to Edmund from Goneril, a letter that contains a plot to murder her husband and marry Edmund…………
Now, extrapolating this to the situation contained in the 60IF document scenario………
1) Treachery – Faul ( symbolized by Edmund) to Paul ( Edgar) by taking what was rightfully his and misrepresenting himself as a person he is not in order to gain wealth and power. The above scene is crucial to the sway of the battle in the play: had Oswald not been defeated then Edmund and Gonerils treachery would not have been discovered . Could the letters be symbolic of 60IF? Had not 60IF not been discovered and brought to light would Faul
2) The above scene is crucial to the sway of the battle in the play: had Oswald not been defeated then Edmund and Goneril’s treachery would not have been discovered . Could the letters be symbolic of 60IF? Ie. discovery of letters of treachery which exposes the plot/ discovery of 60IF and coverup which exposes the story?
What do you guys think?
Or did we reach way too far?
Oswald
Slave, thou hast slain me: villain, take my purse:
If ever thou wilt thrive, bury my body;
And give the letters thou find'st about me
To Edmund Earl of Gloucester, seek him out
Among the British party: O, untimely death.
(Oswald dies)
Edgar
I know thee well: a serviceable villain;
As duteous to the vices of thy mistress
As badness would desire.
Gloucester
What, is he dead?
Edgar
Sit you down father, rest you
I find it interesting that John used THIS particular excerpt in his song, especially with all the Paul is Dead rumours at the time. Please bear in mind I still remain skeptical, but I have always been intrigued as to the symbolism of this particular Shakespeare snippet by John. I remembered a conversation we had at college once about this subject and I thought I might post the points we raised on the subject here.
Shakespeare was well known for using both major and minor plots in his work. The MAJOR plot of King Lear is the betrayal ( by his daughters Regan and Goneril) and subsequent madness of the King . The MINOR plot of King Lear , involving the excerpt above is as follows………( explained through various synopsis from the web)
“The subplot concerns the Earl of Gloucester, who likewise spurns his honest son, Edgar, and believes his conniving illegitimate son, Edmund. Edmund allies himself with Regan and Goneril to defend Britain against the French army mobilized by Cordelia.”
“Gloucester's story provides a parallel subplot to the tragedy of Lear. Like the king, Gloucester is a father suffering from filial ingratitude and from his inability to judge the characters of his children. Duped into believing ill of his faithful son Edgar and eventually blinded for trusting his treacherous illegitimate son Edmund, Gloucester, like Lear, learns a bitter lesson about his own foolishness.”
.
In the excerpt above, a blinded Gloucester meets with his LEGITIMATE son Edgar, who due to the betrayal of his illegitimate ½ brother Edmund ( as mentioned) is forced to live the life of a lunatic beggar. He meets his blinded father, and without revealing his identity , tries to guide him to safety. Oswald is killed by Edgar, the true son, and thus is prevented from delivering a letter to Edmund from Goneril, a letter that contains a plot to murder her husband and marry Edmund…………
Now, extrapolating this to the situation contained in the 60IF document scenario………
1) Treachery – Faul ( symbolized by Edmund) to Paul ( Edgar) by taking what was rightfully his and misrepresenting himself as a person he is not in order to gain wealth and power. The above scene is crucial to the sway of the battle in the play: had Oswald not been defeated then Edmund and Gonerils treachery would not have been discovered . Could the letters be symbolic of 60IF? Had not 60IF not been discovered and brought to light would Faul
2) The above scene is crucial to the sway of the battle in the play: had Oswald not been defeated then Edmund and Goneril’s treachery would not have been discovered . Could the letters be symbolic of 60IF? Ie. discovery of letters of treachery which exposes the plot/ discovery of 60IF and coverup which exposes the story?
What do you guys think?
Or did we reach way too far?
