Act 4, Scene 2 from King Lear GONERIL: I have been worth the whistle. ALBANY: O Goneril, You are not worth the dust which the rude wind Blows in your face! I fear your disposition. That nature which contemns its origin Cannot be bordered certain in itself. She that herself will sliver and disbranch From her material sap, perforce must wither And come to deadly use. GONERIL: No more! The text is foolish. ALBANY: Wisdom and goodness to the vile seem vile; Filths savour but themselves. What have you done? Tigers, not daughters, what have you perform'd? A father, and a gracious aged man, Whose reverence even the head-lugg'd bear would lick, Most barbarous, most degenerate, have you madded. Could my good brother suffer you to do it? A man, a prince, by him so benefited! If that the heavens do not their visible spirits Send quickly down to tame these vile offences, It will come, Humanity must perforce prey on itself, Like monsters of the deep. GONERIL: Milk-liver'd man! That bear'st a cheek for blows, a head for wrongs; Who hast not in thy brows an eye discerning Thine honour from thy suffering; that not know'st Fools do those villains pity who are punish'd Ere they have done their mischief. Where's thy drum? France spreads his banners in our noiseless land, With plumed helm thy state begins to threat, Whiles thou, a moral fool, sit'st still, and criest 'Alack, why does he so?' ALBANY: See thyself, devil! Proper deformity seems not in the fiend So horrid as in woman. GONERIL: O vain fool! ALBANY: Thou changed and self-cover'd thing, for shame! Bemonster not thy feature! Were't my fitness To let these hands obey my blood, They are apt enough to dislocate and tear Thy flesh and bones. Howe'er thou art a fiend, A woman's shape doth shield thee. GONERIL: Marry, your manhood mew!

Question

Act 4, Scene 2 from King Lear GONERIL: I have been worth the whistle. ALBANY: O Goneril, You are not worth the dust which the rude wind Blows in your face! I fear your disposition. That nature which contemns its origin Cannot be bordered certain in itself. She that herself will sliver and disbranch From her material sap, perforce must wither And come to deadly use. GONERIL: No more! The text is foolish. ALBANY: Wisdom and goodness to the vile seem vile; Filths savour but themselves. What have you done? Tigers, not daughters, what have you perform'd? A father, and a gracious aged man, Whose reverence even the head-lugg'd bear would lick, Most barbarous, most degenerate, have you madded. Could my good brother suffer you to do it? A man, a prince, by him so benefited! If that the heavens do not their visible spirits Send quickly down to tame these vile offences, It will come, Humanity must perforce prey on itself, Like monsters of the deep. GONERIL: Milk-liver'd man! That bear'st a cheek for blows, a head for wrongs; Who hast not in thy brows an eye discerning Thine honour from thy suffering; that not know'st Fools do those villains pity who are punish'd Ere they have done their mischief. Where's thy drum? France spreads his banners in our noiseless land, With plumed helm thy state begins to threat, Whiles thou, a moral fool, sit'st still, and criest 'Alack, why does he so?' ALBANY: See thyself, devil! Proper deformity seems not in the fiend So horrid as in woman. GONERIL: O vain fool! ALBANY: Thou changed and self-cover'd thing, for shame! Bemonster not thy feature! Were't my fitness To let these hands obey my blood, They are apt enough to dislocate and tear Thy flesh and bones. Howe'er thou art a fiend, A woman's shape doth shield thee. GONERIL: Marry, your manhood mew!

Use the passage to answer the question. You have read an excerpt of a scene between Albany and Goneril from King Lear. Answer the following parts in a well-developed essay. Support your response with evidence from the text.
1. In one paragraph, describe how Albany views appropriate behavior for a woman.
2. In one paragraph, describe how Goneril views appropriate behavior for a man.
3. In one paragraph, explain what each character’s views reveal about the relationship between men and women during Shakespeare’s era.

Answer 1

1. Albany views appropriate behavior for a woman as being submissive, respectful, and loyal. He criticizes Goneril for going against the natural order of things by disrespecting her father and disregarding her duties as a daughter. Albany believes that a woman should be connected to her origins and nature, implying that she should be obedient and conform to traditional gender roles. He sees Goneril's actions as a betrayal of her gender and as a deviation from societal expectations.

2. Goneril, on the other hand, views appropriate behavior for a man as cowardly and weak. She mocks Albany for his lack of action and accuses him of lacking both bravery and dignity. Goneril believes that a man should be assertive and strong-willed, able to defend himself and take charge. She sees Albany's passivity and hesitation as unmanly and unfitting for someone in his position of power. Goneril values dominance and aggression in men, expecting them to assert their authority and protect their interests without hesitation.

3. These views reveal the traditional gender roles and expectations prevalent during Shakespeare's era. Albany's perspective aligns with the dominant patriarchal ideology of the time, which emphasized female submission and male dominance. Women were expected to be obedient, nurturing, and reliant on men, while men were expected to be strong, assertive, and in control. Goneril's perspective challenges this traditional view, as she expects men to exhibit qualities typically associated with masculinity, such as courage and decisiveness. However, her view is still limited by societal norms, as she insults Albany by questioning his manhood and places him in a vulnerable position by suggesting that he should behave more aggressively. Overall, the exchange between Albany and Goneril reflects the hierarchical power dynamics and gender expectations that shaped relationships between men and women in Shakespeare's era.