Writing How to write a play Unit 2 King. READING TASK 1 Read or listen to the final part of the play in groups with each person taking the part of a different.

Writing How to write a play

Unit 2 King

READING TASK

1 Read or listen to the final part of the

play in groups with each person taking

the part of a different character. If

there's anything you don't understand,

ask the group to help you.

Part 6 concludes the play. In this part,

Cordelia and Lear are reconciled, but t

hen the French army loses and Cordeli

a and Lear are taken prisoner. Goneril

poisons Regan and then kills herself ou

t of shame. Meanwhile Goneril's husba

nd, the Duke of Albany,

故事梗概

finds out that the sisters have ordered t

hat Cordelia be hanged. He tries to pre

vent it but is too late. After her death,

Lear once more goes mad and then die

s. Albany then declares that the kingdo

m will be ruled by the son of Lear's frie

nd, the Duke of Gloucester.

2 Read Part 6 again and answer

the questions.

1 At the beginning of Part 6 Lear is

mad. What happens to make him

come out of his madness?

2 When Cordelia and Lear are taken p

risoner, why does Lear want to go to pr

ison?

3 While they are in prison, Lear goes m

ad again, what causes this?

4 At the end of the play, why does Kent

stop Albany from trying to help Lear?

5 Why did Albany change sides and

try to save Cordelia?

6 What is going to happen to Lear's

kingdom now that his family is dead?

Do you think this will be a good thi

ng? Why?

1 Lear is given medicine by the doctors

and his daughter talks to him.

2 Lear wants to live away from the r

est of the world with only Cordelia f

or company. He wants to spend the r

est of his life asking for her forgivene

ss.

3 Cordelia is hanged and Lear once

more goes mad.

4 Kent believes Lear no hinger wants

to live ("he hates this world and cann

ot bear to live in it any longer") and s

hould be allowed to die.

5 Because he hates the cruel way his

wife is behaving.

6 The Duke of Gloucester's son will

become king. Shakespeare intends us

to think this is a good thing because

the kingdom will have only one ruler

and there will be no more fighting.

Steps to complete a play:

1. 小组讨论，确定剧本题材和类型；2. 确定故事中的人物，商定故事情节；3. 完成下表；4. 编剧；5. 演出。

故事情节各构成部分 (A Plot Diagram)

内容描述(Description)

背景 (setting) 有关故事人物、时间和地点等方面的信息

矛盾冲突 (conflict) 人物之间、个人内部存在的正反两种力量的较量

发展 (rising action) 引发故事达到高潮的事件 高潮 (climax) 故事中人物直接面对矛盾 降势 (falling action) 行动逐渐停止 结局 (resolution) 冲突结束

How King Lear is organized (in Part I):

TITLE: King Lear

MAIN POINTS: He gave away his land to his daughters according to how much they loved him.

1. King Lear wants to retire and decides to

give his land to three daughters.

2. He wants to know how much they love

him.

3. Goneril and Regan make the king happ

y by saying they love him very much. They

get the land.

4. Cordelia makes the king angry by being

honest and not flattering him. She gets not

hing.

5. Kent, the servant, makes the king angry

by defending Cordelia and begging the kin

g to listen to the truth.

How King Lear is organized (in Part II):

TITLE: King Lear

MAIN POINTS: He arranged Cordelia's marriage.

1. Two suitors: the King of France and th

e Duke of Burgundy

2. The Duke of Burgundy refuses to marr

y Cordelia after knowing she has no riche

s to bring.

3.The King of France decides to take C

ordelia his queen because he loves her,

not her fiches.

4.Cordelia agrees to marry the King of

France, the man who truly loves her.

How King Lear is organized (in Part III):

TITLE: King Lear

MAIN POINTS: King Lear was disrespectfully treated by Goneril.

1. Kent will not abandon his king and

disguises himself as a servant.

2. Soldiers tell the King that he is not

being treated well.

3. Kent beats Oswald for his disrespec

tful behaviour.

4. Gonefil is angry with her father.

5. King Lear decides to leave.

A Plot Diagram

Description

SettingKing Lear has three daughters.

He is old and wants to divide

his kingdom among his three

daughters; He is going to do

this through a "love test".

How King Lear is organized:

conflict

rising action

flattery vs honesty; words vs action

His first two daughters flatter

him with nice words, but the

youngest daughter insists on

telling the truth.

Climax Hearing the truth, the king gets

very angry. He gives all his

land to the first two daughters

and leaves nothing to the

youngest one.

falling Action

The youngest daughter becomes

Queen of France. After getting

what they want, the two daughters

treat King Lear disrespectfully.

Resolution King Lear realizes that money

cannot buy true love and true

love is expressed by action not

words.

Homework

1.Read the whole play of King Lear and

try to understand how Shakespeare

compose the play;

2.Try to find an old story from our

Chinese history and culture and compose

a play, into a tragedy or comedy as you

like, in group.