KING LEAR.
A Passion-Drama.
Scheme of Actions.
Main Plot: a Problem Action: Family of Lear: falling into
Generating Action: [the Problem]. Lear's unstable settlement of the kingdom, power transferred from the good to the bad.
| System of Tragedies [the Solution]. | Double Nemesis Action: Lear receiving good from the injured and evilfrom the favoured children. | |
| Tragic Action: Cordelia: Suffering of the innocent. | ||
| Tragic Action: Goneril and Regan: Evil passions endowed with power using it to work their own destruction. |
Underplot: an Intrigue Action: Family of Gloucester: falling into
Generating Action: [the Intrigue]. Gloucester deceived into reversing the positions of Edgar and Edmund.
| System of Tragedies[its Nemesis]. | Double Nemesis Action: Gloucester receivinggood from the injured and evil from the favouredchild. | |
| Tragic Action: Edgar: Suffering of the innocent. | ||
| Tragic Action: Edmund: Power gained by intrigueused for the destruction of the intriguer. |
Central Link Personage between Main Plot and Underplot: Gloucester (page [283]).
| Sub-Actions, linkingMain and Underplot,or differentelements of theMain together. | First Pair: | { | From the good side of the Main: Kent. | } | Crossing & complicating one another. | |
| From the evil side of the Main: Oswald. | ||||||
| Second Pair: | { | From the good side of the Main assisting Nemesis on Evil Agent of the Underplot: Albany. | ||||
| From the evil side of the Main assisting Nemesis on Good Victim of the Underplot: Cornwall. | ||||||
| Third Pair: Cross Intrigues between the Evil sides of Main and Underplot{Goneril and EdmundRegan and Edmund}culminating in destruction of all three (v. iii. 96, 221-7,and compare 82 with 160). | ||||||
Farcical Relief Action: The Fool: Stationary.
Enveloping Action: The French War: originating ultimately in the Initial Action and becoming the Objective of the Dénouement. [Page [273].]
Economy.
The Underplot dependent to the Main (page [276]).
Especially: Parallelism and Contrast (page [277]).
Central Linking by Gloucester.
Interweaving: Linking by Sub-Actions, &c., and movement to a common Objective.
Envelopment in Common Enveloping Action.
Movement.
Passion-Movement, with Convergent Motion between the Main and Underplot, and their parts: the Lear and Gloucester systems by the visit to Gloucester's Castle drawn to a Central Focus and then moving towards a common Objective in the Enveloping Action. [Page [282].]
Turning-points.
Catastrophe: at the end of the Initial Action, the Problem being set up in practical action. [Page [205].]
Centre of Plot: the summit of emotional agitation when three madnesses are brought into contact (page [223]).