Auditions (18) - First Attempt of Classical Monologue & Research

To begin this lesson, we got into pairs to tell each other about our chosen monologues and to them perform them to each other. Ollie and I formed a pair and the feedback he gave me from my first attempt was that I used my pauses nicely, but I needed to do more research to find out the relationship between my character and the man she refers to as "him".

Between performing this monologue to Ollie, and performing it to the class, I managed to do a little bit research. Through this research, I learned that my character, Goneril, is one of three sisters, and is actually referring to her father in this monologue. I knew that I needed to do more research on this, but wanted to try out the monologue first before doing a lot of research into it. As I have decided that I like this monologue, I shall do a lot more research on it. My feedback from performing it to the class was as follows:

1. Doesn't have to be perfectly read. Think about how you would speak when you're actually angry - you might pause in strange places.
2. Be more ruthless! She is extremely angry and is at the end of her tether. She is livid.

Brief synopsis of the play:   (Notes taken and condensed from the following site - http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/kinglear/kinglearps.html)

•  Set in ancient Britain. Elderly King Lear is deciding to "give up his power and divide his realm amongst his three daughters (Goneril, Regan and Cordelia).
• He planned to give the largest piece of his kingdom to his daughter that "professes to love him the most" - certain his favourite, Cordelia, will win.
• Goneril and Regan play along (constantly being deceitful), whilst Cordelia refuses to participate. 
• Lear is angered and disowns Cordelia. Lear banishes Earl of Kent (his friend) for trying to speak on her behalf.
• Meanwhile, the King of France and Cordelia marry. Cordelia "reluctantly leaves Lear with her two cunning sisters". 
• Kent disguises himself and becomes Lear's servant to try to protect him from his deceitful daughters.
• Lear, a fool, some knights and the disguised Kent move in with Goneril. She treats Lear with no respect and like an old man.
• Lear sends Kent to Regan with a letter to say that he will stay with her. Regan puts Kent in stocks. Lear arrives and is horrified. Kent is let free. Lear tries to find out who did this, when Goneril arrives. He realises that Regan and Goneril are working together. 
• Regan and Goneril plot to kill Lear. Gloucester finds out and warns Kent to send Lear to Dover. They leave immediately but Edgar remains behind. Regan and Goneril find out. 
• Cornwall (Regan's husband) "gouges out Gloucester's eyes. A servant tries to help Gloucester and attacks Cornwall with a sword - a blow later to prove fatal."
• Cordelia sends French troops to Dover. Regan and Goneril send their own troops to fight the French in Dover. Gloucester also tries to go to Dover and finds his son, Edgar.
• Kent sets off with Lear to reunite him with Cordelia. Lear sleeps through the battle and awakes to be told Cordelia is defeated. He hopes to be imprisoned with her to avoid his evil daughters. However, Cordelia is sentenced to death, not imprisoned.
• Regan and Goneril are both in love with Edmund (Gloucester's "conniving" son who ordered Cordelia to be executed). Goneril poisons Regan. Edgar fatally wounds Edmund. Goneril finds out and commits suicide.
• Edmund repents before he dies and "the order to execute Cordelia is reversed". He is too late - Cordelia is hanged. Lear carries his the dead Cordelia. Lear goes mad with grief and dies. "Kent declares that he will follow his master into the afterlife". Edgar becomes the ruler of Britain.