Humanities › Literature 'King Lear' Quiz Check Your Knowledge Share Flipboard Email King Lear Study Guide Introduction Overview Summary Characters Themes Key Quotes Quiz King Lear and Cordelia. Wikimedia Commons/James Barry/The Yorck Project By Lily Rockefeller Lily Rockefeller Literature Expert Master of Studies, University of Oxford Bachelor of Arts, Brown University Lily Rockefeller is a writer who covers literature for ThoughtCo. She holds a master's in German Literature from the University of Oxford. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on January 10, 2020 1. Why might Edmund align himself with nature? He suggests he feels more comfortable alone in nature. He sees his status as bastard as a product of culture, and claims that in the eyes of nature he is as legitimate as his brother. He wants to exist in a world free of social hierarchy. He feels nature to be his true home. Correct Wrong Answer: B. Edmund blames society for his downtrodden status as bastard son, suggesting he is the more natural born son due to the passionate love that conceived him, but his goal is still to gain social status. 2. Shakespeare separates language and action in all the following EXCEPT: Lear attempts to give up his title but not his power. Edmund wants to forswear the social construct of “illegitimacy” but cannot accept his own legitimacy as his father’s son. Cordelia cannot express her love for her father. The Fool’s jokes to Lear show how little he cares about his king’s situation. Correct Wrong Answer: D. The Fool’s advice to Lear actually contains some of the truest lines in the play, despite his flippant and teasing attitude. His use of language thus reflects the truth of his love for Lear, despite his particular way of expressing it. 3. Which character is the most in danger of going mad? Goneril Kent Lear Edgar Correct Wrong Answer: C. Lear’s madness is a prominent theme throughout the play, and emphasizes the question of being able to trust one’s own senses and beliefs about the world. 4. Why does Cordelia not say anything when Lear asks her how much she loves him? She loves him so much she does not believe she can express it. She does not want to express her love in front of the court. She does not love him and cannot pretend she does. She is terrified into silence. Correct Wrong Answer: A. Cordelia feels that her loving actions speak more loudly than her words ever could, especially after witnessing how easily her sisters have used their words to lie to their father. 5. Which of the following characters represents honest action the most? Gloucester Kent Regan Lear Correct Wrong Answer: B. Kent proves himself to be honest and loyal to his king, even when he is banished from the kingdom. After all, he disguises himself as a peasant, despite his aristocratic heritage, to continue protecting Lear. 6. The play questions the border between nature and culture in all the following EXCEPT: Lear ordering the wind to blow during the stormy scene on the heath. Edmund’s desire to be legitimate. Cordelia’s suggestion that she loves Lear “according to [her] bond, no more no less.” Regan and Cornwall putting out Gloucester’s eyes. Correct Wrong Answer: D. Gloucester’s blinding is less explicitly tied to the theme of nature and culture as it is to the theme of perception. 'King Lear' Quiz You got: % Correct. Great job! You know your King Lear very well. If you need a quick refresher, be sure to read the play's overview. Share Your Results Share Flipboard Email 'King Lear' Quiz You got: % Correct. Use the following resources to study up on Shakespeare's King Lear: Summary of King Lear King Lear Themes, Symbols, and Literary Devices King Lear Character Analysis Share Your Results Share Flipboard Email