The Fool in King Lear – Lear’s Conscience

• Truth-Teller:

  • After Lear banishes Cordelia and gives his kingdom to Goneril and Regan, the Fool constantly reminds Lear of his foolishness.

  • He is the only character who can speak blunt truths to the king without punishment, fulfilling the traditional role of a court jester.

• Uses Riddles and Jokes:

  • His wisdom comes through riddles, songs, and jokes, exposing the absurdity of Lear’s actions.

  • Example: "Thou hadst little wit in thy bald crown when thou gav’st thy golden one away."

  • Acts as the voice of reason that Lear ignored.

• Lear’s Other Half:

  • The Fool is an extension of Lear’s mind, representing the part that recognizes his error.

  • Stays with Lear through his descent into madness, commenting on his guilt and regret.

Le Morte d'Arthur

• ইংরেজি সাহিত্যের প্রথম রোমান্সধর্মী রচনা বা English prose version of the Arthurian legend হচ্ছে 'Le Morte d' Arthur'/ Morte d' Arthur.
• Sir Thomas Malory এটি 1470 সালে সালে রচনা করেন এবং ১৪৮৫ সালে William Caxton এটি প্রকাশ করেন।
• It retells the adventures of the knights of the Round Table in chronological sequence from the birth of Arthur.
  - সাহিত্যটির একটি মাত্র সংস্করণ বর্তমানে বিদ্যমান যেটি British Library, London এ সংরক্ষিত আছে।
• Sir Thomas Malory 'Middle English Period' এর লেখক। 
• 'Middle English Period' এর সময়কাল হচ্ছে ১০৬৬-১৫০০ সাল।
• এ যুগের অন্যান্য লেখক হচ্ছে: John Wycliffe, John Gower, Geoffrey Chaucer, William Langland. 
• উল্লেখ্য যে, 'Morte D' Arthur' নামে ভিক্টোরিয়ান যুগের কবি Alfred Tennyson এর একটি কবিতা রয়েছে।
  
  Source: Britannica and An ABC of English Literature. by Dr M Mofizar Rahman.

• "Lycidas" is a pastoral elegy.

• Lycidas (Elegy):

• Written by John Milton as a memorial for his university friend Edward King, who died in a shipwreck.

• Published in 1638, the poem mourns Edward King’s death and reflects on mortality, fame, and poetic vocation.

• Classified as a pastoral elegy, it blends classical pastoral imagery with lamentation.

• John Milton:

• An English poet, pamphleteer, and historian, considered the most important English author after William Shakespeare.

• Best known for his epic Paradise Lost, widely regarded as the greatest epic in English literature.

• Major Works:

• Paradise Lost (1667) – The greatest epic in English

• Paradise Regained (1671) – Divided into four books

• Samson Agonistes (1671) – Poetic drama

• Lycidas (Elegy)

• On His Blindness (Sonnet)

• Famous Quotes:

• “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.” (Paradise Lost)

• “Childhood shows the man, as morning shows the days.” (Paradise Regained)

• “Death is the golden key that opens the place of eternity.” (Paradise Lost)

Source: An ABC of English Literature by Dr. M Mofizar Rahman, Britannica