King Lear - Part 2
Listen to Course
0:00
0:00
EN: The phrasal verb 'look after' means to take care of someone or something. In the past tense, we add '-ed' to 'look' to make 'looked after'.
She looked after her little brother yesterday.
EN: In Shakespeare's 'King Lear', the names of the daughters represent their roles. Goneril and Regan are the elder daughters who initially act kind but later betray their father, which is a central theme of the tragedy.
EN: The phrase 'be tired of' is used to describe when someone loses interest or becomes annoyed with an activity or situation after doing it for a while.
He was tired of eating the same food every day.
EN: In the context of Shakespeare's King Lear, this sentence marks the turning point where Goneril and Regan reveal their true selfish nature, breaking the traditional expectation of filial piety.
EN: Use 'When' at the beginning of a sentence to show that two things happened at the same time or one after another.
When the bell rang, the students left the room.
EN: In Shakespeare's 'King Lear', the storm is a famous symbol. It represents both the chaos in nature and the chaos in the King's mind as he loses his power and family.
EN: The Past Continuous tense (was/were + verb-ing) is used to describe an action that was happening at a specific moment in the past. Here, 'was racing' shows that his thoughts were moving very fast at that time.
The children were playing in the garden.
EN: In English, when your 'mind is racing', it means you are thinking very fast, often because you are excited, confused, or stressed. It is a common idiom used in storytelling to show a character's internal struggle.
EN: The past tense of 'break' is 'broke'. We use it to talk about things that happened before now.
He broke his phone yesterday.
EN: In the story of King Lear, 'breaking a promise' refers to the daughters failing to care for their father as they had agreed, which is a central theme of betrayal in the play.
EN: Adverbs like 'badly' are used after a verb to describe how an action is performed.
She sings beautifully.
EN: In Shakespeare's King Lear, Cordelia is the only daughter who truly loves her father, making Lear's bad treatment of her a central tragedy of the story.
EN: Use 'start to + verb' to describe the beginning of an action or a change in state.
It started to rain in the afternoon.
EN: In Shakespeare's 'King Lear', the storm represents the King's inner turmoil and his descent into madness after being betrayed by his daughters.
EN: The verb 'keep' can be followed by an object and an adjective to describe the state of that object. In this sentence, 'kept Lear safe' means making sure Lear stays in a safe condition.
Please keep the door open.
EN: In Shakespeare's 'King Lear', the 'loyal assistant' often refers to the Earl of Kent, who remains faithful to the King even after being banished. This highlights the theme of true loyalty versus the betrayal of Lear's daughters.
EN: The verb 'get' (past tense 'got') is used to show receiving something, such as news or information.
I got a letter from my friend yesterday.
EN: In Shakespeare's 'King Lear', Cordelia is the only daughter who truly loves her father, despite being treated poorly by him earlier. This sentence marks a turning point where her compassion leads her to take action.
EN: The phrase 'bring tears to someone's eyes' is a common idiom used to describe something that makes a person cry, usually due to strong emotions like sadness or joy.
The beautiful song brought tears to my eyes.
EN: In English literature and storytelling, physical reactions like crying are often used to show a character's deep empathy and love, highlighting Cordelia's goodness compared to her sisters.
EN: Use 'with' to show what someone is bringing or who is accompanying them when they do an action.
He went to the park with his dog.
EN: In Shakespeare's 'King Lear', Cordelia becomes the Queen of France. Her return with a French army to Britain is a pivotal moment where she attempts to restore her father to his throne.
EN: The phrase 'was going to' is used to talk about a plan or intention that someone had in the past.
He was going to call you yesterday.
EN: In the story of King Lear, Cordelia's decision to return and save her father demonstrates the theme of filial piety and forgiveness, contrasting with her sisters' betrayal.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
to take care of someone or something
bored or impatient with something or someone
to become mentally ill or very angry/excited
to make someone cry because of strong emotions