My vs. The

         In many of Shakespeare's plays, there are slight differences in words used to signify something. For example, in King Lear, line 34 has a different word in the Quatro than in the Folio and the Conflated Text. In the Conflated Text and the Folio, the line reads, "Attend the lords of Frace and Burgundy, Gloucester (I. i. line 34)." In the Quatro, instead of the word my it has the words the. Why change these words, adn how the significance of the play change with the words. Well, first lets specify what the words mean. Me means "Of or belonging to me; of or relating to myself; which IK have, hold, or possess(OED, 2nd ed. s. v. "me" 1a)." The, on the othedr hand has a much less personal meaning. It insinuates and object or it. Now, if we take the play as a whole and the particular scene this change of word has a great significance. When my is used, one can interpret it two ways: my as a word to show ones care for someone else or my as the idea that you own someone else. The on the other hand is nuetral.

         Now, the majority of the play deals with Lear's daughter's strive for independence. They disobey their father and take away everything he has. The scene, on the other hand, deals with the girls exaserating their love for their father in order to achieve this independence, except or Cordelia, of coarse. Now, the change of the words takes a bit of the significance away. For example, when Lear says my it shows how totally surprised he will be as the play progresses because he consider's these character's his. On the other hand, when he uses the word the it is not as personal, therefore it seems as though the reaction that Lear will have to learn that these friends will hurt him will not be as huge as when he uses my because the is much less personal than my.

        If I were the editor of this play, I would keep the word my or I would use the words my dear lords... The reason is because by using those words, you give of sense of love to the readers. In other words, the readers feels that Lear actually loves the lords, therefore my is not a word of possession, but of love. If we keep my, the word still gives the idea of love, but the reader is not sure if it is love or possession. The reason I would do this is because I feel that although Lear may feel a sense of power over these characters, it is more of a sense of love and this stems from the reaction he has to everything that happens to him. He seems more hurt than angry. Hurt come from love, and anger comes from the loss of power.