Definition and Explanation
- Concept: “everything in the world has its own place”
- No matter what you do, you cannot make your way up in the chain
- You are all that you are born with, for the rest of your life, no matter what you do to try and change it
- The English society depended on a certain “order”:
- Hierarchical: The Great Chain of Being dictated everyone’s social station and standing
- Obedience: The lower classes were to submit to the upper classes. The upper classes, in turn, were responsible for the welfare and upkeep of the lower classes.
Philosophical Perspective
- In the Elizabethan times, everything in the universe was said to have a place in this hierarchy
- Less spirit and more matter an object had, the lower down on the chain it was
- Italian philosopher, Pico Della Mirandola, believed human beings were capable to rise to the angel level through philosopher contemplations
- Aristotle: Thought the universe was completely perfect, so was the “Great Chain of Being”
Presented in the Play
- Lear is the King he is, a man of great power
- Relinquishes the kingdom to his daughters, as a reward, to test their love for him
- Lear surrounds himself with people who use him (i.e his daughters (except Cordelia) )
- Edmund is considered low on the chain because of the circumstances that surround his birth
- Father treats him poorly because of his illegitimacy
- i.e.: King acknowledges his intent to abdicate his thrown
- By surrendering the throne to fuel his ego he disrupts the Great Chain of Being because he is challenging the position that God has given him
- Chaos occurs later in the play
- Lear banishes those around him that genuinely care for him.
Profundity Scale
- Mental -> King Lear divides his kingdom, Edgar holds onto the letter to keep & attain his Father’s attention
- Psychological -> King Lear divides his kingdom to rid himself of burdens and responsibilities
- Philosophical -> “Greed for power”
what is the Chain of Being in full context
What is “Rotae fortuna”
unpredictable nature of fate.
What is the point of this chain of being?
The Great Chain of Being dictated everyone’s social station and standing and it upholds order.
I swear that i couldn’t find the answer!!
For anyone who wants to know what the chain of being uphold I believe the answer is social class.
so what does it up hold
this doesn’t answer any question for my webquest.
chain of being, still dont know what it is
I have a feeling that half of the people in the comments are in the same class
Why do we have to do this Webquest? It doesn’t really even tell us what it upholds!!!!
What was the Chain of Being and what did it uphold?
thanks ;p
WHAT DID THE CHAIN OF BEING UPHOLD
order in the community
I love webquests
me too
so what are some examples of being broken in Shakespeare’s plays
OMG! I am working on a Webquest!
what did the chain of being uphold
THE ANSWER TO THE WEBQUEST IS: It is a concept that says that everything in the world has its own place and no matter what you do, you cannot change your place by going up the chain.
Greetings from Spain !!!
Umm.. I umm… Um………………….. I don’t get it..
what is the Rota Fortuna ?
perfect
We are all gathered here because of a web quest …. have a nice day 🙂 <3
How did you know?
ARRRGGGGHHHH This webquest is so bad what even is the chain of being
This was so helpful especially the king Lear plot and I am glad it included the sub plot
What did the chain of being uphold?!
Many people can judge you, but Alicia is right about what she said. Thank YOU Alicia
hey… @Curly..It simply means that if you were born to be someone you cannot try to be someone else…. And if you try to be someone higher than your status then a destructive will may fall upon you …eg.. if you were born as a servant.. you cannot be a king because it is god’s will for you to be there….and if you try to e a king then some disaster may take place
Thank you..hope this was useful
Thank you so much!
someone summerize this please im not that smart
heyyy it jake b from lal @ brms
this pic scares me
I hate this web quest-_-
how u do this
hi
hi this stuff is so boring
What was the Chain of Being and what did it uphold????????
The “chain of being” is an illogical thought with a basic concept. There is nothing to understand with it
hiiii
Great!
thank you, this has helped everyone in my class.
Besides King Lear did Shakespeare use this metaphor in any of his other plays?
this stuff makes NOOOO sense whats so ever
What was the Chain of Being and what did it uphold?
it upholds social status
What is the chain of being and what did it uphold?
thanks! Greetings from Queensland!
What is the chain of being and what did it uphold?
I still don’t get the question and have been working on this for like two hours
Same
What was the chain of Being and what did it uphold? “Shakespeare web quest” This is the site the teacher gave us!
the webquwebquest is so boring
hi
hey!!!!!!!!!!!
Great!
This is hard 🙁
OMG THIS IS SOOO AWESOME.
long live shakespeare
Thank you sir!
Thank you for posting this resource. I found the discussion of Lear fascinating. I love that play.
shakespeare is so fun!
I like Shakespeare!
i love shakespeare
Thank YOU!
this is fun to learn about!
@Boobear
@Cotton Ball
What is confusing you? Maybe I can help.
hi don’t feel left out me either lol ………!:(
i dont get this stuff…..! :/
Hey fellow classmates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hi
hey thanks