King Lear anyone?

Question

I'm doing King Lear for a level english lit, and I was wondering if anyone could help me out with this quote:

'Create her child of spleen'

It's from when he's cursing Goneril.

Cheers.

Here's the full version.

LEAR:
It may be so, my lord.
Hear, nature, hear; dear goddess, hear!
Suspend thy purpose, if thou didst intend
To make this creature fruitful!
Into her womb convey sterility!
Dry up in her the organs of increase;
And from her derogate body never spring
A babe to honour her! If she must teem,
Create her child of spleen; that it may live,
And be a thwart disnatured torment to her!
Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth;
With cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks;
Turn all her mother's pains and benefits
To laughter and contempt; that she may feel
How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is
To have a thankless child! Away, away!

Answer 1

OK, well I got this: This continued attempt to quantify his daughter's love for him comes only a few pages after he curses Goneril in the worst ways that he can think of:

'...If she must teem,
Create her Child of Spleen, that it may live
And be a thwart disnature'd Torment to her.
Let it stamp Wrinkles in her Brow of Youth...'
from here: http://www.starfighter.acornarcade.com/mysite/articles/learact1.htm

Well, I'm guessing spleen is used in the angry sense, so I think he's saying that a 'child of spleen' will be an angry, bad-tempered one, hence the "stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth" bit. Have you ever met anyone who was born under a cloud/always mardy and narky and hacked off at everything? I think that's what he's referring to.

Answer 2

The Greeks considered the spleen rather than the heart the seat of the emotions. It may be that he is cursing Goneril with a tempestous child that would give her no peace. It makes sense in the context of the speech.

I believe the spleen was considered the source of negative emotions while the heart was considered the source of positive ones.

Answer 3

Lear is cursing Goneril for her treatment of him : having praised her father, as does Regan, in order to inherit title, power and wealth, at the start of the play, now that she has her share of the kingdom following Lear's abdication, her true colours are revealed.

Lear's imprecation is in essence praying for Goneril to be equally blighted with a treacherous, ungrateful child, devoid of respect and love for its mother, as Lear's daughter has proved to be to him.