Abstract

In the Celtic mythopoetic tradition, the four cardinal points had their own sacred meaning. The most sacred place was the center, which was associated with the principle of the Sovereignty and was the home of the High King. In Shakespearean texts, namely, in «King Lear», we see a similar scheme. Lear himself embodies the principle of the sacred kingship. Other characters are associated with the cardinal points and geographical locations, and this «geographical-symbolical» semantics greatly enriches their depth and complexity. The first geographical axis Shakespeare inherited from his sources: it is the North – South vector, embodied by the two dukes – Albany and Cornwall. The second axis is not found in the previous stories about King Lear, which means that Shakespeare himself has added it to complete the pattern. It is the East – West vector, represented by the earls of Kent and Gloucester and the sons of the latter. The place and title of Gloucester has special semantics. The analysis of the historical chronicles show that connotations of Gloucester include the notion of striving for kingship, crimes, sacrifices and triumph. If we consider this, we will see that the so-called «Gloucester subplot» is more of a «second main» plot, which ends in the establishment of the new dynasty.