King Lear in literature

Shakespeare spent much of his literary career writing wonderfully descriptive plays that not only entertained in his time, as well as ours, but also managed to teach lessons or morals to the audience. King Lear is no exception - there is meaningless violence that strips the world of justice and good, and the foolish (King Lear and Gloucester) are left with the realization of what they have done, and the role they have played in the disastrous and brutal happenings throughout the plot.

King Lear's basic flaw at the beginning of the play is his desire to put on appearances - most notably his desire for the appearance of love and devotion as opposed to actual love and devotion. In Act 1, he questions his daughters "which of you shall we say doth love us most?" (I.i.49) and is most pleased with his two treacherous daughters, Goneril and Regan - who flatter him with meaningless words. Cordelia, Lear's supposed favorite daughter, is shunned because of her refusal to play such a game. The reader of course assumes that Lear would know his favorite daughter loves him, but because she doesn't put on appearances, he disregards her, and sets forth the events that eventually lead to her death and his insanity.

It is not until the end of the first act, and into the beginnings of the second that Lear finally begins to realize his mistakes. It is through Goneril's rude and mean treatment of Lear that shocks him into a partial realization. Lear is literally enraged when Goneril insists he send away half of his knights, and he then curses her, and calls out that he wants her to be infertile.

He withdraws on his offer of political power to Goneril, which certainly is a minute step in the appropriate direction. He, however, still believes that Regan will be the loyal daughter he so badly needs. Of course, Shakespeare and the audience already know that Regan isn't going to be loyal either - Cordelia was his only truly loyal and dependable daughter.

In a similar way, Gloucester is deceived by the two sons in his life - his legitimate son Edgar, and his illegitimate son Edmund. Though Edgar is not quite the virtuous beauty that Cordelia is, he does represent some measure of loyalty and justice, which is completely lacking in the jealous, bitter Edmund. Gloucester is unwilling to see the true character of his son from an adulterous relationship, partially due to his guilt. Gloucester is completely oblivious to the treachery and scheming that is happening in his own home, right under his nose. He and Lear both are virtually blinded by their desires for their children to be what they appear to be - he and Lear are both unable to distinguish truth from lies.

Gloucester is easily fooled by Edmund, who portrays Edgar in a bad light, despite the fact that Edgar has been harmless to this point. In Act II, Edmund's schemes work when Gloucester is led to believe that Edgar was fighting an innocent Edmund, and Edmund is praised by Gloucester for appearing to be so chivalrous and brave. Shakespeare makes it so obvious to everyone that Edmund is playing his father for a fool to take away his power - just like it is obvious that Cordelia's two sisters are out for nothing less than Lear's power and kingdom.

Gloucester's rejection of his son Edgar is similar to Lear's rejection of Cordelia earlier in the play. Edgar and Cordelia both are the good children - the ones that most parents long for - yet Lear and Gloucester deny these children, and shun them for their bad children who clearly do not love them. These two brilliant men, with the clarity of great leaders, cannot see their grave mistakes. Shakespeare uses their naivety to express how appearances aren't always truth, and true loyalty cannot be spoken only. Actions clearly speak louder than words, and these two men learn this lesson the hard way - through bitter betrayal.

Shakespeare's most unique and effective device through which he attempts to make Lear and Gloucester realize their blindness to the truth is the storm. Shakespeare creates this maniacal, fierce storm that seems to cause discourse among those caught in its path - mainly King Lear. One of Lear's knights remarks that the man out in the storm is "Contending with the fretful elements; / ... / Strives in his little world of man to out-scorn / The to-and-fro-conflicting wind and rain" (III.i.4-11). Shakespeare successfully uses the storm, a great force, to express the human reaction to the situations.

It is horribly ironic how Lear's mental instability seems to signal his realizations of the wrongs he has committed against Cordelia. In Act III, the audience finally begins to see strange shifts beginning occurring in Lear's mind. He starts to realize that he is going mad, which must be a terrifying realization for anyone. Outside of this growing mental anguish, Lear suddenly notices his Fool and asks him, "How dost my boy? Art cold?" (III.ii.66). He adds, "I have one part in my heart / That's sorry yet for thee" (III.ii.70-71). Lear expresses true compassion toward another human being for the first time in the play. This concern for others aside from himself reflects the growth of Lear's humility, which eventually redeems him and enables him to obtain Cordelia's forgiveness.