Dhanush Venkatesh
Mr.Christensen
AP English, Period 7
10/7/15
King Lear Essay The origins of the creation of language have been lost in time, but we do know the overall purpose of it: to help us communicate with others and describe ideas, thoughts, feelings, and many other things. We often honor those who have a mastery over words as we feel that they are able to convey anything to another with clarity and detail. Writers such as Steinback, Dickens, Twain, and Tolstoy receive numerous amounts of praise as they pushed the boundaries of language. Yet all writers often face “writing blocks” when they are unable to adequately express ideas and put thought into ink. At this moment they search for words to represent their desires but usually fail …show more content…
He states that “Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least/ Nor are those empty-hearted whose low sound/Reverb no hollowness.(1.1.171-173)”. Kent is seen as a supporter of Cordelia in this scene and solidifies Shakespeare’s original claim of language. Kent first of supports Cordelia by stating that those who speak the least are not “empty-hearted”. Kent says this in order to prove to Lear that language cannot transcribe correctly the emotions of a human being. This is a direct reference to Cordeia’s actions as we see later in the play when Lear learns who really is his ally. But Kent does not stop there; he not only supports Cordelia but also berates Goneril and Regan. “Reverb no hollowness” is a brilliant metaphor which means that the more hollow the container, the louder the sound. Likewise for his daughters, the more insincere they are, the louder their praise. Overall, the first scene of the play is a powerful message from Shakespeare. He criticizes human inability to accurately judge the meaning of one’s word and their true intentions. He believes that the cause of this inability is essentially due to the failure of language to accurately express human emotions. Parallel to both Goneril and Regan, Edmund also uses language as a tool of deception for his own personal
Mr.Christensen
AP English, Period 7
10/7/15
King Lear Essay The origins of the creation of language have been lost in time, but we do know the overall purpose of it: to help us communicate with others and describe ideas, thoughts, feelings, and many other things. We often honor those who have a mastery over words as we feel that they are able to convey anything to another with clarity and detail. Writers such as Steinback, Dickens, Twain, and Tolstoy receive numerous amounts of praise as they pushed the boundaries of language. Yet all writers often face “writing blocks” when they are unable to adequately express ideas and put thought into ink. At this moment they search for words to represent their desires but usually fail …show more content…
He states that “Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least/ Nor are those empty-hearted whose low sound/Reverb no hollowness.(1.1.171-173)”. Kent is seen as a supporter of Cordelia in this scene and solidifies Shakespeare’s original claim of language. Kent first of supports Cordelia by stating that those who speak the least are not “empty-hearted”. Kent says this in order to prove to Lear that language cannot transcribe correctly the emotions of a human being. This is a direct reference to Cordeia’s actions as we see later in the play when Lear learns who really is his ally. But Kent does not stop there; he not only supports Cordelia but also berates Goneril and Regan. “Reverb no hollowness” is a brilliant metaphor which means that the more hollow the container, the louder the sound. Likewise for his daughters, the more insincere they are, the louder their praise. Overall, the first scene of the play is a powerful message from Shakespeare. He criticizes human inability to accurately judge the meaning of one’s word and their true intentions. He believes that the cause of this inability is essentially due to the failure of language to accurately express human emotions. Parallel to both Goneril and Regan, Edmund also uses language as a tool of deception for his own personal