King Lear Rhetorical Analysis

In the play ‘King Lear’, the play writer shapes the characters in different ways. Gonoril and Regan in particular, display their figures of flattery and blatant boasting in attempt to please the king. It is important to note that both Gonoril and Regan profess flattery through ostensible manner. In Gonoril’s speech, she says: “Sir, I do love you more than words can wield the matter” (1-49). The meaning of this is that Gonoril’s love to Lear is beyond describable, with no word to match her love. In the context of the play, this sentence appears at the very beginning of Gonoril’s speech, and placing such a flattery of her love can be seen as both first and foremost expression, that Gonoril uses in attempt to persuade Lear so that she loves …show more content…
This single word seems to be of a normal expression that Gonoril uses along side with “space” and “liberty” to show her love; however, the “sight” is somewhat corresponding to Lear’s sight, and Gonoril is foreshadowing Lear’s blind sight to see the truth: “In such a night as this! O Regan, Gonoril! Your old kind father, whose frank heart gave you all, -- O, that way madness lies” (11-20). This excerpt shows Lear is aware that her daughters bear nothing but filial ingratitude, and he is dampened by his exile. By using “frank heart”, Lear realizes that although he raises two daughters with heart, they do not love him back with love at all. By saying “madness”, Lear feels remorse in his heartbreaking state. Lear would not have been banished into the storm with everything lost if he saw the blandishment of two daughters in the first place. Sadly, he is so indulged in such flattery that he blindly rejects Cordelia who truly loves him. Gonoril, on the other hand, sees Lear’s blindness, and ironically mocks his blindness, that “her love is dearer than eyesight” as if her love is deeper, and nobler than Lear’s love to herself, and her sight is much perspicacious than