Unlike Cordelia, Edgar seems unwilling to ask the gods to reverse his father’s fate, insinuating that he values justice over mercy. The difference in the way that these two characters alone approach the gods reiterates the notion that interpretations of the pagan gods’ natures are not rooted in scriptural evidence, but in the images of the believers themselves. Albany, like Edgar, also ppears to consider the gods “just.” “This shows you are above,” he exclaims, “You justicers, that these our nether crimes / So speedily can venge” (King Lear 4.2.49-50). The term “justicers” offers the gods a sense of moral supremacy, whilst the careful juxtaposition of the words “nether” and “speedily” imbues them with a sense of being so much greater than he
…show more content…
From his first “Now, gods, stand up for bastards!” (King Lear 1.2.22) to his “I told him the revenging gods / ‘Gainst parricides did all the thunder bend” (King Lear 2.1.47-8), Edmund, for example, repeatedly insinuates that he considers himself on par with the gods, commanding them to do his bidding and intimating that he understands how their minds operate. Edmund’s narcissism, it seems, has skewed his perceptions of what gods truly represent: the existence of power much greater than man’s. Edmund’s example reiterates the notion that the gods of King Lear essentially exist in the manner that the believer wishes them to. Goneril, rather tellingly, does not speak of the gods at all. She swears once, but it is not by the gods: it is “by my life” (King Lear 1.3.15.3); like Edmund, Goneril appears to consider herself “above” the gods, although it is also possible that she does not believe in the existence of any higher powers altogether. Through Goneril – and through the wicked Cornwall and Oswald, who do not reference the gods either – Shakespeare seems to almost suggest that one must believe in the existence of a higher power if one wishes to circumvent an onslaught of …show more content…
The fiery imagery echoes the Christian perceptions of Hell; that he consigns himself to a “wheel of fire” – to this perpetual, unceasing torment – and affirms that his tears now “scald” him indicates that his arrogance and hubris have been eroded. In what is largely considered one of King Lear’s most beautiful passages, Lear also tells Cordelia that he would love for them to “sing like birds i’ the cage … live, / And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh … As if we were God’s spies” (King Lear 5.3.9-17). His dreams are ill-fated, but the verbs he uses evoke senses of idyllicism and innocence. That a singular God is mentioned in this passage is likewise incredibly important. Lear indicates that it is this particular entity’s favor alone that would allow for such inconceivable, inexplicable bliss to be
From his first “Now, gods, stand up for bastards!” (King Lear 1.2.22) to his “I told him the revenging gods / ‘Gainst parricides did all the thunder bend” (King Lear 2.1.47-8), Edmund, for example, repeatedly insinuates that he considers himself on par with the gods, commanding them to do his bidding and intimating that he understands how their minds operate. Edmund’s narcissism, it seems, has skewed his perceptions of what gods truly represent: the existence of power much greater than man’s. Edmund’s example reiterates the notion that the gods of King Lear essentially exist in the manner that the believer wishes them to. Goneril, rather tellingly, does not speak of the gods at all. She swears once, but it is not by the gods: it is “by my life” (King Lear 1.3.15.3); like Edmund, Goneril appears to consider herself “above” the gods, although it is also possible that she does not believe in the existence of any higher powers altogether. Through Goneril – and through the wicked Cornwall and Oswald, who do not reference the gods either – Shakespeare seems to almost suggest that one must believe in the existence of a higher power if one wishes to circumvent an onslaught of …show more content…
The fiery imagery echoes the Christian perceptions of Hell; that he consigns himself to a “wheel of fire” – to this perpetual, unceasing torment – and affirms that his tears now “scald” him indicates that his arrogance and hubris have been eroded. In what is largely considered one of King Lear’s most beautiful passages, Lear also tells Cordelia that he would love for them to “sing like birds i’ the cage … live, / And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh … As if we were God’s spies” (King Lear 5.3.9-17). His dreams are ill-fated, but the verbs he uses evoke senses of idyllicism and innocence. That a singular God is mentioned in this passage is likewise incredibly important. Lear indicates that it is this particular entity’s favor alone that would allow for such inconceivable, inexplicable bliss to be