Love And Violence In King Lear, By William Shakespeare

King Lear, written by William Shakespeare, demonstrates themes of love, violence and tragedy. It is set in the 8th century and follows the story of the King as he decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters, an action which later proves to be fatally flawed. Gonerill is the oldest daughter and, like her sister Regan, has an obsession for power and will do almost anything to achieve it. Her aggressive nature would have been somewhat rare in women at the time.

In act 1, scene 1, King Lear is dividing his kingdom between his daughters and asking them to declare their love for him in return. His very open favouritism for Cordelia is evident as he saves her for last, already aware of his decision to give her the larger part. Gonerill, …show more content…
This also suggests that Gonerill may be fearful of him and his unpredictable nature. She states that she has ‘A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable’. This physical love Gonerill claims to have for King Lear suggests she needs to exaggerate largely, in order to compete with Cordelia. It is easy to see that this unrealistic declaration of love is not genuine; the daughter that loves him the most will receive the best land, therefore inheriting the most power. However, Lear appears to be oblivious to this. The King invites his second daughter to speak, addressing her as ‘Our dearest Regan, wife of Cornwall’. By referring to her by her husband, he reduces her own identity, highlighting the little freedom women had at that time. Following her sister, Regan expresses her difficulty in thinking of something new to …show more content…
The two sisters both develop feelings for him, oblivious to the possibility that he may only want them for their power. In Act 4 Scene 2, Gonerill bids Edmond an affectionate farewell, and reflects on how much she prefers Edmond to her husband. She says to him ‘Wear this; spare speech’ as she offers him a necklace which he accepts. This used to symbolise a token of admiration, affection and good luck; the more personal the item, the greater the luck that it bestowed. Because Edmond accepts it, he signifies that he is hers. ‘This kiss, if it durst speak would stretch thy spirits up into the air’. She kisses him, again enhancing her dominance and power, even in her personal life. This strongly suggests that she wishes to be his mistress. As Edmond leaves, Gonerill begins to compare Edmond to her husband, Albany. She states ‘To thee a woman’s services are due’, implying that Edmond deserves to have her. Her perspective on love, far from romantic, is much more physical and sexual. This also helps to highlight the power that she consistently maintains; by cheating on her husband she demonstrates how she is entitled to control any situation in her life however she pleases. The sexual desire for Edmond, shared by Gonerill and Regan, essentially destroys their alliance. When Albany demands that Edmond hand over Lear and Cordelia, Regan ruthlessly sticks up for him. However, this