King Lear is a tragedy written by the great English writer William Shakespeare. Often cited as one of his best works, the play revolves around the King of Britain at the time, King Lear and how his banishment of his daughter Cordelia leads to disastrous effects for him and those around him. Through the eyes of a broken king and the world that is falling around him, Shakespeare manages to convey multiple messages about power, family and trust. One of the main focuses throughout the entire story is the parent-child relationship as it pertains to King Lear and his daughters and Gloucester and his two sons. In his monarchic and tragic triumph King Lear, Shakespeare is constantly playing around with the idea of the parent-child relationship. The
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This is clearly evident when King Lear banishes Cordelia for not meeting his expectations when professing her love for him. A very strong argument could be made that all the other misfortunes in the play were caused by his banishment of Cordelia in some form. Once again society led him to believe that his daughter was being unfaithful, and disloyal and he banished her for it. Often times we feel the need to act the way society wants us to, and that causes us to make fatal mistakes in judgement. “Lear fails to see the strength and justice in natural law, and disinherits his youngest child, thus setting in motion the disaster that follows” (CliffNotes). He even states near the end of the play as he is apologizing to Cordelia, “I know you do not love me, for your sisters. Have, as I do remember, done me wrong. You have some cause; they have not” (IV.vii.83-85). Lear admits that he has wronged Cordelia, and is astounded that she still has love for him. We see him pay the ultimate price for his mistake when he and Cordelia both die towards the end of the play. Shakespeare also draws a parallel to Gloucester as he has his eyes gouged out as a result of him trusting Edmund instead of Edgar. His lack of trust with Edgar is the grave mistake he makes, for which he gets his eyes gouged out, and has to eventually pay the ultimate price. “At the very moment Gloucester was blinded, he learned that Edgar had been true to him and Edmund false. Indeed, Gloucester says within Edgar’s overhearing, “Might I but live to see thee in my touch, I’d say I had eyes again (IV.i.24-25)” (Schewn). Gloucester at this moment realizes that it was foolish to trust Edmund instead of Edgar. Edgar later disguises himself as a madman, and the audience is unsure of whether he is acting or actually going mad as a result of his father’s negligence towards him. Gloucester’s folly ultimately leads to
This is clearly evident when King Lear banishes Cordelia for not meeting his expectations when professing her love for him. A very strong argument could be made that all the other misfortunes in the play were caused by his banishment of Cordelia in some form. Once again society led him to believe that his daughter was being unfaithful, and disloyal and he banished her for it. Often times we feel the need to act the way society wants us to, and that causes us to make fatal mistakes in judgement. “Lear fails to see the strength and justice in natural law, and disinherits his youngest child, thus setting in motion the disaster that follows” (CliffNotes). He even states near the end of the play as he is apologizing to Cordelia, “I know you do not love me, for your sisters. Have, as I do remember, done me wrong. You have some cause; they have not” (IV.vii.83-85). Lear admits that he has wronged Cordelia, and is astounded that she still has love for him. We see him pay the ultimate price for his mistake when he and Cordelia both die towards the end of the play. Shakespeare also draws a parallel to Gloucester as he has his eyes gouged out as a result of him trusting Edmund instead of Edgar. His lack of trust with Edgar is the grave mistake he makes, for which he gets his eyes gouged out, and has to eventually pay the ultimate price. “At the very moment Gloucester was blinded, he learned that Edgar had been true to him and Edmund false. Indeed, Gloucester says within Edgar’s overhearing, “Might I but live to see thee in my touch, I’d say I had eyes again (IV.i.24-25)” (Schewn). Gloucester at this moment realizes that it was foolish to trust Edmund instead of Edgar. Edgar later disguises himself as a madman, and the audience is unsure of whether he is acting or actually going mad as a result of his father’s negligence towards him. Gloucester’s folly ultimately leads to