King Lear Analytical Essay

There are those who think that King Lear is a play that sets out to discuss matters of the state and how it is affected by personal matters rather than the other way around, where Shakespeare zeroes in on King Lear and his daughters to make for an example of how not to act when one gets to a certain age. However, while Shakespeare did use the setting of the state, the play does not revolve around politics, despite the issue of inheritance and power, but rather revolves around the father and daughter relationship that King Lear has with his three daughters. To understand King Lear is to understand the longing of a father's heart. This essay will be exploring different texts as well as the play itself in order to argue that contrary to the notion

Heinemann even argues that to simply see King Lear as a play revolving around such simple premises would reflect poorly on the audience's ability to think critically (227). Of course, as Shakespeare's true intentions will never be exactly known, such an argument will always have its validity. However, Heinemann does go on to argue that one of the reasons that Cordelia refuses to join the competition to flatter the king is because Cordelia refuses to participate in such a blatant corruption of absolute power (228). This absolute power is manifested and bestowed upon King Lear, who is able to divide the kingdom upon will and give it to his daughters. This is the part wherein it is vital to understand what this land means, at least during Shakespeare's time and what King Lear's refusal to give Cordelia her own share means. In "The State", it is made known that King Lear's status before he relinquishes his land to his daughters is one that is sovereign—that is, no matter how extreme King Lear might be, no one can question or defy him if they value their lives (159). Given such context, it is therefore understandable for some people to think that the

The wife is required to acknowledge during the wedding that her heart will be focused on her husband, and yet King Lear tries to make her lose her dowry (which will allow her to get married in their society), by trying to force her to vocalize words that would nullify the vows that she had to make to her husband. This is why Cordelia pleads that such an act is impossible given "that lord whose hand must take my plight shall carry, Half my love with him" (Act I Scene I 101-02) she shall give. This scene is effectively acted out by Sam Mendes' King Lear, in which Cordelia is at a loss for words for she is unable, rather than unwilling to word her emotions, arguably a mix of love for her father, confusion at what her father is trying to pull and panic in what she should say in front of her potential