Ethical Characters In Shakespeare's King Lear

Maintaining a rank and status while being ethical proves to be difficult in the play King Lear.
The ability to be understood and telling the truth is nearly impossible, we see the results of ethical characters losing their former power and political characters keeping their power or gaining more. King Lear creates a “game” for his ego and to determine how the kingdom will be split but Cordelia has no intention of playing, and truthfully expresses her love. Consequently, King Lear is infuriated when Cordelia does not speak anything flattering. Kent, a man devoted and honour bound to King Lear says “Kill thy physician” “Revoke thy gift” “I’ll tell thee thou dost evil.” trying to reason with him explaining that using a game is not the wisest

decision and even informs King Lear to listen to him. King Lear ironically repeats “hear me” twice when he should be listening to Kent, dismissing the truth and punishing the two, disowning Cordelia and banishing Kent. King Lear believes in the lies and flattery said by Goneril and Regan, but is unwilling to understand the honesty and truth said by Cordelia and Kent. Shakespeare uses Kent’s banishment and Cordelia’s disownment to illustrate the motif, that ethical characters will be punished and ignored, but does that mean you can’t be ethical without being punished? In my personal experience, I needed to lie. Being ethical while working in a restaurant is not an option, I had to converse with customers or pretend to be interested in their daily lives when I often did not care, if I had been more ethical and stopped creating small talk, customers will perceive me as rude and causing a terrible experience for their dining enjoyment. Another prime example is office politics, sharing many similarities to the political views in King Lear, co-workers would cater or “suck up” towards the managers and although I was more ethical being quiet since that is how I am naturally, I was often doing harder tasks assigned by the manager than those who played the office politics, however it was not close to being severe as Cordelia and Kent punishment for being ethical.