Through Shakespear's King Lear, the motif of loyalty over power is explored in King Lear, in many ways through many characters. Loyalty is something you cannot find in many people easily, it is shown through actions and their words. Loyalty is shown throughout the play by only some characters, such as Kent, the Fool and Cordelia. Whether King Lear was rude to them or nice, they all treated him with respect and were loyal to him.
Kent was one of the characters that was loyal and respectful to King Lear throughout the whole play, not caring about the situation, whether the situation was bad or good. Kent is a type of person that only tells the truth whether it be bad or good, and that is the reason to why King Lear had banished him, not knowing the fact that Kent is being honest, not betraying him or lying to
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him. Kent feels like it is the best to say the truth than to lie and create a false assumption on something that is not true.
"Royal Lear, whom I have ever honored as my king, loved as my father, as my master followed, as my great patron thought in my prayers../ Let it fall rather, though the fork invade the region of my heart. Be Kent unmannerly when Lear is mad....Think'st thou that duty shall have dread to speak when power to flattery bows? To plainness honor's bound when majesty falls to folly. Reserve thy state..." (Shakespeare, 139/ 144). Even though King Lear had banished Kent and banished him, he was still loyal and followed and helped King Lear throughout the whole play, just like a lost puppy, but this puppy was not lost, he was just helpful and very loyal. Kent's love for King Lear was unbelievable. "If but as well I other accents borrow, that can my speech diffuse, my good intent may carry through itself to that full issue for which I razed my likeness. Now, banished Kent, if thou canst serve where thou dost stand condemned, so may it come thy master, whom though lovest, shall find thee full of labors" (Shakespeare, 1-7). Kent is too loyal and caring to King
Lear that he can never think of betraying his king. Kent did not have a duty or an obligation to help King Lear, but it was his own will to help and to be loyal to his king. At some point of the play, King Lear runs out in the storm and decides to stay there and he becomes homeless. Then Kent, being the loyal and helpful he is for King Lear, tells King Lear to live in a temporary shelter. "...Gracious my lord, hard by here is a hovel. Some Friendship will it lend you 'gainst the tempest. Repose you there..." (Shakespeare, 59-61). Kent is a loyal human being. He is not just loyal to King Lear but he is loyal to others as well. He lets Cordelia know about her father's bad condition and lets her know where he is living for a temporary time. The Fool is one of the other characters that shows loyalty. Him and Kent somewhat share the same characteristics of being loyal and respectful to others and not afraid of telling the truth to anyone.
In conclusion, family bonding and loyalty are dependent on each other as appeared in No Great Mischief, which makes the relationship strong and keeps the family strengthen in odd times. Whereas, in King Lear, characters acted both as hypocritically and faithfully, but due to the absence of family bonding, Lear and Gloucester could not recognize the true intentions of the double dealer.
... Lears blessing, and declared his daughter. Lear also realized that Kents speaking out was for Lear’s best and that he too was abused and banished. What stings Lear even more is that he is now completely dependent upon his two shameless daughters, Goneril and Regan. Plus that he must now beg them when he took care of them like a father when they were once children, to drive Lears further into madness he realizes that as king he was so ignorant and blind with power that he never took care of the homeless and let them suffer. All these realization and the fact that Lear is in his second childhood a tender stage drive him into the peak of madness.
Shakespeare's King Lear is a play which shows the consequences of one man's decisions. The audience follows the main character, Lear, as he makes decisions that disrupt order in his Kingdom. When Lear surrenders all his power and land to his daughters as a reward for their demonstration of love towards him, the breakdown on order in evident. Lear's first mistake is to divide his Kingdom into three parts. A Kingdom is run best under one ruler as only one decision is made without contradiction. Another indication that order is disrupted is the separation of Lear's family. Lear's inability to control his anger causes him to banish his youngest daughter, Cordelia, and loyal servant, Kent. This foolish act causes Lear to become vulnerable to his other two daughters as they conspire against him. Lastly, the transfer of power from Lear to his eldest and middle daughter, Goneril and Regan, reveals disorder as a result of the division of the Kingdom. A Kingdom without order is a Kingdom in chaos. When order is disrupted in King Lear, the audience witnesses chaotic events that Lear endures, eventually learning who truly loves him.
After Kent delightfully brings the two together and Lear realizes who he is talking to, he begs for forgiveness: “Pray, do not mock me. / I am a very foolish fond old man, / Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less /....Do not laugh at me, / For as I am a man, I think this lady / To be my child Cordelia.“ (IV.vii.68-79). Lear has finally achieved self-awareness regarding his mistaken banishment of Cordelia, and proclaims to her in a surprising display of humility that he is just a “foolish fond old man.” Shocking the audience, Lear does not hold back his newfound sense of shame. He goes on: “Be your tears wet? Yes, faith. I pray, weep not. If you have poison for me, I will drink it. 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.81-85). In another case of both humility and misjudgment, Lear believes that Cordelia no longer loves him due to his mistakes. Lear could not be more wrong because Cordelia 's love for her father is unconditional and still lives. Cordelia virtuously accepts his apology and assures him “No, sir, you must not kneel,” (IV.vii.67). Although the two do not live much longer, Lear intends to live out the rest of their lives being the best a father can
Secondly, from the first scene, King Lear makes a mistake that he will regret for the rest of the play till he dies. He lacks the will to continue his kingship and claims that he will divide up his kingdom and give them to his daughters depending on how much they profess to love him, which seems ridiculously wrong: “Give me the map there. Know that we have divided/ In three our kingdom;… Tell me, my daughters-/ Since now we will divest us both of rule,/ Interest of territory, cares of state-/ Which of you shall we say doth love us most?” (I.i.37-51). In Elizabethan times, this very act would be considered foolishly inappropriate since the power and position of King is decided by divine intervention and only God can make the...
Following this Lear begins to banish those around him that genuinely care for him as at this stage he cannot see beyond the mask that the evil wear. He banishes Kent, a loyal servant to Lear, and his youngest and previously most loved daughter Cordelia. This results in Lear surrounding himself with people who only wish to use him which leaves him very vulnerable attack.
King Lear by Shakespeare portrayed the negative effects of power resulting in destruction caused by the children of a figure with authority. Through lies and continual hatred, characters maintained a greed for power causing destruction within their families. The daughter’s of Lear and the son Gloucester lied to inherit power for themselves. Edmund the son of Gloucester planned to eliminate his brother Edgar from his inheritance.
William Shakespeare in this play displays the inability for humans to be completely loyal to anything. Loyalty has boundaries just like anything else in the universe. To say that loyalty is absolute is ignorant and biased. Cordelia, Lear, and Edmund all repented for their loyalty to themselves, and paid a very heavy price as well. Everything in life is better in moderation, and loyalty is one of them.
Throughout most of King Lear, Lear's vision is clouded by his lack of insight. Since he cannot see into other people's characters, he can never identify them for who they truly are. When Cordelia angers Lear, Kent tries to reason with Lear, who is too stubborn to remain open-minded. Lear responds to Kent's opposition with, "Out of my sight," to which Kent responds, "See better, Lear, and let me still remain" (I.i.160). Here, Lear is saying he never wants to see Kent again, but he could never truly see him for who he is. Kent was only trying to do what was best for Lear, but Lear could not see that. Kent's vision is not clouded, as is Lear's, and he knows that he can remain near Lear as long as he is in disguise. Later, Lear's vision is so superficial that the physical garments and simple disguise that Kent wears easily dupe him. Lear cannot see who Kent really is. He only learns of Kent's noble and honest character just prior to his death, when his vision is cleared. By this time, however, it is too late for an honest relationship to be salvaged.
... In the end, however, the play is carried and made compelling by the larger-than-life drama which operates beyond any particular political situation in Shakespeare's contemporary world. The dramatic interaction of characters whose motivations are shrouded add a mythic quality to the actions of the play that only accentuates the wrong that Lear does to his society. In this context, the expulsion of the good Kent from England seems almost a reversal of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise, for instance.
The reader discovers Kent's willingness to protect his King in the first scene. After Lear has had his daughter's display their love in a pubic competition Kent tries to persuade him that Cordelia "does not love him least" and that Lear should think about banishing her. Kent is trying to protect the King from his emotions and the decision that they have led him to. But Lear does not listen and instead banishes Kent from the Kingdom. His banishment is a result of another emotional outburst on the part of the King. If Lear were to look rationally at his actions and what his daughters have said he would realize his folly. Instead he is enraged by Kent and thinks that he is challenging his authority.
William Shakespeare extensively explores central themes and issues in the play, King Lear. Shakespeare discusses fake and true filial love and the rarity of loyalty in King Lear. Shakespeare portrays the importance of fake and true filial love through Lear and his daughters. In King Lear, loyalty is portrayed through Kent 's service to King Lear. The central themes and issues are the focus of the play King Lear.
Kent intends to calm Lear down, yet Lear’s unstable emotions at the time lead to him thrashing out against Kent, even threatening him. This is interpreted from when King Lear says, “O vassal! Miscreant!” (1.1.159). King Lear’s tone is extremely hostile towards Kent, calling him a villain. Kent replies with, “Kill thy physician and thy fee bestow / Upon the foul disease. Revoke thy gift, / Or whilst I can vent clamor from my throat / I’ll tell thee thou dost evil” (1.1.161-164). It is evident that Lear made an advance toward Kent or threatened him in another way because Kent said killing him would be doing an evil deed. Through King Lear’s prideful, yet fearful and dismissive tone in his conversation with Kent in Act 1, Scene 1, it is noticeable that Lear fears that Cordelia is right about the fabricated love his two daughters express towards him. His pride triumphs in the end, leading him to believe his daughters wouldn’t deceive him for they truly love
The first flaw in King Lear is his arrogance, which results in the loss of Cordelia and Kent. It is his arrogance in the first scene of the play that causes him to make bad decisions. He expects his favorite, youngest daughter to be the most worthy of his love. His pride makes him expect that Cordelia’s speech to be the one filled with the most love. Unfortunately for King Lear’s pride, Cordelia replies to his inquisition by saying, “I love your majesty/According to my bond and nothing less';(1.1.100-101). Out of pride and anger, Lear banishes Cordelia and splits the kingdom in half to the two evil sisters, Goneril and Regan. This tragic flaw prevents King Lear from seeing the truth because his arrogance overrides his judgement. Lear’s arrogance also causes him to lose his most faithful servan...
Lear's blindness also caused him to banish Kent, one of his most loyal followers. Kent tried to stand up to Lear in Cordelia's honor, but Lear would not listen to what Kent was trying to tell him. To Kent's opposition; "This hideous rashness, answer my life, my judgement,/ Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least;" ( 1,1. 150-151) Lear responded with, "Kent on thy life, no more." ( 1, 1, 154) "Out of my sight!" ( 1, 1. 157) This is a good example of Lear's lack of insight. He was being too stubborn to see that Kent was only trying to do what was best for Lear.