“A plague upon you, murderers, traitors all! / I might have saved her. Now she’s gone for ever. / Cordelia, Cordelia, stay a little” (Act Ⅴ. Scene ⅲ. Line 277-279). This quote from Shakespeare's King Lear, is showing how Lear is suffering by losing his only hope left, Cordelia. In this part of the scene, King Lear is explaining is grief and regrets for Cordelia, which ultimately kills him. King Lear is one of Shakespeare's powerful characters that is used as a metaphor in King Lear. In many of Shakespeare’s plays, he takes characters and uses them as metaphors to show greater themes and issues of importance for society. By doing this, he allows the audience to understand his point of view on society and the problems everyone faces on a daily basis in a stylistic manner.
First, Shakespeare uses Edmund as a metaphor for being a justified villain. Edmund for most of his life has been a bastard and considered illegitimate by his father. For example, Gloucester says, “His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge. I have so / often blushed to acknowledge him that now I am brazed / to it” (Act I. Scene i. Line 8-10). This quote is explaining how Edmund’s father thinks that Edmund was a mistake. This causes Edmund so despise his father and put himself on
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a quest for legitimacy. Once he finally achieved his goal, he began to have even bigger ambitions such as ruling the whole kingdom. Because of his life struggles, he has a justified reason to behave the way he does. To achieve his greater goal, Edmund comes up with a plan to go against his own family. In the play he states, “Persuade me to the murder of your lordship, / But that I told him the revenging gods / ‘Gainst parricides did all the thunder bend” (Act II. Scene i. Line 45-47). In these lines, Edmund is trying to go against his brother, Edgar, by showing his father that Edgar is the real villain when in reality he is the villain. Edmund’s justified villainous character shows how some people in today’s society have a real reason behind every decision they make. He shows that some people are driven to behave the way they are because of the life struggles they have faced. Next, Shakespeare uses Cordelia and Kent to show honesty and good that some people possess despite the wrong that surrounds them. In the beginning of the story, Lear wants to divide his kingdom among his three daughters. How much they get depends on how persuasive they are on how much they love him. Goneril and Regan both try to prove which one of them loves their father more but Cordelia is honest with him and says, “That hath deprived me of your grace and favor, But even for want of that for which I am richer: A still-soliciting eye and such a tongue As I am glad I have not, Though not to have it Hath lost me in your liking” (Act I. Scene i. Line 230-234). She explains how she would be lying if she said she loved him more than she would love her husband. Even though Cordelia is honest, King Lear does not like what she says and disowns her as his daughter. Lear also removes Kent from the kingdom after he is honest with Lear as well. He states, “Or whilst I can vent clamor from my throat, / I’ll tell thee thou dost evil” (Scene I. Act ii. Line 165-166). Kent tries to tell Lear how irrational he is being, but he does not listen. After the mishap, Kent still comes back disguised as Caius. This shows how Kent still cares for Lear regardless of how unreasonable he is acting. These characters are a metaphor that shows how there is still good in some people even though bad surrounds them. Shakespeare wants the audience to know that good always outweighs the bad, even though other people may not agree with or follow your actions too. Finally, King Lear and Gloucester are used as a metaphor to show how suffering is universal. Throughout the play, the audience can see the progression of sanity to madness in King Lear. Lear’s mind started to crumble when Regan and Goneril betrayed Lear. Angered by the betrayal of his daughters, Lear states, “But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter Or rather a disease that’s in my flesh, Which I must needs call mine. Thou art a boil, A plague-sore or embossèd carbuncle In my corrupted blood” (Act II. Scene ⅳ. Line 216-220). These lines are explaining the hatred and how ashamed Lear is of his daughters. Lear finds it almost impossible to get over the assault Goneril and Regan made to him. As well as the betrayal, Lear finally learns the truth of his actions towards Cordelia and was too ashamed to face her. Holding Cordelia’s dead body at the end of the play was his breaking point, thus leading to his eternal death. Gloucester was another character who suffered greatly in the play. He had his eyes plucked out by Cornwall, leaving him blind. Although he couldn’t see, he still gained a type of sight that Lear did not possess, which was the ability to see the truth. While Lear’s suffering was solely mentally, Gloucester suffered mentally and physically. He feels his suffering is worse than anyone else’s suffering. For example, he says, “O you mighty gods! This world I do renounce, and in your sights Shake patiently my great affliction off. If I could bear it longer, and not fall To quarrel with your great opposeless wills, My snuff and loathed part of nature should Burn itself out. If Edgar live, O, bless him!-- Now, fellow, fare thee well” (Act IV. Scene ⅵ. Line 44-51) His suffering involves the excruciating pain of getting his eyes clawed out and needing to be dependent on others at all times.
Gloucester couldn’t handle his suffering, which leads him to attempted suicide. Yet, because of his blindness he had no idea that there wasn’t actually a cliff he could throw himself off of. These characters show how suffering can happen to anyone; even the most powerful people can suffer. Shakespeare wants to show audience members the many different kinds and effects of suffering in different types of people. These characters also show how actions may be the cause of suffering, such as in Lear’s case. But other times, suffering may happen without being brought into it, such as in Gloucester’s
case. As one may tell, Shakespeare uses his characters as a metaphor to show greater themes in his plays and even issues of importance for society. By doing this, it allows audience members to see the truths about the people around them and even themselves. Shakespeare’s powerful characters in King Lear show the themes of honesty, being a justified villain, and suffering without having the characters directly tell the audience, but rather have them stand for what Shakespeare is trying to make a point of.
“Besides, this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been / So clear in his great office, that his virtues /Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against / The deep damnation of his taking-off; (1.7.16-20)” The powerful values of being a good king in Macbeth, all the king's learn to manage throughout the book. William Shakespeare's ideas towards kingship can be seen throughout the play Macbeth, and shows that a king should be chosen by a divine right. Throughout the play Macbeth the most important topic is kingship. Followed by knowing the difference of kingship and tyranny. Shakespeare closed it out with cruelty and masculinity along with staying true to principles.
As intended in the story Edmund is a static character and represents wit, deception, and the wicked. Yet with all these amazing traits comes the consequences of using the for evil and not good. Sadly and ironically him trying to kill Edgar eventually leads to Edgar killing him out of the rage he feels after their father dies. What goes around always comes around good or bad and Edmund just got the bad side
Within the poem there is another article that I read which is called, “I Stumbled When I Saw”: Interpreting Gloucester 's Blindness in King Lear”. Which talks about, Gloucester 's blindness is the same as Lear’s madness, both of the characters representing the destruction of themselves and their human existence. Both are major issues to the way the play works and its tragic clash with the characters themselves in the play as well. Shakespeare understands how human emotions work when they come out when Gloucester is blinded by Cornwall and what is the powerful meaning behind what is being done in the play. Another key element in the poem is, when Cordelia and Lear are imprisoned locked up together. Before, Cordelia is about to be killed, Lear kills the guard who is trying to hang him and next he kills the guard who strangles Cordelia to death. In an instance it is shown that Lear shows compassion and more faith and shows that he is a father more than a king in that instance when his daughter is killed right in front of his eyes. His daughter is the only thing that he cares about, even when they were jailed together, she was all that he thought about, “No, no,
Shakespeare illustrates the innocent and naïve nature of Gloucester who unfortunately receives an untimely death due to the suffering he had to endure. His suffering did not fit his crime, something which Nemesis was never known to do. He was deceived by his son Edmund, his title was given away, and worst of all, his own two eyes were plucked out of their sockets, all because of a crime that he did not commit. Gloucester had admitted to Kent that Edmund was his illegitimate son, but he did not “love him any more than [he] love [his] bastard” (I.i.20-21). Edmund admitted his plan to the audience, but Gloucester was innocent in this whole ordeal. As a father and out of curiosity, Gloucester asked to see the letter that Edmund had with him at
Although the Fool and Cordelia are similarly candid towards their King, they never interact in Shakespeare’s King Lear, because the Fool is a chaotic influence while Cordelia is a stabilizing force. While the Fool and Cordelia both act in the Lear’s best interest, it is not always evident to Lear. The Fool’s actions often anger the King, and lead to an increase in his madness. On the other hand, Cordelia’s actions more often soothe Lear, and coax him back into sanity. Another commonality between the Fool and Cordelia is their honesty. Both the Fool and Cordelia are frank with Lear, though he may not always appreciate that they do so for his own good.
The general plot of King Lear revolves mainly around the conflict between the King and his daughters, although there is a definite and distinct sub-plot dealing with the plight and tragedy of Gloucester as well. One of the main themes that Shakespeare chooses to focus on in King Lear is the dysfunctional nature of not only the royal family and Gloucester, but the heartache and emotional strain that goes along with being a parent and having to make a decision that will divide your children. This play focuses on not only the after effects of this decision, but the way in which it affects the King, his children and his subjects as well.
Edmund’s discontent with the notion of bastardy is brought up furthermore in his soliloquy at the beginning of scene two: “Thou, nature, art my goddess. To thy law/ My services are bound. Wherefore should I/ Stand in the plague of custom…” (II.1-3). The notion of bastardy in Lear pushes Edmund to place his faith in his born traits as opposed to the system that has labeled him an outsider his whole life. He believes he is equal to his brother in every way—his mind and shape as true—and the only reason he is not aloud to prosper is because of a preconceived idea of the ideal child. Inevitably, Edmund wants to rebel against the system that has stifled him for so long. Gloucester is primarily responsible for Edmund’s actions because he in no way raised him equal to Edgar. Edmund’s goal to usurp his brother and earn the power he believes he deserves is due to the notion of bastardy in the play; Edmund questions “why brand they us with ‘base, base bastardy’” in his first soliloquy (II.10) . After all, even Kent attested to his fine demeanour. But, the steadfast notion of bastardy at the time drove Edmund to the point of betrayal because there was no hope for him in playing by the rules as they are fundamentally opposed to a bastard’s prosperity. With this soliloquy, Edmund positions himself as the more disserving
The tragedy of Shakespeare’s King Lear is made far more tragic and painful by the presence and suffering of the king's youngest daughter, Cordelia. While our sympathy for the king is somewhat restrained by his brutal cruelty towards others, there is nothing to dampen our emotional response to Cordelia's suffering. Nothing, that is, at first glance. Harley Granville-Barker justifies her irreconcilable fate thus: "the tragic truth about life to the Shakespeare that wrote King Lear... includes its capricious cruelty. And what meeter sacrifice to this than Cordelia?"5 Yet in another passage Granville-Barker has come much closer to touching on the real explanation. I quote the passage at length.
Edmund, the bastard son of Gloucester is not pleased with his status as a bastard. Edgar the legitimate son of Gloucester stands to obtain the lands, wealth and power of his father. Edmund thinks this is unfair and begins a plot to banish his brother and obtain the lands of his father. He begins by writing a fake letter from Edgar saying that he wants to murder his father and wishes to take power by force. Edmund uses his deceiving abilities to make the letter seem genuine. He lies to his father about how he came into possession of the letter: “It was not brought me, my Lord; t...
Edmund lusted for all of his father’s power, lying to his gullible brother and father aided him in his plan for total authority along with destroying their lives. As bastard son of Gloucester, Edmund wanted to receive all of the power destined for his brother, Edgar, who was Gloucester’s legitimate son. Edmund stated his disapproval of his brother, “Wherefore should I/ Stand in the plague of custom, and permit/ The curiosity of nations to deprive me/ For that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshines/ Lag of a brother? Why bastard?”(1.2.2-6). Edmund wanted the respect and love that Edgar received even though he was Gloucester’s bastard son. He claimed that he was not much younger or “moonshines lag of a brother” therefore he should be considered just as smart and able-minded as any legitimate son. He built up hatred toward Edgar and in order to get rid of him he convinced his father that Edgar had betrayed him through a letter. The letter that Edmund made read, “If our father would sleep till I waked him, you/ should enjoy half his revenue for ever, and live/ the beloved of your brother, Edgar”(1.2.55-57). Edmund portrayed Edgar as the son that would kill Gloucester only to inherit his money and share his inheritance with Edmund. Gloucester believed Edmund, sending out guards to kill Edgar for his betrayal...
He confirms his reasons for disrupting the established order when he claims… This implies that he is complying with the rules of nature rather than the rules that most of the society chooses to follow. Edmund believes that an illegitimate being cannot survive under the man-made laws of society, therefore he must infringe them for all bastards to achieve justice. Edmund decides to ascend the chain by means of deception and betrayal in response to the lack of recognition he receives from society and his father. Considering Edmund was conceived outside of what would be “human society’s harmonious order”, he is not required to uphold the social order within the country, since he was never apart of it. Edmund is aggravated that although his “mind [is] as generous” as everyone else’s, he does not have any connection with society, which initiates his continuous plan to disrupt any stable relationships; in response to being an outsider. When Edmund achieves power, he becomes consumed by the benefits that come with being recognized. After Goneril and Regan threaten their relationship with jealousy over Edmund, he responds with, “To both these sisters have I sworn my love…Which of them shall I take? Both? One? Neither?” This shows that Edmund is inconsiderate of the various relationships he is disrupting due to being newly recognized by society. Even after Edmund is acknowledged by his father through his words, “I'll work the means to make thee capable” he is still unsatisfied. Although recognition from his father was partly what Edmund was striving for, the new influence he has over society has made him protective of his title within society. He must eliminate his father from the social order and repel his brother away from receiving Gloucester’s throne in order for him to be ensured the position on the wheel of fortune, permanently. Edmund’s pinnacle of power causes him to utter, This
In Shakespeare's classic tragedy, King Lear, the issue of sight and its relevance to clear vision is a recurring theme. Shakespeare's principal means of portraying this theme is through the characters of Lear and Gloucester. Although Lear can physically see, he is blind in the sense that he lacks insight, understanding, and direction. In contrast, Gloucester becomes physically blind but gains the type of vision that Lear lacks. It is evident from these two characters that clear vision is not derived solely from physical sight. Lear's failure to understand this is the principal cause of his demise, while Gloucester learns to achieve clear vision, and consequently avoids a fate similar to Lear's.
ii. 48-50). Death, violence, and loss are woven all throughout the language, and in doing so, the physicality of such matters dominate the metaphorical world of the play. Perhaps the most tragic event in the play, the death of Cordelia allows the fullest expression of the tragedy’s address to personal morality. Like the other two daughters, Cordelia is an extension of Lear. Thus her death is an aspect of his own, allowing Lear to experience death and speak to the wrongness of it all. “No, no, no life! Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, and thou no breath at all? (Shakespeare V. ii. 306-308).” Both unnatural and inevitable, the unjust death of Cordelia embodies our sense that death is wrong and outrageous. Most of us are not kings, but it may be true that in each of us is a King Lear who is unwilling to give our kingdom, our sense of privilege, our rights we think we have earned. We expect to cling on to our existence, and pretend death does not exist. As we continue to explore the psychology behind death, we find, as we so often do, that Shakespeare has been there before
He is the rejected illegitimate son of Gloucester, who only cares for his own blood-son Edgar. Edmund, in the beginning of Act 1, casts an illusion that his stepbrother Edgar is trying to kill their father. “If our father would sleep till I waked him, you should enjoy half his revenue for ever, and live the beloved of your brother.” (1.2.52-4) Edmund writes a letter to himself forging his brother 's signature to make it seem like it came from Edger. Edmund reveals the letter to their father Gloucester causing him to get angry at Edgar. Edmund also convinces Edgar to flee the kingdom because their father is angry at him “My father watches. O sir, fly this place! / Intelligence is given where you are hid”(2.1.20-1). Edmund is trying to cast an illusion of being the good loyal son, while in reality he is trying to take over their father 's wealth. Edmund is the evil son. In addition, Edmund shows his true form of evil madness when he betrays his own father and tells Cornwall about the letter Gloucester gave him to hide, the letter that proves Gloucester 's allegiance to King Lear and the invasion of the French army. “How malicious is my fortune that I must represent / to be just! This is the letter he spoke of, which approves him an intelligent party to the advantages of France.” (3.5.7-10) Edmund is power hungry and will do anything to get the power he thinks he deserves, even if
In Shakespeare's classic tragedy, King Lear, there are several characters who do not see the reality of their situation. Two such characters are Lear and Gloucester. Both characters exhibit a blindness to the world around them. Lear does not see clearly the truth of his daughters mentions, while Gloucester is also blinded by Edmond's treachery. This failure to see reality leads to Lear's intellectual blindness, which is his insanity, and Gloucester's physical blindness that leads to his trusting tendencies. Each character achieves inner awareness at the end as their surreal blindness is lifted and they realize the truth. Both Lear and Gloucester are characters used by Shakespeare to show the relevance of having a clear vision in life.