King Lear
In Act I and Act II, King Lear is hasty and very expectant. He exhibits these characteristics often throughout the first two acts. Lear shows his hastiness when he quickly disowns Cordelia, and also when he gives Kent five days to get out of the kingdom. He says that he is very angry at one point and he doesn't want to take his anger out on anyone, so they should stay away. King Lear shows how expecting he is when he talks about how he assumed Cordelia would be the one to take care of him in his old age, and also when he tells his daughters to profess their love to them.
King Lear is very quick to disown Cordelia, this is one example of how hasty he is. He decided that there are no family ties between them, and he considers her
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a stranger to himself. King Lear compares their bond to foreign savages who eat their own children for dinner, saying thats how close she will be to his heart. “Let it be so. Thy truth then be thy dower. For by the sacred radiance of the sun, The mysteries of Hecate and the night, By all the operation of the orbs From whom we do exist and cease to be Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity, and property of blood, And as a stranger to my heart and me Hold thee from this for ever. The barbarous Scythian, Or he that makes his generation messes To gorge his appetite, shall to my bosom Be as well neighbored, pitied, and relieved As thou my sometime daughter.” (1.1, 110-122) Throughout the first two acts he is very hasty, and makes many rash decisions. He completely splits his kingdom up between his daughters, giving away any power he had left. The power he had was the only thing people were respecting him for, without it he is just an senile old man. King Lear gives Kent five days to get all of his stuff that he needs to survive, and get out of his kingdom. This is just one of the many rash decisions King Lear makes showing his hastiness. He says that he has day six to leave and if he is found in the kingdom any day after that he will be killed. He also swears by Jupiter that he’ll never revoke the punishment. “Hear me, recreant! On thine allegiance, hear me! That thou hast sought to make us break our vows, Which we durst never yet, and with strained pride To come betwixt our sentence and our power, Which nor our nature nor our place can bear, Our potency made good, take thy reward: Five days we do allot thee for provision To shield thee from diseases of the world, And on the sixth to turn thy hated back Upon our kingdom.
If on the next day following,
Thy banished trunk be found in our dominions,
The moment is thy death. Away! By Jupiter,
This shall not be revoked.” (1.1, 168-181)
King Lear shows how expecting he is when he tells Kent about how he loved Cordelia the most and planned to spend his old age with her taking care of him. He then tells Cordelia to get out of his sight, and that if she doesn’t love her father then he’ll only have peace when he is dead.
“Peace, Kent.
Come not between the dragon and his wrath.
I loved her most and thought to set my rest
On her kind nursery. Hence, and avoid my sight!
So be my grave my peace as here I give
Her father’s heart from her. Call France. Who stirs?
Call Burgundy. Cornwall and Albany,
With my two daughters' dowers digest this third.
Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her.
I do invest you jointly with my power,
Pre-eminence, and all the large
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effects That troop with majesty.
Ourself, by monthly course,
With reservation of an hundred knights
By you to be sustained, shall our abode
Make with you by due turns. Only shall we retain
The name, and all th' additions to a king. The sway,
revenue, execution of the rest,
Belovèd sons, be yours; which to confirm,
This coronet part between you.” (1.1, 123-141)
King Lear also shows how expecting he is when he tells his daughters to profess their love to him. He tells them that this is how he is going to split his kingdom up, and that whoever loves him the most will get the best part of his kingdom. He allows flattery to cloud his judgment during this. King Lear assumed that Cordelia loved him the most. When she wasn't the one to profess her love like the others, it made him angry. She was being honest, while her other sisters were saying whatever they could so they could get the best part of the kingdom.
“Meantime we shall express our darker purpose.
Give me the map there. Know that we have divided
In three our kingdom, and ’tis our fast intent
To shake all cares and business from our age,
Conferring them on younger strengths while we
Unburdened crawl toward death. Our son of
Cornwall,
And you, our no less loving son of
Albany, We have this hour a constant will to publish Our daughters' several dowers, that future strife May be prevented now. The two great princes, France and Burgundy, Great rivals in our youngest daughter’s love, Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn, And here are to be answered. 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, That we our largest bounty may extend Where nature doth with merit challenge? Goneril, Our eldest born, speak first.” (1.1, 38-56) He allows flattery to cloud his judgment. In conclusion, King Lear is hasty and expectant. He shows these characteristics often throughout the first two acts. He disowns Cordelia and gives Kent five days to get out of the kingdom, showing how hasty he can be. King Lear expected Cordelia to be the one to take care of him in the future when he is older. He also expected his daughters to profess their love to him. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of King Lear. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 1988. Print.
With Cordelia declared as banished, Lear states, “With my two daughters’ dowers digest the third...Only we shall retain The name and all th’ addition to a king. The sway, revenue, execution of the rest, Beloved sons, be yours” (Shakespeare 17). Lear’s fault here is that he believes that he can divide up his kingdom to his daughters and still retain the title as king; he wants to retire his position and responsibilities as a king but still remain respected and treated as one. His flaw in wanting to be superior leads to his downfall, as he is so blinded by his greed that he decides to divide up his kingdom to his two daughters who are as hungry for power as he is. They only want to strip him of his position and respect to gain more influence. Lear, not realizing the impact of such an impulsive decision, descends into madness when his daughters force him out of his home. After being locked out of his only shelter by his daughters, he states, “Filial ingratitude!...In such a night To shut me out?...O Regan, Goneril, Your old kind father whose frank heart gave all! O that way madness lies. Let me shun that; No more of that” (Shakespeare 137). Lear becomes fully aware of the consequences of his actions. He realizes how ungrateful his daughters are and how they have treated him unfairly even though he has given them everything; much to his dismay, he is left with
The reason for this might be because Cordelia had always been King Lear's most beloved child and
King Lear's hot temper and hasty decisions play a significant role in his fall from grace. His old age has caused him to behave impulsively, without any consideration for the consequences of his actions. When Lear asks his devoted daughter Cordelia to express her love for him, he becomes upset with her because she cannot put her feelings into words. He does not realize that she cares deeply for him and disowns her by saying, "Here I disclaim all my paternal care, propinquity and property of blood, and as a stranger to my heart and me hold thee from this for ever (1.1.120-123)." It is only later, when Cordelia has left him, that Lear realizes he had made a wrong decision. In another fit of rage, Lear ...
King Lear is a play about loyalty. "Goodness" is portrayed by the characters as selflessness. Each "good" character displays loyalty through selfless actions. Cordelia selflessly does not attempt to rob Lear of his wealth by flattering him. Even though she risks banishment, she selflessly refuses to indulge her father's foolish wishes. Edgar, too, is selfless in his actions by leading his father to safety even when he knows Gloucester does not recognize him and will not appreciate that he was, in fact, the truly loyal son. Finally, Kent, Lear's Selfless servant, risks his life to protect his king even after he has been mistreated.
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
When the audience is first introduced to Lear, he is portrayed as a raging, vain old man who can not see the purity of his daughter Cordelia's love for him from the insincerity of her sisters Goneril and Regan. In his fiery rage after disowning Cordelia, Lear commands to Kent, "Out of my sight!" (1.1.156). Kent fittingly implores the aging king to "See better, Lear; and let me still remain / The true blank of thine eye" (1.1.157-8). Kent recognizes love in its most noble form in the person of Cordelia, and is able to see through the hypocrisy of Lear's other two daughters. In beseeching Lear to "[s]ee better," Kent is, in effect, asking Lear to look beyond his vanity and inward pride to see the honesty of Cordelia, who refuses...
Let us begin by looking at the role of human nature in King Lear more closely. It is clear from the beginning of King Lear that Cordelia has an entirely good nature, she remains constant throughout the play, never wavering in her morals. The play begins with Lear deciding that he will have his daughters compete for their divisions of his kingdoms based on which of them can impress him the most with their proclamations of love. Cordelia, however, cannot express her love for her father in words, and refuses to deceive him by doing otherwise, stating that she is “sure [her] love's more richer than [her] tongue” (1.1.78-80). She realizes that by holding her tongue she is infuriating her father, but her nature cannot allow her to do otherwise. When King Lear asks her what she has to say, she states “Nothing, my lord” (1.1.86). A...
The theme of King Lear is the characters’ search for their “true selves”, the character Cordelia in particular has already found her “true self” through her love for her father, King Lear, but she is also the key to King Lear’s “true self”. In King Lear, Cordelia and her two sisters are asked by King Lear “Which of you shall we say doth love us most” (Brown, Act I Scene i), so that he may determine their shares of the kingdom and money. While the women will gain the benefits of these riches, the actual ownership will go to husband in the form of a dowry. Women are consid...
Cordelia and Kent speak the truth which Lear does not want to hear. Their behaviour is foolish as they confront Lear, a mighty fortress of pride, in their willingness to be true and loyal to a father and to a king. Cordelia cannot heave her heart into her mouth and speaks plain, “I love your majesty according to my bond no more nor less”. In doing this she risks displeasing her father, furthermore she continues to displease him when she tries to make him realize his foolish behaviour. In the end she is willing to give her life for a father who has wronged her (when she returns to rescue him). Likewise Kent is also wronged when he confronts Lear with the true reality of things. In doing this he sacrifices his identity as Earl. Kent again risks his life when in disguise he returns to serve Lear again. In the end there are suggestions that he will follow Lear, his master, to the grave.
King Lear had come so accustomed to his praise, that it is the sole thing he lived for, he needed it to survive, his treatment as a king was his Achilles heel in this play. He wanted to step down as king and divide his kingdom into 3 sections, giving them to his daughters to rule. Goneril and Regan were more than willing to accommodate his request to demonstrate their love for their father and king by professing their love to him in dramatic fashion combined with a good bit of exaggeration. While Cordelia on the other hand, found it a struggle to profess what she thought to be known by her father and king, she states, “Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave / My heart into my mouth. I love your majesty / According to my bond; nor more nor less (Scene 1.1, Lines 91-93).
Lear's vision is marred by lack of direction in life, poor foresight and his inability to predict the consequences of his actions. He cannot look far enough into the future to see the consequences of his actions. This, in addition to his lack of insight into other people, condemns his relationship with his most beloved daughter, Cordelia. When Lear asks his daughters, who loves him most, he already thinks that Cordelia has the most love for him. However, when Cordelia says: "I love your Majesty according to my bond, no more nor less." (I, i, 94-95) Lear cannot see what these words really mean. Goneril and Regan are only putting on an act. They do not truly love Lear as much as they should. When Cordelia says these words, she has seen her sister's facade, and she does not want to associate her true love with their false love. Lear, however, is fooled by Goneril and Regan into thinking that they love him, while Cordelia does not. This is when Lear first shows a sign of becoming blind to those around him. He snaps and disowns her:
Perhaps Lear's most difficult moment to endure is when he discovers his youngest and most prized daughter, Cordelia, dead. His initial reaction is of unbearable pain, but, being in his current state of madness, some of the anguish is alleviated when he "realizes" that she is alive. The king overcomes his earlier mistakes only after losing the one daughter who truly loved him. It's debatable whether Lear is completely conscious of his loss, but more plausible to suspect he is not fully affected by it as he is no longer in his right mind. Finally, Lear has dealt with the consequences of his decisions and is redeemed.
In the beginning of the play the reader learns that Lear is ready to give up his kingdom and retire from a conversation that two noblemen, Gloucester and Kent, are having. He asks his three daughters; Cordelia, Goneril, and Regan to express their love for him to help him make his decision as to who would inherit his kingdom. Cordelia has always been his “favorite” daughter and when asked how much she loved her father she does not lie to him and tells him “I am sure my love’s more ponderous than my tongue” (1363). Rather than being grateful for such love and honesty, Lear banishes her to France and divides his kingdom to his two other daughters. Kent does not agree with Lear’s decision and Lear banishes him too.
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.
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...