Who Is Responsible For King Lear's Downfall

Throughout the play, King Lear goes through a method of attaining understanding, or true vision of one's self and therefore the world. King Lear had often succumbed to being vain and overly prideful, allowing these characteristics to take over his life as a King and as a person. Then, he goes through a series of life altering experiences, including a massive storm, and the death of a daughter, that transform him into a different man by the end of the play. He suffers enough to know that he needs to change how he lives his life. He becomes less self-centered, but he eventually endures so much suffering that the begins to become weak and lose his sanity. The death of Cordelia is the catalyst for his downfall.

King Lear is in constant need of praise, hence his method of dividing his daughters. The one who tells him what he wants to hear, and expresses their love the greatest, receives the largest amount of land from the kingdom. This can be seen as a way for him to boost his ego and

He decides to endure the same hardships in which they have. Lear has always prided himself on his expensive clothing and material items, but now comes to the conclusion that humans are no more than animals, but with the exception that we wear clothes. Although he comes to these profound realizations, he begins to lose his sanity. He strips himself of his clothing to become more animal-like. He is losing his mind, but his understanding of the world around him has transformed for the better.

Next, Lear decides to apologize to Cordelia for hurting her. He even asks if drinking poison would make up for what he has done. He says that her sisters should have been punished rather than her. He asks for forgiveness, saying, “We two alone will sing like birds i' th' cage. / When thou dost ask me blessing, I’ll kneel down / And ask of thee forgiveness. So we’ll live, / And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh”