King Lear

King Lear

Shakespeare renowned tragedy “King Lear” conveys the devastating and pernicious effect of reed for power and lust. When we talk about harmful effect of lust for power, Goneril and Regan reject their own father in favor of material possessions and power. At first they flattered about their immense love for their father. They, for power and possession confess that they loved their father the most. But when they get the power and property they don’t have even a narrow space to light their father stay in. they forget their responsibility and duty towards their father because of the effect of property and power. Ultimately they intend to kill their father even though he is suffered from madness. This cruelty is because of hunger for power. Likewise, when we check the condition of another character, Earl of Gloucester he suffers the same. His bastard son Edmund plots for his half brother Edgar. He creates misunderstanding and confusion between Gloucester and Edgar, though Edgar id devoted and loving to his father Gloucester. Further Edmund reveals the secrecy about letter from France to Goneril and Regan not for other purpose but for fulfilling his hunger and passion for property and power.

Quite humiliating fact lies at his act of going away inorder to late Goneril and Ragan pluck the eyes of his father and blind him. Ultimately there cupidity results in their downfall. When we talk about lust and its devastating effect, the crew of same boat Goneril and Regan while torturing their father combats eachother. They strongly shun eachother because of their lust for Edmund. Finally their anger and jealousy reaches the extreme that Goneril poisons her own sister Regan inorder to fulfill her lust for Edgar. Ultimately she herself commits suicide and destroys both because of lust. So these instances and events in drama reveal greed and lust corrupt human being and bring about their downfall. Moreover, in terms of dividing the state he gives the power and property to Goneril and Regan for they flatter the king. The simple declare that they loved their father than anything in the world. But foolishly he disinherited the property of Cordelia for she does not flatter him. Infact love is not matter of expression rather it is matter of realization. It is not external rather internal affection to feel. Cordelia love for her father was sincerity and dedicated. But he could not understand her sincerity. Reveals her inner and emotional love for her father. Moreover another immaturity despite his age of 76 lies in his act of punishing his faithful Earl of Gloucester for his suggestion of not disinheriting Cordelia. Another parallel immaturity lies in the treatment and behavior of Earl of Gloucester toward his son Edgar. His bastard son Edmund feels his ear by accusing Edgar as plotting against him inorder to seize his name and property. Being instigated by Edmund he immediately takes action against Edgar. He never rethinks before taking action.

Betrayal in the King Lear

King Lear is a tragedy filled with treachery, cruelty, greed, passion on power exercise. Betrayal is the central among all these themes. Here a brother betrays his brother, children betray father, wife betrays husband and daughter is betrays by her father. King Lear, Goneril, Regan, and Edmund play the role of betrayal whereas Cordelia, Edgar, Gloucester, Albany and Lear plays the roles of betrayed. In the opening scene King Lear becomes hostile to his daughter when she refuses to express her flattery love for him. He disowned her off his property and banishes her from his kingdom. Lear betrays her without understanding the deeply rooted genuine love of Cordelia. He disregards Cornelia’s selfless love. He even does not consider anything about the bond o f love between the father and daughter. He disowned her for some stupid reasons which is not sufficient and logical order to hate and banished own daughter. In this sense Lear’s such an act is betrayal because nobody expects a father to disown his own daughter and banished her.

Edmund betrays both his father and brother. As a cold villain he conspires against his father. He wants to inherit Gloucester’s property and wants to erase the social stigma towards the bastard son. He then plots to have early murder of his father. He becomes successful to trick Gloucester in believing that Edgar is trying to kill him. The gullible Gloucester believes Edmund and develops a sense of doubt on Edgar. Taking Cornwall on Regan sides Edmund lets Gloucester be blinded. He even betrays Gloucester showing Cornwall a letter which reveals Gloucester supports of the French side. Goneril and Regan both are treacherous characters who betray their father king Lear. Once they seized and enjoyed the power they forget the fatherly duties. They denied giving even a shelter to King Lear and his Knights. Being too much power monger they even attempted to seized the remaining influence of the King. Regan does not allow Lear to keep Lear’s hundreds of knights. They order to shut and lock the door leaving their father outside in the nightmarish thunder storm. Cunning and treacherous Goneril betrays her own meek husband Albany so that she could be his wife to fulfill physical love with Edmund Goneril ploys against her own husband. Regan and Goneril also have the sibling rivalry and a caused behind that is Edmund. Both sisters want to marry with charming Edmund. Out of sensuality and sexual jealousy they attempt to betray eachother. Finally Goneril poisons Regan out of Jealousy for Edmund. In this way “King Lear” dramatizes story of betrayal as major character are engaged in betraying one another mainly to acquire and fulfill their power, prestige and passion.

King Lear is also full of symbolic presentation some significant symbol has been used to impart some important messages in the play. Whether, storm, blindness, old age, fortune of wheel and chaos are some of the striking symbols exploited in the play. Therefore these symbols has very specific and significant role in the play King Lear.

Reference-

Klaus, C. H. (2013). New York: Oxford University Press.