An Analysis of King Lear - Literature review Example

An Analysis of King Lear One the things the play King Lear written by William Shakespeare focuses on is the relationship between King Lear and his daughter Cordelia. Trouble begins when Cordelia tells her father that she is not going to marry because she wants to stay and take care of the king. That Lord whose hand must take my plight shall carry Half my love with him, half my care and duty; Sure I shall never marry like my sisters, To love my father all. (Shakespeare 1.1) This naturally agitates King Lear whose sole intention was to divide the Kingdom among his three daughters. Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity and property of blood, And as a stranger to my heart and me Hold the, 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 neigbour’d, pitied, and relieved As thou sometime my daughter. (Shakespeare 1.1) King Lear’s action is very quick and he immediately disinherits Cordelia. In this part of the play, the king severs his relationship to his daughter Cordelia and considers her as a “stranger.” The rage that King Lear feels is so great that he does not only disinherit Cordelia; he also gives her share to her sisters Goneril and Regan. One can understand that the reason the king does this is to make sure the kingdom is in good hands after he has left this world. At the beginning of the play, he gives to Goneril and Regan, who both have been married to Albany and Cornwall, their share of the kingdom. However, in order for Cordelia to have her share of the kingdom, she too should get married, the idea of which she refuses to accept. He starts treating Cordelia as if she were a plaything that he has gotten tired of. From something, Cordelia becomes nothing. This is clearly seen in King Lear’s words to Burgundy. Right Noble Burgundy, When she was dear to us, we did hold her so; But now her price is fall’n. Sir, there she stands: (Shakespeare 1.1) The king also tells Cordelia “ Better thou hadst not been born that not to have pleased me better” (Shakespeare 1.1). The lost of Cordelia’s value to King Lear is also made imminent in his words to the king of France who decides to take her anyway. Thou hast her France: Let her be thine; for we Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see That face of hers again. Therefore be gone (Shakespeare 1.1) Before the rift between King Lear and Cordelia occurred. Cordelia used to be the king’s favorite as stated in the words of the king of France. This is most strange, That she, that even but now was your best object, The argument of your praise, the balm of your age, Most best, most dearest…(Shakespeare 1.1) The sudden change in the relationship between Cordelia and King Lear does not only affect the king and his daughter but also draws the people around them like Kent into the problem. Kent steps in to restore sanity in King Lear and the love that once existed between the father and her daughter. When majesty stoops to folly. Reverse thy doom; And in thy best consideration, cheque The hideous rashness; answer my life my judgment, The youngest daughter does not love thee least; Nor are those empty-hearted whose low sound Reverbs no hollowness. (Shakespeare 1.1) But the king would not be moved by Kent’s show of concern and he banishes him from the kingdom. Not only did the king’s disappointment with Cordelia affect Kent; it also affected his relationship with Goneril and with the way he runs the kingdom. Goneril says in Act1 Scene 2 of the play: By day and night he wrongs me; every hour He flashes into one gross crime or other, ………………………………………….. His knights grow riotous and himself upbraids us On every trifle…(Shakespeare 1.2) Toward the end of the play King Lear and Cordelia are reunited when Gloucester, in his desire to protect the king from those who wish to harm him, brings him to Dover. In Scene 3 of Act 4, one sees that Codelia’s love for her father remained in spite of what he had done to her. All blest secrets, All you unpublish’d virtues of the earth, Spring with my tears! Be aidant and remediate In the good man’s man’s distress! Seek, seek for him; Lest his ungovern’d rage dissolve the life That wants the means to lead it. (Shakespeare 3.4) This is truly admirable of Cordelia. When she saw the appearance of her father who had turned into a crazy old man, she took pity upon him instead of reprimanding him for what he had done to her. For his part, King Lear comes realize how much he had been wrong about Cordelia in comparison to Goneril and Regan who maltreated him. If you have poison for me, I will drink it. I know you do not love me; for you sisters Have, as I do remember, done me wrong: You have some cause, they have not. (Shakespeare 4.6) King Lear further expresses his sense of remorse in that scene where he and Cordelia are captured by Albany. …Come, let’s away to prison: We two alone will sing like birds i’ the cage When thou dost ask me blessing, I’ll kneel down, And ask of thee forgiveness…(Shakespeare 4.6) The king also further realizes what he had lost as he bore the dead Cordelia in his arms. King Lear too dies at the end of the play. King Lear is not only about the relationship between the king and his daughter Cordelia; it is also an example of Nichomaean Ethics which was written by Aristotle. Aristotle states in this piece of writing that each man’s object in this life is to become happy which is clearly seen in the opening act of King Lear (Arisotle). When King Lear, decided to part with is kingdom, it was done with the intention of achieving joy and peace of mind, knowing that his kingdom and his daughters are in safe and good hands. This is the reason why he became upset when Cordelia refused to get married and leave the king. Cordelia’s happiness on the other hand, lies in her being with her father. This is why she was shocked when her father disowned her. Aristotle also states that in order for person to be truly worth of praise, he or she must posses the four virtues which are being of great soul, justice, phonesis or practical judgment, and being a good friend (Aristole). None of these virtues however are manifested by King Lear throughout the play. Banishing Cordelia from the kingdom is bad judgment enough on the part of King Lear and also shows his lack of justice. His desire to distribute his kingdom among his three daughters may be a manifestation of his having a good soul. One could not also say that King Lear is a good friend. In contrast to King Lear, Kent may be said to possess all these virtues mentioned by Aristotle. Aristotle also mentioned examples of moral virtues in his Nichomaean Ethics and one of these is courage (Arisotle). Aristotle explains that courage is a “mean position in one’s feelings of confidence and fear” (Arisotle). This virtue was manifested by Kent who in spite of being banished from the kingdom returned in disguise despite knowing the dire consequences of his actions. He also manifested courage in that scene where Cornwall and Regan put him in the stock simply because he was protecting the king. Another virtue that was mentioned by Arisotle is temperance which is described as control over one’s desire (Aristotle). The other virtues mentioned by Aristotle are liberality or generosity, magnificence, magnanimity or greatness of soul, balanced ambitiousness concerning small honors, gentleness concerning anger, friendship, honesty about oneself, and sense of shame (Aristotle). Regarding anger, Aristotle explains that gentleness is a means of putting one’s temper in check. King Lear did not demonstrate this virtue when he impulsively disinherited Cordelia after the latter refused to marry. King Lear’s action was very quick and anger took over his being. He refused to listen to the counsel being given by Kent, Albany, and the king of France. King Lear’s being impulsive also led to the immediate dismissal of Kent from the court. What King Lear did to Cordelia and Kent showed King Lear’s failure to practice what Aristotle refers to as self-mastery. Aristotle says that people lose the ability to restrain themselves because of “excitability” wherein a person does not listen to reason and instead follows what he or she perceives to be right; the person is not often prepared for the consequences (Aristotle). Aristotle adds that a person can also lose control over himself when after thinking things through and deliberating on the matter, he is carried in another direction by his passion (Aristotle). One may be sure that King Lear must have carefully thought about his decision to disown Cordelia; after all, she was his favorite daughter. But because King Lear gave in easily to his anger, he failed to foresee what and how much he was losing and he only realized how valuable Cordelia was to him at the end of the play. Aristotle also mentioned friendship as an important value in being a good person. One may say here that Kent emulates this ideal because he proved himself to be a good friend to his king. Even though the king banished him from the court and the kingdom, he still returned because of his great concern for the king and his family. In view of the things Aristotle mentioned in his Nichomaean Ethics, one can say that the play King Lear is about what a leader should be and should not be. In order for one to be regarded as a good leader, he or she should posses the virtues that were mentioned by Aristotle. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. King Lear. 13 February 2011. http://hawaiilibrary.net/eBooks/Give-Away/Movie_eBooks/shakespeare-kinglear.pdf. Read More