THEMES IN KING LEAR

THEMES IN KING LEAR

1. THEMES

   • Family Relationships
     • Parent/Child Relationship
       • Favouritism- Lear favours Cordelia over his other daughters. Gloucester claims to favour his sons equally yet society favours the legitimate.
       • Ingratitude
         • To take 't again perforce! Monster Ingratitude!"
       • Role reversals
         • Cordelia cares for Lear.
         • Edgar cares for Gloucester.
         • Goneril and Regan reject their father and take advantage of the power given to them and of his age and vulnerability.
           • Fool: "May an ass know when a cart draws the horse. Lear: I should be false persuaded I had daughters which they will make an obedient father."
             • The fool recognises that Goneril and Regan will attempt to control their father with their new power.
           • "Fool: Since thou mads't thy daughters thy mothers."
   • Justice
     • "As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods;/ they kill us for their sport." (Gloucester)
     • "The gods are just." (Edgar)
     • Although the wicked die (just) the good die along with them (unjust).
       • "Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life and thou no breath at all?" (Lear to dead Cordelia)
     • There is goodness in the world of the play but the is also madness and death, and it is difficult to tell which triumphs in the end.
     • DIVINE JUSTICE: The battle of divine justice can be seen in Edgar and Edmund's battle as it really is a conflict that relays the ongoing battle between good and evil, with Edgar defeat of Edmund obviously signaling the triumph of righteousness over corruption.
   • Authority vs Chaos
     • Lear is father and king, and when he gives away his AUTHORITY to the unworthy and evil Goneril and Regan, he delivers not only himself and his family but all of Britain into chaos and cruelty.
     • The stable, hierachal order that Lear initially stood for falls apart and disorder engulfs the realm.
     • In the Storm Lear comes to realise that he like the rest of the humankind is insignificant in the world as he witnesses the powerful forces of the natural world.
   • Reconciliation
     • Rather than despise Lear for banishing her Cordelia remains devoted, even from afar, and eventually comes to Lear's rescue. It is the same with Edgar and his father Gloucester.
     • Lear's recognition of the error of his ways in Act 5 is a vital ingredient to his reconciliation with Cordelia, not because Cordelia feels wronged by him but because he has understood the sincerity and depth of her love for him.
       • FORGIVENESS- "When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down, and ask thee forgiveness: so we'll live." (Lear to Cordelia)
       • "Pray you now, forget and forgive: I am old and foolish." (Lear)