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King Lear

King Lear by William Shakespeare is a tragic tale involving personal transformation, filial conflict, and loss. The story is majorly based on the king who foolishly sidelines his only truly devoted daughter then realizes the true nature of his other two daughters when it is too late. The major subplot includes the illegitimate son of Gloucester, Edmund, who among his plans is to discredit Edgar, his brother as well as betray his father.

Here, Shakespeare asserts that human nature is either entirely evil or entirely good.

An example of one of the entirely evil characters in the play is Edmund. Edmund's betrayal of his father and brother shows this. Edmund has devised a plan to discredit his brother Edgar in the eyes of their father, Gloucester. Edmund is quite aware of his evil nature and revels in it as seen in the story. "Edmund. This is the best foppery of the world, that when we are sick in fortune, often the surfeits of our own behaviour, we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and stars; as if we were villains on necessity; fools by heavenly compulsion; knaves, thieves, and treachers by spherical predominance; drunkards, liars, and adulterers by an imposed obedience of planetary influence; and all that we are evil in, by a divine thrusting on. ... I should have been that I am, had the maidenliest star in the firmament twinkled on my bastardizing." Act I, scene ii, and lines 127-137, 143-145. It is clear from this that Edmund recognizes his own evil nature and further decides to use it to his advantage. Edmund later transforms from entirely evil to entirely good

An example of the entirely good characters is Cordelia. Lear makes his daughters compete for their inheritance by judging which one of them can proclaim their love for him in the best possible fashion. Cordelia notices that she cannot show her love to her father using just words. "Cordelia. [Aside] What shall Cordelia speak? Love, and be silent." Act 1, scene 1, lines 63-64. Cordelia's nature is so pure such that she cannot engage in even in a deception so forgivable just to satisfy an old king's vanity and pride. "Cordelia. [Aside] Then poor Cordelia! And not so, since I am sure my love's More ponderous than my tongue. "Act 1, Scene 1, lines 78-80. Cordelia clearly loves her father but realizes that her honesty will not be enough to show her love for him. Her nature is extremely good to allow even the slightest deviation from her morals.

Through the king, Shakespeare attempts to illustrate the influence of the outside world as well as our own inner desires. The king’s desire was to be shown love and for this he alienated his one daughter that loved him for the other two who only put up an act. This can also be seen in Edmund who due to his desires decides to misrepresent his brother in the eyes of his father.

References

Shakespeare, W., Raffel, B., & Bloom, H. (2007). King Lear. New Haven: Yale University Press.