King Lear

Thesis:  Goneril and Regan's malicious behavior forced Lear to recognize true love .  Lear's journey helped him discover love in silence.

"Which of you shall we say doth love us most/ that we our largest bounty may extend/ where nature doth with merit challenge?"(1.1. 50-2)/ "Here I disclaim all my paternal care"(1.1.113)

Lear proposed a challenge to determine which daughter can validate in words their love for their father. Lear associated material possessions and wealth to display his love in return to the one who can claim love him most.  Goneril and Regan manipulated and exaggerated their love because of their selfish interest to the king's offer.  However, Cordelia refuses to put her love in words because it exceeds beyond his ideology of love.  Disowning Cordelia symbolizes the begin of Lear's journey.

"When she was dear to us we did hold her so,  but now her price fallen" (1.1. 196-7)

Lear coincided affection for a person with materialistic value for an object.  In Lears mind, the love for person is nonexistent without a representation of something physically or verbally obtainable.  Cordelia failing to express her love in Lear's perspective provoked him to declined his "love" for her.  Lear must perceive love as something intangible, something that can not be bought and can not be put in words.  Love is spoked in silence and can be confirm by actions.


Goneril: What need you five and twenty, ten, or five to follow in a house(2.4.251-2)/ Regan: what need one? (2.4.254)

Goneril and Regan challenge king Lear's remain power that is associated with the way he perceives himself. By removing the knights from King Lear it would symbolize removing remaining power he believes he beholds and would be considered the ultimate betrayal.  The betrayal from Goneril and Regan was a reflect of Lear as king - "Goneril: 'Tis his own blame.  Hath put himself from the rest and must needs taste his folly" (2.4.281-2).  Since King Lear was not able to comply with Goneril and Regan orders he must lose everything like he did to Cordelia.


"Fool: He's mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a horse's health, a boy's love or a whore's oath" (3.4.16-7) / "Kent: A sovereign shame so elbows him.  His own unkindness that stripped her from his benediction turned her"(4.3.43-4)

The fool is a projection of King Lear's deepest thoughts and Kent is the physical projection of Lear.
This is when Lear realized his mistakes and how he fail to love Cordelia the way she should have been love.

"Kent: if you shall see Cordelia- As fear not but you shall- show her this ring./ she will tell you who that fellow is (3.1.46-8)

The ring represents the cycle king Lear fulfilling when he realizes his mistakes and desires to be with the daughter he betrayed.  The ring itself speaks loudly and does not need to be attached to additional word to show is significance.  The bond that Cordelia and Lear have can not be declared by words.



----- I need to study for my Linguistic mid-term for tomorrow.  So ill finish this up tomorrow and have the essay ready for tuesday.