Shakespeares King Lear - The Redemption of King Lear Essay -- King Le

The Redemption of King Lear It is said that no some other playwright illustrates the human condition like William Shakespeare. Furthermore, it is said that no other play illustrates the human condition like King Lear. The story of a bad king who becomes a good man is truly one of the deepest analyses of earth in literary history and it can be best seen through the evolution of Lear himself. In essence, King Lear goes through hell in order to cook up for his sins. Lears relationship with his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia, is, from the beginning, very uncharacteristic of the typical father-daughter relationship. Its clear that the king is more interested in words than true feelings, as he begins by makeing which of his daughters loves him most. Goneril and Regans answers are descriptive and sound somewhat phony, but Lear is flattered by them. Cordelias response of nothing is honest but her father misunderstands the plea and banishes her. Lears basi c break at the beginning of the play is that he values appearances above reality. He wants to be treated as a king and to enjoy the title, but he doesnt want to fulfill a kings obligations. Similarly, his test of his daughters demonstrates that he values a flattering public display of love over real love. He doesnt ask which of you doth love us most, but rather, which of you shall we say doth love us most? (I.i.49). It would be simple to conclude that Lear is simply blind to the truth, but Cordelia is already his favorite(a) daughter at the beginning of the play, so presumably he knows that she loves him the most. Nevertheless, Lear values Goneril and Regans fawning over Cordelias sincere sense of filial duty. ... ...e and determination to repair his purport is evident at this point, and continues to show for the duration of the play. Perhaps Lears most difficult moment to endure is when he discovers his youngest and most prized daughter, Cordelia, dead. His in itial reaction is of unbearable pain, but, being in his current state of madness, some of the anguish is alleviated when he realizes that she is alive. The king overcomes his earlier mistakes only after losing the one daughter who truly love him. Its debatable whether Lear is completely conscious of his loss, but more plausible to suspect he is not fully affected by it as he is no longer in his right mind. Finally, Lear has dealt with the consequences of his decisions and is redeemed. Work Consulted Halio, J. The Tragedy of King Lear. Cambridge Cambridge University Press, 1992.