Discuss the importance of the storm scenes in "King Lear" .

Discuss the importance of the storm scenes in “King Lear” .

Introduction:

Without the raging storm bringing on Lear’s madness and self – recognition (“[His] wits began to turn “_) the play would not have fulfilled it’s tragic purpose. Shakespeare’s extensive use of the storm creates the main body of symbolism and imagery within the play, which enables the audience to access just how high emotions were running, and allows them to get more involved with the characters of the play.

Argument 1 :

The storm echoes Lear’s inner turmoil and mounting madness. This technique is called pathetic fallacy. It is a physical, turbulent natural reflection of Lear’s internal confusion. Lear realizes that his daughters have turned against him because they are just after his power. In fact he exclaims that “[He] will have such revenges on [them] both”. Angry and bitter at this treatment, he goes outside where the storm is brewing. Just as Lear starts to talk about crying (“I have full cause of weeping”), the storm and tempest break out. Also when the Earl of Kent asks an attendant: “who’s there besides foul weather?” as receives the reply of: “one minded like the weather, most uniquely”, the audience can deduce that Lear’s mind as well as the attendant’s is extremely turbulent, just like the violent storm.

Argument 2:

Lear argues with the storm. ”Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout Till you have drench’d our steeples, drown’d the cocks!”. His efforts to converse with the storm implies that he has begun to loose touch with his sense of reality. Lear’s behavior gradually worsens as the storm continues unabated. He gradually goes mad and becomes a “a weak despes’d old man”.

Argument 3:

At the same time, the storm embodies the awesome power of nature, which forces the powerless King to recognize his own mortality ...