Discuss the notion of madness in King Lear.

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Aloysius Bianchi                                                                                                6th Form (A) English

Discuss the notion of madness in King Lear.

                                        In King Lear, there are two types of madness, real and feigned madness. King’s Lear madness is real where as of  Poor Tom’s and the Fool it is feigned. At one point, during the play the two converge. Ultimately it is play dealing with madness.

                                        King Lear becomes mad as a result of his character, his rashness and vanity and due to circumstances. (His two daughters who try to deceive their father). Lear wants power without responsibilities and he hungers for assurances of devotion. King Lear is  used to flattery and so is deceived by his daughters inflated speeches and his vanity does not make him realise that Cordelia is honest and her love is sincere and consequently he banishes her. Lear falls mad as a result of his misuse of power.  

                                       The ingratitude of Goneril and Regan make Lear go mad. Goneril is sick and tired of her father as she accuses him that due to his character, the knights are behaving in an intolerable way, and suggests that disciplinary measures have to be taken. Lear is shocked as he answers her, ‘Are you our daughter?’. Lear puts on an act, as a means of expressing his horror and astonishment and these are signs of madness. The phrases, ‘Does any here know me? This is not Lear/ Does Lear walk this? Speak this Where are his eyes?’ shows a King Lear who is getting weak in his senses. He curses Goneril and says that he still has one ‘kind and comfortable’ daughter left to go to (Regan), yet she turns out to be made of the same stuff. She tells him to reduce the knights but for Lear, they are a symbol of status. The king attacks and curses his daughter to give birth to a thankless child that will torment her as his own bastard identity as a king. The man is used to flattery and her ingratitude is hurting him.

                                             For Lear Kent (disguised) in the stocks is an insult. When Kent tells Lear that ‘Your son and daughter’ in reference to the ones that put him there, Lear refuses to believe that Cornwall and Regan are responsible for his servant’s ‘shame’. Lear refuses to see reality and he is most concerned with his own mental state as he fears he is becoming hysterical with sorrow. Lear is being affected physically as if his daughters are attacking him for the inside. He is shocked when he finds that Regan sides with her sister as she tells him that if she checks his knights there are good reasons. Regan tells Lear to follow Goneril with half of his knights and then he can come in her house. From all those inflated speeches, Lear expected kindness and respect but Regan does not want, not even the fifty knights. The phrase, ‘I gave you all’ said by Lear shows biterness as it is a reality that hits him hard.

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                                       The premonition of madness is seen from the phrase. ‘O! let me not be mad, not mad sweet heaven;  keep me in temper; I would not be mad!’ as Lear here tries to retain his wits. He begins to show madness as a result of a conflict in his mind. He wants authority, having his own way, and only his suffering will acquire him wisdom. In being mad he is going to be wise.

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