How Does Lear change throughout the play?

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Danny Ryan

 King Lear Coursework

How Does Lear change throughout the play?

In a play about individual tragedies, a lack of responsibility plays an important part.  The play ‘King Lear’ shows Lear’s descent to madness’. In the play, King Lear experiences his own journey through time. He is betrayed by two of his daughters but is reconciled to his youngest at the end. All of the turning points of his reign as a king, was due to his lack of thinking as he never thought of what he is doing until his actions take an awful turn. Lear is a complex tragic hero. He, unlike other tragic heroes, doesn’t have one flaw which leads him to his downfall, but rather multiple flaws. Lear doesn’t realise at the beginning that he isn’t seen as the perfect king but we as the audience know this is entirely true. His character has many different weaknesses ranging from the smallest things to the most important things that some may stumble on.

My initial impression of Lear is that he is a naïve and arrogant king who indulges himself in false praise from others. He thrives of power and lives day by day on his wealthy state. At the opening of the play, the audience sees Lear as the ‘enemy’ of the play.

‘King Lear’ was written in the early 17th century. This was the time when Kings and Queens ruled the land with unquestionable power. The play is about a struggle for power and property. ‘King Lear’ perhaps questions ‘The Divine Right of Kings.’ This is when God has chosen a King or Queen to be rulers of the land. We see this when Lear starts with absolute authority but through misjudgment, looses it all.

The ‘Love Test’ is the first time we see Lear. Lear simply wants power, but without responsibility. We see this when Lear plans the love test, to split his kingdom between his daughters. He wants to be king, but he expects his daughters to rule the land, while he sits back and does absolutely nothing. This is unlike any other monarch, as Kings and Queens usually rule their land all by themselves.

There was no real need for the ‘Love Test’, as Lear already knew that Cordelia was he favorite daughter and that she loved him the way she should, but Lear is so vain and selfish. All he cares about is himself and being respected as the King of Britain. Cordelia decided not to take part in the love test. She just said to him

“I love you majesty according to my bond,

no more nor less”

This shows us Cordelia just loves Lear the way that she should. Nothing more or less. King Lear is unhappy with Cordelia’s answer. He expected her to say the same, if not better than Gonerill and Regan, but when Gonerill and Regan took the love test, they were dishonest. Cordelia was, but yet, she was the one that ended up getting banished. Regan said to Lear during the love test.

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“I am made of that self-mettle as my sister,

and praise me at her worth.

In my true heart I find she names my very deed of love”

Here Regan says that she loves Lear as much as her sister Regan. She says that she loves him very much, mainly just because she wanted a bigger bit of land than Gonerill and Cordelia. This was very low-hearted and selfish of Regan.

Gonerill says something very similar.

“Sir I love you more than word can wield the matter,

dearer than eyesight, space and liberty”

Gonerill obviously ...

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