Kingship and leadership and their absence have major implications in the play King Lear. Explore how Shakespeare presents these themes.
King Lear
Kingship and leadership and their absence have major implications in the play King Lear. Explore how Shakespeare presents these themes.
Jonathon Dollimore (1984) focuses on Lear's identity throughout the play. 'What makes Lear the person he is, is not kingly essence, but among other things, his authority and his family. As the play progresses Lear is forced to question his identity. "Does anyone hear know me?...Who is it that can tell me who I am?".
Dollimore believes King Lear is about power, poverty and inheritance. Shakespeare focuses on what happens when there is a 'catastrophic redistribution of power'.
At the start of the play Lear has a rich, powerful and complex social identity. He is King and Patriarch of his family. Being the king he was therefore looked upon as being the source of meaning and order in society. The opening scene represents a strong theme of authority and kingship. A sennet marks the arrival of the king. He enters accompanied by attendants and is greeted as 'Royal Lear' and 'Most Royal Majesty';
"Royal Lear, Whom I have ever honoured as my king,
Loved as my master followed,
As my great patron thought on in my prayers".
"Most royal majesty,
I crave no more than hath your Highness offered,
Nor will you tender less".
We see here how a great image of kingship and authority are presented. When Kent is banished from the kingdom, we later see as the play develops, how he still wishes to work in Lear's service and presents himself disguised as a servant. It is the image of authority to which Kent appeals;
Lear : Does thou know me fellow?
Kent : No Sir, but you have that in your countenance which I would fain call
master.
Lear : What's that?
Kent : Authority.
It is noticeable here that Shakespeare's language is used in such a way which appeals to the image of kingship and authority. The last line which Kent speaks here is a one word line; 'Authority'. This shorter sentence is powerful and it emphasizes and demonstrates the them of kingship and authority in the play, especially in the first act. It is also noticeable that Lear uses the third person (the royal 'we') early in the play but later when he realises he is powerless he uses the first person ('I', 'Methinks'). Shakespeare uses this change in language as it reflects Lear's change is status from a king to "a foolish old man".
Lear uses his authority to divide the kingdom, yet the king does not even possess this power. The power of the throne could only be passed following the death of Lear, however, he takes on this responsibility of doing so. Lear exercising this non-existent power it the cause of his hardship and turmoil. It causes him and his family their downfall from their status of authority.
Regan and Goneril use emotional flattery towards their father in order to gain power and misuse the authority that Lear has given them. Even though the power and responsibilities as king ...
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Lear uses his authority to divide the kingdom, yet the king does not even possess this power. The power of the throne could only be passed following the death of Lear, however, he takes on this responsibility of doing so. Lear exercising this non-existent power it the cause of his hardship and turmoil. It causes him and his family their downfall from their status of authority.
Regan and Goneril use emotional flattery towards their father in order to gain power and misuse the authority that Lear has given them. Even though the power and responsibilities as king are transferred to Lear's children, he still wants to retain his recognition as king.
"Only we shall retain
The name and th'addition to a king; the sway,
Revenue, execution of the rest,
Beloved sons, be yours: which to confirm,
This coronet part between you."
Lear thinks his identity as king is separate from his actual duties and responsibilities that come with the role of king. We can closely relate this to the fact that Lear also
thinks his authority as a father can exist without the duties of a father to assist this. Lear thinks of himself as possessing high power and leadership and it is the way in which he refuses to let anyone else express a different view that leads to problems. For example, when Cordelia was asked to express her love for her father, she says she loves him like a daughter should love her father.
"Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave
My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty
According to my band; no more nor less."
Lear was expecting much more than this. He was reluctant to hear anything which did not fit his own conception. "We know immediately that he is doomed to painful disillusionment by his assumption that his identity as king, father and man being fixed, must remain unshaken without its worldly supports." (Egan32)
We see the extent to which Lear plays on this hunger for recognition of authority. In Act 1, Scene 4, when Goneril suggests Lear could not keep his knights, Lear is well aware of the fact that that this would lessen his power. In Lear's eyes knights represent power and authority. He respond to Goneril using very strong and harsh language.
"...Suspend thy purpose if thou didst intend
To make this creature fruitful!
Into her womb convey sterility!
Dry up the organs of increase!"
Lear wishing this upon his own daughter shows the extent to which he wanted to keep his identity and recognition as king but he just wants to pass on the actual responsibilities. At this point Lear realizes his loss of power and authority and leaves
to seek shelter in a storm.
Kingship and authority are closely connected to the natural law, another central theme
in the play. A successful king works with nature. Lear represents natural order until he fails to recognise Cordelia's genuine love for him and he banishes her from the Kingdom calling her "a wretch whom nature is ashamed, almost t'acknowledge hers". It is this action and Lear's many other foolish decisions which a picture of Lear as being a poor model of kingship. He creates political and social chaos among the kingdom.
Symbolism of material things contributes to how kingship and authority are represented in the play. For example, in the first scene when Lear is dividing up his land, power and authority to his three daughters depending on how much they can verbally express their love for him;
"Which of you shall say doth love the most? That we our largest bounty may extend where nature doth with merit challenge."
The land that each daughter received is the extent of their authority and their power in the kingdom. For example, the Duke of Burgundy did not wish to marry Cordelia after he found out she was getting no inheritance from her father. He was marrying her for her power and authority.
As the play progresses it is clear that Lear's power had virtually disappeared. Goneril's servants show disrespect towards Lear which shows that his power over them had diminished. An example of this is Oswald's attitude towards Lear in Act One, scene four;
Lear: O! you sir, you, come hither, sir
Who am I sir?
Kent: My Lady's father.
Here we see how Oswald does not refer to Lear as king but simply as Goneril's father.
Another example of lost power and authority in this act is when Lear's fool offers him his coxcomb and tells him how foolish he was for giving up his power to Regan and
Goneril.
"Why, this fellow has banished two on's
Daughters, and did the third a blessing against his will:
If thou follow him thou must needs wear my coxcomb.
How now, Nuncle! Would I had two
Coxcombs and two daughters!
In act two when Kent is placed in the stocks is another event which represents the themes of power and authority within the play. Regan and Cornwall are responsible for this act towards Kent. Not only does this symbolise the fact that Lear has no power towards them but also the fact that they have taken the power of Gloucester because they situate in his castle. In the play we see how Gloucester grows to lack power and authority. He is similar to Lear in the sense that like Lear he is a complacent father, used to assuming authority. His adultery could also suggest that he had failed to take his patriarchal responsibilities seriously.
In Act 3 Scene 7, we see how Gloucester also represents power and authority. This scene contains some of his most powerful speeches and when he takes action he is brave and determined. He helps Lear on the heath and also shows authority when he ferociously denounces Goneril and Regan for the poor treatment of their father.
Another character in the play who possesses authority, or rather thinks he does is Cornwall. He is ready to assume command and join Regan and Goneril in their campaign against Lear. Cornwall tends to speak with an authoritive voice suggesting "the fiery quality of the Duke." (Act 2,Scene 4: when he announces Kent's punishment). In Act 3 Scene 7 Cornwall's contempt for any authority other than his own is made clear. He aspires to the crown and acts as if he were the law. In this act Cornwall takes revenge on Gloucester and presents himself as being the leader.
"The revenges we are bound to take upon your traitorous father are not fit for your beholding."
The tone he expresses here proves his feeling that he is responsible and hold power over the others.
Towards the end of the play there is no clear and confident voice of authority directing things. It is possible to view Edgar as the only character worthy of power to the throne following Lear's death. Edgar did no wrong and never questioned the authority of his elders, nor did he see himself as having a more important position in the state like many other characters in the play who thought they possessed more power than they actually had which led to their downfall e.g. Lear and Gloucester. At the end of the play Edgar is left to inherit the kingdom. Kingship was never his intention but certain actions that he took throughout the course of the play point towards his ability to pursue the role as king, for example, his defeat over Edmund, revealing he has the goodness and the strength to defeat evilness, a quality which a successful king must possess, unlike Lear who was blind to the hatred and evilness present within characters such as Goneril, Regan, Cornwall and Edmund, who offer a contrasting image of kingship in their evil and uncaring approach and behaviour. Edgar represents qualities common to kingship such as integrity, compassion and a sense of justice, things Lear once possessed but lost as a result of his downfall from his status of authority.
In conclusion kingship and authority and the lack of it is quite evident among many characters in the play. These themes contribute to the main plot and also the outcome of the play. Those who had power and authority but lacked the qualities to use this power responsibility like Lear and Gloucester, suffered as a result but in the end they were aware of the error of their ways but realised only too late their mistakes. Characters such as Regan and Cordelia who tried too hard to gain power which they were naturally unworthy of also suffered because of their actions. Their desire to gain the responsibilities of king was so big that they eventually turned against each other, ultimately leading to each of their deaths. Authority and kingship in the play are
strong central themes and Shakespeare presents them in such a way that allows us to see what happens when there is a "catastrophic redistribution of power".
English Coursework - King Lear Sarah Burns
