King Lear's Madness

Improved Essays
Show More
Lear’s madness makes him metaphorically blind since he interprets love and affection in accordance to vanity. Lear’s first fatal mistake revolves around the banishment of Cordelia. When Cordelia expresses that she is devoted to her father, and that she loves him like a daughter should, Lear concludes that Cordelia’s love is empty in comparison to Regan and Goneril’s false love. Cordelia is completely honest and brushes off the idea of lying about her love for him, as Goneril and Regan did without hesitation. Cordelia demonstrates her honesty in Act I when she says,

After the banishment of Cordelia, King Lear makes the rash decision of dividing his land between his two unfaithful daughters. This impetuous decision proves how Lear is unfit to rule a kingdom, considering that he divided the Kingdom with the expectations that the kingdom will thrive as an empire of greatness after doing so. A fit leader would not hand over his kingdom assuming greatness will come from doing so, without taking precautions. Kent is a character introduced as Lear’s loyal friend. Kent witness’ Lear’s decision and attempts to help him realize his mistake, before any real damage takes place. Kent justly tries to reason with the King …show more content…
Lear finally understands that he was blind to the fact that he swam in riches, yet the impoverished people are not able to obtain food, shelter, or clothes. Lear finally opens his eyes after being in a state of avoidance for so long. Within his madness, he shows more understanding towards situations he was not usually exposed to, and approaches them with much more wisdom and empathy than ever before. Within his madness, he continues to express his newfound insight to the world. This is seen when he

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Loyalty In Shakespeare's King Lear
    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Loyalty In Shakespeare's King Lear

    King No Longer 1. Kent has returned to England because his loyalty towards King Lear surpasses his banishment. Kent has King Lear’s best interests in mind and does not trust Lear’s decision of allotting his kingdom to Goneril and Regan. Kent’s goal is to provide counsel to Lear and ensure Lear does not make any rash decisions. Kent’s devotion to Lear is evidenced when Kent states, Lear accepts the stranger for his flattering comments, talents, and honesty.…

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Jane Smiley A Thousand Acres Analysis
    • 1895 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Jane Smiley A Thousand Acres Analysis

    Lear also gains his senses back at the end of the play where he admits that the war wronged Cordelia, “A plague upon you, murderers, traitors all!/I might have saved her. Now she’s gone forever/Cordelia, Cordelia, stay a little. Ha?/What is ’t thou say’st?—Her voice was ever soft,/Gentle and low, an excellent thing in woman/ I killed the slave that was a-hanging thee.” (Act VI, III)…

    • 1895 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    King Lear Rhetorical Analysis
    • 1280 Words
    • 6 Pages

    King Lear Rhetorical Analysis

    By saying “madness”, Lear feels remorse in his heartbreaking state. Lear would not have been banished into the storm with everything lost if he saw the blandishment of two daughters in the first place. Sadly, he is so indulged in such flattery that he blindly rejects Cordelia who truly loves him. Gonoril, on the other hand, sees Lear’s blindness, and ironically mocks his blindness, that “her love is dearer than eyesight” as if her love is deeper, and nobler than Lear’s love to herself, and her sight is much perspicacious than…

    • 1280 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Great Gatsby Flaws
    • 1348 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Great Gatsby Flaws

    In order for each daughter to get a share of the kingdom, they must put into words how much each one of them loved him. King Lear’s character traits ultimately lead to his downfall was naive and fool hearted. Lear based the perception of love each daughter had based on material things. He was naive enough to firmly believe the more that was said to express their love for him meant what they meant. The tragic flaw of Lear was the fact that he disowned the daughter who expressed her love for him in a few words, but was the only one that actually loved him.…

    • 1348 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Theme Of Destruction In King Lear
    • 1401 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Theme Of Destruction In King Lear

    “Lear’s egocentricity blinds him to the truth of his one loyal daughter, Cordelia, and Kent, his one loyal knight, making them appear to him the very opposite of what they are. ”7 Despite Kent going so far as to speak up “when majesty falls to folly,”8 he becomes but another casualty to the king’s…

    • 1401 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Goneril's Jealousy In King Lear
    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Goneril's Jealousy In King Lear

    Secondly, one of Lear’s daughters, Goneril, finds herself engaged in madness of jealousy that causes her to commit suicide. Goneril’s rage of jealousy is presented during her ultimatum towards her father, the affair, and poisoning her own sister. After Goneril is given her part of the land, the strive for more power becomes very consuming of her, as she shows willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve her true motives. When Lear first decides to stay in Goneril’s home, as he told them he would during the distribution of the land, Goneril wishes to make him want to leave. As Lear arrives at Goneril’s home with the company of his one hundred knights, it appears as a threat to Goneil’s power: “ I’ll not endure it./His knights grow riotous,…

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Importance Of Human Experience In King Lear
    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Importance Of Human Experience In King Lear

    Demonstrated in Act 1 Scene 1 when his youngest yet sweetest daughter (Cordelia) says: “I cannot heave my heart into my mouth” in response to King Lear’s demand for adoration. As a result, King Lear’s inability to recognise her love chooses to banish her and anyone who opposes his decision, emphasising that his pride has distorted his judgements. On top of this, King Lear’s distorted judgements are reiterated when he imperatively commands his loyal subsidiary to get “Out of my sight!”. This supports the statement that King Lear’s pride has affected his decision-making as he banishes his most loyal subsidiary after warning him to not disown Cordelia. Furthermore, in the sub-plot of “King Lear” scenes of pride are demonstrated when the earl of Lear called Gloucester, is approached by his bastard son with a forged letter supposedly composed by his innocent elder son.…

    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Manipulation In King Lear
    • 2072 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Manipulation In King Lear

    In the very first scene of the play the idea of one having control over one's own fate is evident through the contrasting actions of Cordelia's to those of Goneril and Regans. In Act one scene one of the play King Lear decides to give control of his kingdom to his daughters with each daughter receiving a third of the kingdom. The kings’ only catch being that each of his daughters has to profess their love for him in order to receive their share of the kingdom. Lears two eldest daughters Goneril and Regan comply with Lear's request and both go onto and make outlandish declarations. For example, Goneril claim she loves Lear “No less than life” (I.i.57).…

    • 2072 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Importance Of Self Knowledge In King Lear
    • 1441 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Importance Of Self Knowledge In King Lear

    Professor Prescott 25 March 2018 Growth through self-knowledge In King Lear, Shakespeare stresses the importance of self-knowledge and forgiveness. King Lear is a character who lacks self knowledge. However, he begins to learn how the quality is important as he endures through hardships. Lear’s life breaks down slowly after banishing the only daughter who loved him dearly. Lear gives most of his kingship to daughters who are disloyal and care less for his wellbeing.…

    • 1441 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Theme Of Betrayal In King Lear
    • 1285 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Theme Of Betrayal In King Lear

    Lear is essentially in power until he decides that it is time to retire and instead of picking someone to take over his territory for him, he creates a “love test” to determine the winner between his three daughters. Lear ends up losing his power and family because of deceit. His two eldest daughters decide that they are going to take as much power as they can and do not care what they have to do to win power. Lear feels like he is an outcast and that he does not have a home anymore because he has no power and his family turned on him. Critics believe that Lear goes mad because he no longer has the power he once had.…

    • 1285 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Consequences Of Decisions In Shakespeare's King Lear And Babel
    • 1372 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Consequences Of Decisions In Shakespeare's King Lear And Babel

    Many times in our lives we make decisions that we think are “innocent” and will have no complications, but sometimes those decisions create many problems that led to massive consequences. In King Lear and Babel, the decisions that were considered to be “innocent” led to monumental mistakes and many consequences. There are many terrible decisions made in King Lear, but the ones made by King Lear himself, in regards of his kingdom and daughters take the prize for having the most complications associated with them. From the first line of King Lear, we see that the decision of Lear deciding to divide his kingdom among his daughters was thought, to be honest, but in reality it was the decision that wrecked his entire life. The first mistake…

    • 1372 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Comparing Desdemona And Cordelia In Shakespeare's Othello
    • 1436 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Comparing Desdemona And Cordelia In Shakespeare's Othello

    Cordelia loves Lear more than her sisters do, but because she is unable to “heave” her heart into her mouth, her integrity prevents her from making a false declaration in order to gain his wealth. Lear’s rage at what he expects to be her lack of affection sets the tragedy in motion. Cordelia’s refusal to flatter Lear, then, establishes her virtue and the authenticity of her love, while bringing about Lear’s dreadful error of judgment. Cordelia understands that her father, even though she may see him as a great man, even he has his faults. His rejection of her during the beginning of the play symbolizes the beginning of the end for their relationship.…

    • 1436 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Compare And Contrast King Lear And A Thousand Acres
    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Compare And Contrast King Lear And A Thousand Acres

    From the beginning of the play, King Lear was extremely arrogant, needing to be told by his daughters the extent to which they loved him. When Cordelia refused to appease him, he took away her dowry and sent her away with the king of France. Towards the end of the play, King Lear realizes the error of his actions and forgives Cordelia completely. At one point Lear even goes to prison with her, shunning all of his previous…

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Human Condition In Shakespeare's King Lear
    • 1010 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Human Condition In Shakespeare's King Lear

    Lear’s hubristic nature obstructs his ability to comprehend with following orders, as being king, he is accustomed to give orders. Lear responds to being disobeyed through plosive derogatory language which is evident during the juxtaposing response of Cordelia as she cannot “heave” her “heart” into her “mouth”, causing Lear to respond with “Better thou Hadst not been born”. Lear’ loss of identity and dispositional transition into madness is caused by his possession of a delusional perception symbolised by the motif of the crown. This is portrayed when Lear takes off his crown foreshadowing Lear’s deteriorated mental state and complete descent into an altered individual. Without the crown, he is a typical man which is shown through the epiphany in the storm, resulted by his hubris and expectations.…

    • 1010 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Theme Of Foolishness In King Lear
    • 337 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Theme Of Foolishness In King Lear

    In the tragic play, King Lear written by William Shakespeare in 1608, the theme of foolishness is very common, familiar and frequent. Shakespeare makes certain characters look foolish, completly idiotic, thoughtless, and unitelligent. Some of those fools are King Lear/ Earl of Gloucester, the Fool, Goneril/Regan, Kent/Codelia. King Lear and the Earl of Gloucester are alike, foolishness wise. They are both unable to see the truth and believe the wrong people.…

    • 337 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings