Loyal Characters in Shakespeare's King Lear Essay

In King Lear, Shakespeare connects the idea of love with loyalty. Those characters who suffer often do so because they love another character. Kent and Cordelia are examples of characters who love and suffer because of this love. Kent loves Lear so much that upon his banishment, he disguises himself as a poor man and remains loyal to the former king. Likewise, Cordelia is banished.

Dividing the Kingdom is not the only indication that order is disrupted. The separation of Lear's family also provide evidence that disorder is inevitable. The banishment of Cordelia and Kent is a harsh act carried out by Lear while blinded by anger. By banishing the only daughter who truly loves him, and a loyal servant who refuses to stand around and do nothing while Lear makes a big mistake, Lear surrounds himself with people who only loved him for his money and power. As Lear's family breaks apart, one must wonder if Lear is capable of ruling a country when he cannot even keep his family together. Again, Lear's desire to fuel his ego is the cause of the separation of his family. When Cordelia refuses to speak lovingly, "Unhappy that I am. I cannot heave My heart into my mouth." (I,i,92-94), Lear becomes angered and banishes her. As an act of loyalty, Kent stands up

To compound matters, he makes a little game out of it. Whoever loves him the most gets the most land. This does not make Lear look like a very good father. Nevertheless, his daughters, or at least two of them, seemingly have no qualms about telling their father of their love. The first daughter to profess her love to her dear old dad is Goneril, and she lays it on so thick it is almost sickening:

When Lear asks his youngest daughter, Cordelia the same question, she says, “Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave/ My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty/ According to my bond; no more nor less.” (I.I,90-92), saying that she loves her father as much as a daughter should. Lear, not thinking about the sincerity of Cordelia’s gesture or the genuine words she has spoken, is only offended and enraged that she did not flatter his ego like her sisters. Lear disowns Cordelia and decides to split his kingdom between selfish sisters Regan and Goneril. This decision is the snowball that keeps on rolling; growing into a bigger and bigger mess throughout the story. King Lear was idiotic in not analyzing the situation. He could not see that Cordelia was the only daughter that truly loved him and that Regan and Goneril only loved what he had to give them. Lear’s second foolish decision was physically giving his land to Regan and Goneril. Since Lear couldn’t see how selfish his daughters were in their answers, he gave all his land and all his power to them. Lear also had people bring to his

Gloucester and King Lear's fate run parallel because they both misjudge which of their children to trust, and they both suffer from their mistakes. They are both sympathetic characters because by the end of the play you feel sorry for them and what they have to go through, even though they initially made mistakes. These characters show that even if a character starts out seeming mean, impulsive and angry, the reader can still come away feeling bad for them because of what happens from their decisions. King Lear and The Earl of Gloucester in Shakespeare's play King Lear are perfect examples of sympathetic characters. uscero his daughters, and they just betrayed him, and didn't give him any respect as a king, or even as a father.

Shakespeare 's King Lear is a play that follows Lear, the aging king of Britain, as he decides to step down from the throne and divide his kingdom evenly among his three daughters. Lear and a handful of other characters encounter many obstacles throughout the story. This play highlights human nature at its highest and lowest. Characters such as Edmund, Regan, and Goneril illustrate the ugliness and horror of man’s persona. While characters such as Cordelia, Edgar, and Kent show the noble, heroic, and moral nature of man.

   "Only through the loss of our possessions and worldly connections can one truly realize one's inner being" (Confucius). The true nature of man is known but is not commonly seen until adversity strikes. Characters reveal their true nature when they are reduced to nothing. In the play, King Lear, by William Shakespeare, there are three main themes that characters can be reduced by; social status, love and power. Through these three mediums the true nature of the works characters are exposed, by stripping away the innuendo, deceit and superficiality that initially cloaks each character.

Lear is the very first protagonist to be blinded. In Act 1, Scene 1, when he asks his daughters how much they love him, he was not aware that Regan and Goneril did not truly love him and that Cordelia was his only good daughter. Throughout the play, Edmund manages to blind Gloucester, Edgar, and Cornwall. Edmund gets Gloucester to turn on Edgar after showing him a forged letter allegedly written by Edgar. The letter stated “Edgar’s” plans to kill Gloucester, which makes Gloucester decide to kill him first. Edgar is then tricked into believing that he in trouble with the Duke of Albany and the Duke of Cornwall, causing him to flee. Lastly, Cornwall is given information by Edmund that makes Gloucester look like a traitor. This causes Gloucester to be literally blinded as Cornwall gouges his eyes out as a punishment. Both Lear and Gloucester realize the truth about their children when it is too

In the play King Lear, truth and loyalty are major themes that William Shakespeare seems to focus on throughout the entire thing. However, truth and loyalty each come at a cost, even if the cost is different for each person that has these traits. This is seen through the comparison of two of the characters, Edgar and Cordelia, from beginning to end. They both have the traits of loyalty and truth, but they differ on where these bring them in the story. Although the audience would undoubtedly side with classical truthful and loyal characters, Edgar and Cordelia embody the idea that truth and loyalty always come with a cost―in Lear, truth and loyalty only bring and contribute to problems, rather than stopping or resolving problems.

We experience this at the beginning of act one when Cordelia, even though she knew it will cost her her share of lands and her place by her father's side, chooses to be honest with her father instead of flattering him for his lands like her sisters did. She sacrificed her status and wealth for standing up for what she believed in, and even when she was banned for her father's kingdom it is clear that she loved her father dearly, and she may be the only one that truly loved Lear.

Also at this time, an elderly nobleman, Gloucester is experiencing family problems. Gloucester’s illicit son, Edmund, fools him into believing that his lawful son, Edgar, is attempting to kill

As a monarch, Lear recognizes the difference between good and bad, but his impairment of sight rendered him unable to do that. “... By all the operation of the orbs From whom we do exist and cease to be; here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity, and property of blood, And as a stranger to my heart and me Hold thee, from this, forever. The barbarous Scythian, Or he that makes his generation messes To gorge his appetite, shall to my bosom Be as well neighbour'd, pitied, and relieved, As thou my sometime daughter.” soon after Kent says “See better, Lear; and let me still remain the true blank of thine eye.” Kent tries to open Lear's eyes to his mistake of banishing Cordelia and soon after speaking with Lear, Kent himself. “ ... And on the sixth to turn thy hated back Upon our kingdom: if on the tenth day following, Thy banish'd trunk be found in our dominions, The moment is thy death. Away! By Jupiter, This shall not be revoked” remarked Lear. Cordelia does love him the most and because he could not see that, his lack of insight causes him to only see the loveless daughter, not the truth and love behind it. From the

It is obvious that Cordelia's love for her father outstrips that of her sisters but she can't express it in the way Lear wants her too:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44) Those who are subjected to treachery by those, whom they love, if they are truly good, loyal, and loving, will remain true to their oppressors. This is why love and goodness always prevail, even if only by a small degree. In William Shakespeare’s King Lear, the majority of characters are ruthless and without pity. They do everything for their own personal gain and not that of anyone else. What makes this play a tragedy however, is not only the selfishness of those characters, but the purity of those whom they abuse. Hence in the beginning of the play, truth is perceived as a disastrous quality, although in the end, is reverted as a virtue. In the play this virtue is depicted through three major characters. Cordelia is always honest which shows a great mark of her strength of character. Kent through defense for Cordelia shows great uprightness. Finally Albany deviates throughout the play and develops into a very truthful character.

King Lear is defined by the figurehead monarch’s quest for what he sees as justice for himself. After Goneril and Regan betray him by refusing to house his nights, King Lear calls upon the heavens avenge him and punish his daughters with a storm. “O heavens,” he implores, “If you do love old men, if your sweet sway Show obedience, if you yourselves are old, Make it your cause. Send down, and take my part” (2.4.217-220). These lines, uttered in the raw emotion of a man who feels wronged by those he loves, are representative of Lear’s temper and distress when things don’t go his way. His daughters’ perceived insult to him spurs a helpless call for justice from the gods, a justice Lear no longer can carry out because he has divested himself of power. Lear’s inability to forcefully delve justice This hearkens back to his overhasty reaction towards Cordelia