Motives In King Lear

After King Lear’s two oldest daughters, Goneril and Regan express their love for their father in a flattering speech they were granted their share of the kingdom, and Cordelia his youngest daughter and favorite daughter refused to play along, Lear felts she was disrespectful and she was banished from his sight. Cordelia bids farewell to her sisters, and tells them that she knows they don’t love him, “I know you what you are, and like a sister am most loath to call your faults as they are named.” (1.2.273-275). “Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides; who covers faults, at last shame them derides. Well may you prosper!” (1.2.284-286). Once Cordelia left, Goneril and Regan revealed to the audience that they had no love for their father.

Arnold Kettle’s interpretation of Shakespeare’s King Lear and his misfortune, especially when looking at Lear’s reaction to the storm in Act 3, Scene 4. Renaissance..

Many of the motifs and symbolism in the play are opposites from one another. One of the motifs that happens frequently throughout the play was loyalty and betrayal. In the play Lear has three daughters named Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. This happened in the beginning of the play where King Lear wanted to retire and give bigger portions of his land based on the daughter who loved him most. Goneril and Regan praised their love for Lear but Cordelia refused to do so. In Act 1 Scene 1 (Li 101-102), Cordelia says “...I love your Majesty, according to my bond no more no less.” This indicates that although Cordelia loves Lear very dearly she refused to lie to get land from her father. Unlike her sisters who have boasted about their love for Lear who they don’t love him to that extent and lies. It seems as if Cordelia is the sign of betrayal but Cordelia is actually a sign of loyalty because she refuses to love her father in such a way of getting inheritance where Cordelia wants to love her father in a genuine way. She represents loyalty and honesty to her father in this part of the play. While Goneril and Regan represents the lies and foreshadows the sign of betrayal. These two signs are opposites from one another and it creates a juxtaposition affect. Not only does this part of the play represent betrayal, loyalty, lies and honesty but it also has a sign of sight. The reason is because

One example of how the Fool’s speeches and actions reflect this attitude is when he calls Lear a fool and making clear that he should value Cordelia above Goneril and Regan, who are bad seeds. Also, when the Fool mocks Lear for giving away the kingdom to Goneril and Regan, and for leaving his one good daughter, Cordelia, out of the

Although Cordelia appears in Act I, Scene I and disappears until Act IV, she has an enormous impact on the play as a whole. It is generally acknowledged that the role played by Cordelia in King Lear is a symbolic one. She is a symbol of good amidst the evil characters within the play. Since the play is about values which have been corrupted and must be restored, it is not surprising that the figure who directs the action must be embodiment of those values which are in jeopardy – love, truth, pity, honour, courage and forgiveness. Cordelia’s reply does not initiate the tragedy; Lear’s misguided question does that. Her “nothing” sets her father’s tragic journey in motion. There is nothing wrong with her remarks.

In King Lear by William Shakespeare, Lear began to show abnormal behavior after he found out his daughters were not as promising as they made themselves out to be. He split up his land amongst the daughters based on how much they said they loved him, but he failed to realize that his daughters did not love him as much as they said they did. Due to his unrequited love for his daughters, his actions can be considered reasonable, even though his delusion and irregular behavior consists of him rambling, refusing to apologize to his daughters, and roaming around England.

It is clear from the beginning of King Lear that Cordelia has an entirely good nature, she remains constant throughout the play, never wavering in her morals. The play begins with Lear deciding that he will have his daughters compete for their divisions of his kingdoms based on which of them can impress him the most with their proclamations of love. Cordelia, however, cannot express her love for her father in words, and refuses to deceive him by doing otherwise, stating that she is “sure [her] love's more richer than [her] tongue” (278-80). She realizes that by holding her tongue she is infuriating her father, but her nature cannot allow her to do otherwise. When King Lear asks her what she has to say, she states “Nothing, my lord.” This shows Cordelia’s inherent good nature by doing what is right in a tough situation. Lear’s lack of understanding of the natural bond between parents and their children leads him to his eventual demise. He is easily mislead by the other sisters, Goneril and Regan’s fake natural behavior when they give their long speeches in order to try and flatter him.

It is evident in this scene that his daughter's deceit and wickedness has deeply affected his mental condition. It's understandable that any person who has been in a similar situation to that of the King's would be traumatized, however, he is exaggerating on the matter on this situation. I say this because Lear is an old and fragile person, it is dangerous for him to stand outside in life-threatening weather. This is a symbol of the weakening of his sanity. Shakespeare portrays Lear's insanity when the King assumes the weather is a person and provokes it to be more threatening. Statements like "Crack your cheeks" and " Smite flat the thick rotundity o' the world " are all emblems of his inner turmoil. Furthermore, a personification of the monstrous

The hunger for power is the root of the tragic outcome in King Lear. There are 3 characters that embodied this theme exactly. King Lear with his loss of power made him lash out. The way Edmund was treated made him want the power he could never have and deceive anyone to get it. Goneril’s hunger for power made her go against those she supposedly loved. These three characters aren’t only to blame for their own tragedies but the tragedies of every character.

First, the Fool’s loyalty to Lear drives Lear away from hopelessness, knowing that someone is always on his side. The Fool is loyal to Lear because he cares about Lear’s well-being even when Lear is delirious and because Lear depends upon the Fool’s service. As an illustration, when Lear is locked out in the rain by his daughter, the Fools comments, “O nuncle court holy water in the dry house is/ better than this rain outdoor,” (Shakespeare. III. II 13-14). This demonstrates that the Fool genuinely cares about Lear’s well-being, despite his idiocy of trusting his daughter. Additionally, in this scene, King Lear acts forlorn as his daughters left him out in the rain, and this proves that the Fool will be at his side even through his depression. Moreover, Lear allows the Fool to be loyal to him instead of pushing away his loyalty as he did with Cordelia; unlike Lear’s daughter, the Fool has a much lower standard to be held by. As stated by Viera de Jesus, “Unlike his [the Fool’s] fellows in other plays, he is nameless, with no more distinguishing badge of individuality than plain 'Fool.’” Therefore, Lear will always rely on his Fool to be his “King’s Fool” no matter how uncanny he acts because his label as Fool, which is a label for someone of a lower class, allows his actions to be justified. Therefore, the Fool supports Lear through his loyalty because he advises Lear to care for himself and because Lear entreats the Fool to stay on his side.

The most truthful statements that the fool makes throughout the entire play comes when he says, “Truths a dog must to kennel; he must be whipped out, when the Lady brach may stand by the fire and stink” (I.iv.105). These incredibly strong words come from the fool after he has finished talking to the King about his poor decision of cutting Cordelia out of her share of the country after she told the truth. His words were used to tell Lear that by punishing Cordelia for being truthful, all he really did was allow Goneril and Regan to ascend to power through deception. While Goneril and Regan enjoy the comforts of their home, Cordelia was kicked out in the cold where she had to start a new life confined to far less luxuries than Goneril or Regan only because she chose to be truthful. This statement not only applies to King Lear, but it also applies to everyday life, as flattering often seems to get people further

King Lear an imprudent, old man symbolizes selfishness like no other. What is most daunting is the fact that he is adamantly loyal to appearances and ranking in life. He carries a title which most can not even dream of attaining, but wants to give up the position and all the responsibilities that follow it. “ Know that we have divided/ In three our kingdom, and `tis our fast intent/ To shake all cares and business from our age” (1.1.37-39). It is quite understandable if he just wanted to end his reign as king, but it’s another thing when he also wants to bask in the glory of the title and be treated like he still owns it. This egotistical attitude of his is more annoying than anything else, for he brought forth all his problems upon himself, and also unto others. His most arrogant moment is at the very beginning of the play, when he demands his daughters to profess their love for him openly, “which of you shall we say doth love us most?” (1.1.53). The use of his words in this quote is disgusting, it exudes pride, self-importance, and flattery. It’s because of these very words, that Cordelia denied him his right to the, all so selfish public display of love. Although Lear made costly mistakes throughout the play, his love to Cordelia rang

Shakespeare’s King Lear fabricated a world of its own, in which distinct virtues and vices were personified by individuals with diverse points of view. With each conflict in the play, the characters’ actions and decisions were parallel to the integrity of their heart and mind, exhibiting the virtue or vice they represented. With this strategy, Shakespeare shares that with trust should come discretion.

The most prevailing images in King Lear are the images (metaphoric and actual) of nature. The concept of nature seems to consume the dialogue, monologues, and setting.

     The play, “King Lear” by William Shakespeare, starts with noblemen Kent and Gloucester having a conversation and the audience finds out that Gloucester has two sons. Edgar who is his heir, and Edmund his unimportant son. This info. leads to the mini-plot. Then, Lear enters to say that he is going to end his life’s tasks and problems. He then points to the map, he tells the people there that he will split his land into three parts. They are going to be given to his three daughters. The two oldest, Goneril and Regan, tell their father that their love for him goes beyond expectations. The youngest one, Cordelia, tells him that she loves him, but only as she should love her father. He is then