In all of Shakespeare's tragedies, sudden changes and transformations are the catalysts for the disaster that will soon become the plot. Lear, King of England, holds great power and kingly status, but he blindly cedes all this power to his daughters as a reward for their false display of love towards him. This premature surrender of his throne sets off a chain reaction of events that sends him on a treacherous journey to find truth and loyalty in a time when it is hard to come by. Due to his selfish decisions that lead to his loss of power, King Lear's blindness becomes clear vision, causing his eventual madness and allowing justice to take its inevitable turn on Lear, his actions, and his family. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay As the play begins, Lear quickly makes the poor decision to abandon his throne. This action is the first example of justice coming into its own, as his selfish decision quickly becomes a major problem. Fueled by his blindness, Lear banishes his once-favorite truth-telling daughter and rewards his two seemingly loyal, but wicked, daughters with the land he previously ruled over. He offers his daughters pieces of his kingdom as a reward for the false testament of their love for the "great" King Lear2E "Great rivals in the love of our youngest daughter / Long at our court have made their sojourn lovers/ And here to be answered. Tell me, my daughters/ (Since now we will both strip ourselves of domination, of the interests of the territory, of the concerns of the State)/ Which of you will we tell who loves us the most/ So that we can extend our greatest generosity/ Where nature does with the challenge of merit” (Act I, sc i, 50-58). By abandoning his throne, he disrupts the great chain of stature that we discussed in class. King Lear gives up his physical power in a selfish effort to display his psychological power over his daughters and those who follow and support him. His decision, however, calls into question the position that the gods and nature have given him. His undermining of God's authority and obvious lack of clarity causes him to not only lose his power, but eventually go mad and, in the end, be left with nothing. After abandoning his throne, Lear begins to banish those around him who truly. take care of him. At first his blindness is still apparent and Lear feels like everyone around him is still his loyal servant, when in reality most are plotting against him. Lear soon begins to see the power shift take effect and he is no longer sure who his true supporters are and who is just using him. He takes hasty action against those who do not obey him or undermine his authority and quickly banishes his true friend, Kent, and his loyal daughter, Cordelia. Lear soon finds himself surrounded only by superficial people, making him very vulnerable to attack and betrayal. Justice comes to an end as King Lear's life begins to change dramatically. His sudden loss of power leaves him unable to rule over others and without a true sense of home and family. Because Lear ignored the wishes of God and those around him and took part in a selfish decision, he suffers madness and extreme physical loss. Lear even has several opportunities to reconsider his decision, but rather than listen to the advice of those who try to help him, he banishes them for questioning his selfish decision. Lear's life and the lives of those around him begin to change and he doesn't knowno longer really who he is. "Does anyone know me? It's not Lear. / Does Lear walk like this, talk like this? / Where are his eyes? / Either his notion is weakening, his discernments / Are lethargic- Ha! Waking up? / Who is who can tell me who I am” (Act I, sc iv, 232-235). that someone or something helps or supports him in any way In his search for meaning,Lear finds the fool who becomes that person The fool in the play of King Lear ironically becomes one of the only ones. characters of truth and wisdom that exist. The Fool uses his riddles and sayings to shed light on the truths of the story Using his benevolent title of "noncle" to speak to Lear, the Fool offers Lear insight. of the mistakes he has made and how they affect the people around him Lear begins to see the negative consequences of his retirement through the actions of his daughters and their husbands. Regan deliberately tries to weaken her father's morale and talk to him like he's really stupid and crazy. "O sir, you are old/ Nature in you stands at the very edge/ Of its confinement. You should be governed and led/ By a discretion that discerns your state/ better than yourself. Therefore, I pray" (Act II, scene IV, 165-169). His two daughters attempt to undermine Lear by locking Kent in the stocks, not allowing Lear to bring his knights into their castle, and locking Lear outside in the storm. These events are all realizations for Lear that he can no longer command like a king. “O, how this mother swells towards my heart!?/ Hysterica passio, below you climb sorrow!/ Your element is below. -Where is this girl?” (Act II, sc iv, 62-65). King Lear is no longer blind to the actions of those around him. Not only can Lear now clearly see the true character of his family and friends, but he begins to see how his emotions and societal image are deteriorating. This harsh reality of his obviously weak stature is what drives him to utter madness. "No, you unnatural witches/ I will have such vengeance against you two/ That everyone will do - I will do such things -/ What they are yet, I do not know, but they will be/ The terrors of the earth! You think I will cry./No, I will not cry./I have good reasons to cry, but this heart/Will break into a hundred thousand faults/Or before crying-O Fool, I will go crazy !” (Act II, scene IV, 320-329). Lear's mistakes all come back to him as he becomes more and more crazy and his family begins to fall apart. Lear's decisions have caused Kent and Cordelia to say things that Lear does not want to hear, leading to their banishment. Another person injured by Lear is Gloucester, who loses his stature and, more seriously, his eyes. Even his own daughters who turned against him are negatively affected. Their sudden rise to power makes them even more evil and, therefore, more greedy. The sister's sudden gain in power and her inherited selfishness eventually turn them against each other, causing adultery and their death. King Lear is ultimately brought down by the death of his youngest daughter, Cordelia. Lear and Cordelia had reunited and Lear felt like he had finally dug himself out of a hole. But when justice must intervene, Cordelia is killed and Lear finds himself alone again, heartbroken. He mourns his deceased daughter as he dies shortly after. "Howl, howl, howl! O you are men of stone/ If I had your tongues and your eyes, I would use them in such a way/ That the vault of the sky would crack. It is gone forever! / I know when we are dead, and when we live/She is dead, 366-368).