In The Tragedy of King Lear, William Shakespeare takes his audience through a horrific tragedy to get to the heart of the truth. Violence, pain, betrayal and ultimately death befall almost every character, good or bad. This removal of jokes is fundamental to the meaning of the play. Shakespeare implores his audience to shed the false covers created by a man-made society. These constraints include language, clothing, and other artificial institutions such as wealth and royalty. The play shows us how these created controls collapse in the face of nature. In the end, there is nothing stronger than blood, the very essence of being human. However, audiences also witnessed the blood bond spoiled by intoxicating forces like greed and power. Since even the deepest truths can be hidden by man's false boundaries, the role of recognition becomes one of the play's strong points. Recognition is a form of insight, which is one of the clear themes of the play. It takes a kind of inner vision to see through the artificial and understand the real. Recognition requires both seeing and knowing. The play closely examines this relationship between what is seen and what is true, ultimately turning to insight as a crucial foundation. Through the struggle to find one's own identity beyond all of society's labels, Shakespeare proves that there is no true knowledge without self-understanding. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay To know the truth is to see through its many illusions, its masks. The destruction of common modes of facade is deeply rooted in Shakespeare's treatment of language. It cannot be said that he only tackles language, because the piece itself is a web of expertly woven words. Instead, it shows how the power of words can become dangerous when their purpose, as a representation of something deeper, is forgotten. The opening scene sets up the entire plot with a play on words, in which Lear demands flattery from his daughters to prove their love. From the outset, a dichotomy develops: love is the essential, and affectionate words serve as man's least representation. Although Cordelia's language is more basic, her truth is pure. When she says: "I love your Majesty according to my bond, neither more nor less" (Ii, l.92), she seems perhaps too frank and unnecessarily brutal. The audience falls into a trap and begins its own struggle to recognize what is real. It may seem that Cordelia is selfish in her refusal to simply flatter her father. His loving sisters seem to obey their father, thus respecting him according to society's standards. This is precisely the kind of assumption that we, as an imperfect human audience, are accustomed to making. So this is the kind of opportunity that Shakespeare takes to make his point. Immediately, the dangers of language begin to appear. Lear's decision to banish Cordelia is obviously rash, and the distrust inspired by Cordelia's stubborn refusal shifts his attention to the king who places so much in the superficial world of words. A king whose identity requires flattery clearly lacks crucial insight. It is the first step of a growing unease, of a tone of uncertainty which will turn into total madness to teach us a lesson. We must ask ourselves: Is Cordelia so wrong to deny language as truth? The play continues to prove that it is not. One of the ways in which thepiece deconstructs the language is to show us where it fails in several cases. Some of the play's most moving moments are those that deliberately and literally deny the power of words. When the Gentleman returns after delivering tragic news to Cordelia, he tells Kent of his tears and sorrow (IV.iii). In an impressed tone, he explains "It seemed she was a queen/By her passion, which, most rebellious,/Sought to be her king" (IV.iii, ll.14-16). . Here, Cordelia has "queenlike" control over her emotions, but remains honestly submissive to them, allowing them to manifest. She willingly displays her inner self, this cautious “passion” that we have seen dominate her in the past. When Kent asks, “Didn’t she ask him any verbal questions?” (IV.iii, l.23) the description of the gentleman proves her beyond the realm of words: “My word, once or twice, she pronounced the name of/'father'/ panting, as if it were pressing on her the heart; /Shouted: “Sisters, sisters! Shame on the ladies, my sisters!/Kent! father! sisters! what is this storm in this night" (IV.iii, ll.24-29). Cordelia's grief is incredibly real because it escapes the boundaries of language by refusing form. There are no complete sentences here, but simple words and fragments that reflect the disintegration of Lear's realm are too pure to be constrained by the formalities of grammar, the unnecessary rules created by society to guide communication. of Shakespeare's expositions of the essential through a rupture of the formal The idea of ​​language as an illusion of truth becomes a theme as it extends to include many characters and instances in the play Cordelia is perhaps. being the most consistent or obvious rebel in the fight for the most part, but she is not the only character to do so illuminates this conflict through her use of words There are references made to things. unspeakable, such as the Gentleman's observation that Lear's condition is "a most pitiful sight in the wickedest of wretches,/a past spoken of in a king!" » ll.204-205) where the Fool warns of dangerous times “When the Priests are more in words than in matters” (III.iv, l.81). These fleeting illusions about a world beyond words, or the insufficiency of words in serious matters, are half-hidden signposts, quietly leading their audience to a certain conclusion. There are other signals, subtle allusions in language that serve the larger purpose of betraying its own inherent transparency. One method seen throughout the play is the use of repetition. The moments when Lear moans “Now, now, now, now” (IV.vi, l.172), “Never, never, never, never, never” (V.iii, l.309) or “No, no” . , no, no" (V.iii, l.8), are some of these repetitions, all of which occur in the final stages of his madness, when he has realized the truth of his situation. This shows us no just another character who goes beyond formal language into an enlightened state, but allows Shakespeare to comment on the nature of what is achieved through this abandonment of form. Simple words, repeated many times, imbue our minds with their limited nature. Redundancy certainly displays a simplistic quality that falls short of emotional weight. But it also shows that man instinctively oversteps his own rules in moments of truth. Language is a double-edged sword in its limitations and its potential. power The intense influence of language operates in dangerous ways when it becomes more important than its own purpose. Beyond the initial dilemma created by Lear's use of courtly flattery, a series of dangerous and dishonest letters have. triggeredseveral injustices. Goneril and Regan constantly send letters, containing plots of treason against their father and each other (Edmund creates a false letter to vilify Edgar, ultimately causing Edgar's banishment. This first scene is preceded by an interesting monologue, which serves to immediately draw the audience's attention to the power of words All of Edmund's vengeful hatred clearly comes from the label that society has imposed on him, when he demands: "Why bastard?/When my dimensions?" are as compact,/My spirit as generous and my form as true,/As a matter of honest lady?/Why do they stigmatize us/With baseness? Edmund's frustration is something universal in the. humanity, because everyone is placed in categories which must be limiting by their very nature as categories. A "king" is also a human being, a man and a mortal (which therefore trumps the. language itself by revealing itself to be wise), emphasizes that Lear himself is just as much a “fool”. He warns Lear that “thou hast forsaken all thy other titles, with which thou wast born” (I.iv, ll.149-151). All of this fits with Edmund's plight, that a "bastard" deserves to be accepted into society despite the name he is given. The consequences of letting one's titles (mere words) become their reality play out in the behavior of Lear and Edmund. The flattery that made Lear overconfident in his power leads to Cordelia's banishment, which is the first in a chain of tragic events. Shakespeare shows us the other side of the coin, while the hatred nourished in Edmund triggers the parallel plot by avenging the word which damns him. Other artificial constraints are widely noted in the play, accompanying the critique of language in this broader commentary on the man. inability to perceive the ultimate truth. Shakespeare often includes clothing as a motif. Like language, it is a layer that stands between human beings, affecting their ability to recognize what is actually in front of them. Therefore, seeing it unstuck is a crucial return to pure human being. Just as in the first scene, where love is truth and flattery its shoddy representation, clothing is an artificial construct that has taken on too much power. This is perhaps most poignant in Lear's desire to tear his clothes as he begins to see clearly. He is in the depths of madness when he says to the naked Edgar: “You are the thing itself” (III.iv, l.106), addressing this question of ultimate truth very directly. “The thing itself” refers to a pure hidden reality, just as the naked body is covered with clothing. Lear continues to refer to this essential “thing” in the lines that follow this idea. He wildly decides that "man without accommodation is nothing more than an animal so poor, naked, cloven as art. Come on, come on, moneylenders! Come/unbutton here", as the stage directions warn, he “rips off his clothes” (III.iv, ll.106-109). The image of a great king tearing off his clothes in search of the truth is loaded with meaning for all viewers. We sit and watch, wearing the same human bodies beneath our clothes, abused as outward signifiers of classifications like rank and wealth. The return to nudity recalls the innocence of the Garden of Eden, before the fall, when the truth was not masked by base human concepts like shame or lust. In the moment of embracing nudity, the facade of clothing becomes an object aligned with the Lear of Act I, the man deceived by the customs of his court. Evil characters are involved in the nature versus clothing controversy. An example is a description of the devious Oswald, when Kent says to him: “Youof cowardly rascal, nature denies in you: you are made to measure” (II.ii, ll.54-55). What seems like a clever turn of phrase is yet another subtle allusion on Shakespeare's part. When Lear realizes the truth about Goneril and Regan, he exclaims: “Allow not more to nature than she needs,/The life of man is as cheap as that of beasts.” You are a lady;/If only warming yourself were magnificent,/Why, nature has no need of what you wear magnificently,/which barely keeps you warm” (III.i, 267-270). This is a crucial moment in Lear's growing understanding of truth. The repetition of the word “nature” signals a crucial revelation. Nature becomes synonymous with truth, when weighed against the two deceptive girls. It is also the speech which corresponds to the start of the storm, the ultimate symbol of the power of nature over humanity. The famous storm in Act III is crucial in emphasizing the importance of throwing off man-made controls. Rushing outside in the rain is a recognizable rebellion against reason and experience. Lear must question what he has learned in the false world to find new terms of identification. He realizes that he has been living with false comfort far beyond simple flattery and begins to discover the injustices of the world when he sacrifices his physical comfort. In one of many telling moments, he sees the importance of compassion, which is actually a form of recognition: “Take medicine, pomp,/Expose yourself to feel what the wretched feel,/So that you may shake off the excess from them,/And show you the heavens more just” (III.iv, ll.32-35). Here is a great king who finally recognizes the fate of his people by living it. The storm is necessary to humble him, proving above all the great power of nature. The artificial categories of nobility and royalty are useless in the face of essential truth. And the symbolism of water only reinforces this idea of ​​overcoming these superficial constraints. The cleaning suggestion is very clear. Lear's false assumptions are swept away, while Goneril and Regan take comfortable cover (III.i). He showed himself and his audience that he would risk his physical person to gain insight. As he faces the awesome power of nature, he is baptized into a new faith. He now believes in the power of truth and the importance of struggling to accept it. Lear emerges from the storm with a new vision and joins the ranks of the enlightened. Those who attempt to see beyond the assumptions become a strong, if crazy, group as the play progresses. Having established clear demarcations between the essential and its distortions, Shakespeare gives certain characters the ability to understand this difference. In character groups, the ability to recognize the truth is synonymous with honest intentions and inherent goodness. Cordelia, Kent, Edgar, and even Gloucester all share the vision that eliminates artificial complications. The play opens with Kent and Gloucester recognizing that something is wrong in the kingdom. In the first two lines, Kent wonders, “I thought the king affected the Duke of Albany more than Cornwall,” and Gloucester replies, “It always seemed so to us; but now, in the division of the kingdom, it does not seem which of the two. the dukes he values ​​most” (Ii, ll.1-5). They are endowed with the gift of recognition, the ability to compare what “seems” true to them and what “appears” before their eyes. Their play will prove that Albany is the better man, thus weighting their initial perception on the side of truth. Cornelia, Kent and Edgar all demonstrate a visionary quality, the ability toknow what they see. Kent claims (to the gentleman) “Sir, I know you” (III.i, l.17), just as Edgar says to Oswald “I know you well; a useful villain” (IV.vi, l.252) and Cornelia coldly warns her sister “I know what you are” (Ii, l.269). This ability to safely "know" is only associated with characters banished by the court (Edgar's escape being a kind of banishment, as he cannot return home on pain of death). This quality of intensified vision is only available to the individual who is at odds with kingdom reasoning and/or who embraces their sense of self, which they know to be pure in the face of false condemnation. Just as “good” characters always see a higher truth, “bad” characters are victims of the limitations of their society. They are preoccupied with superficial notions of hierarchy and fail to see through even the most obvious lies. Goneril is not as bothered by her father's crazy diatribes as by his disregard for social forms. She faces a man who loses his identity and continually complains “You strike my people,/And your disorderly rabble makes servants of their best” (I.iv, 255-257). Regan demonstrates blindness in her understanding of others. His vision is defined by his need for power, rather than any level of reality. The audience can clearly see his blindness. She calls Gloucester “a treacherous villain” and, in the same sentence, names Edmund “too good to pity” (IV.i, ll.88-90). Both sisters also fall into Edmund's trap, despite witnessing his potential for betrayal. This is perhaps the most obvious manifestation of their tendency to see the world as they want to see it, as it is shaped for them on its surface, rather than digging deeper to find the truth. The recognition proposed by Shakespeare means more than understanding what is before us. It shows us how seeing what is around us begins with recognizing what is within. The characters who prove they can find essential truth in the world are also the ones who know, deep down, who they are. Cordelia reveals firm self-control when Lear repeatedly questions her determination to deny flattery, during the following encounter: Lear: But your heart goes with that? Horn. : Yes, my good lord. Lear: So young and so little tender Cor. : So young, my lord, and true. (II, ll.104-107) His quick confidence to rename “not tender” to “true” betrays the assurance of self-knowledge. She shows that she knows her heart, and therefore herself. She also clearly knows that this is more important than the wealth of her heritage or the embellishment of her father's pride. Kent and Cordelia prove their faith in their own morality through their capacity for sacrifice. They are willing to risk their lives and endure horrific banishments to avoid compromising their core values. It is a conscious alignment with the “essentials” of life, which extends beyond the mortal human body or the comfort of home. Cordelia can root her disobedience in actions, in reality. She can recognize her own morality and views it rationally with "Good my lord,/You have fathered me, raised me, loved me: I/Perform these duties as is proper,/I obey you, I 'loves, and most honors you' (II, ll.96-98). Moments later, Kent defends his true duty in a similar manner when he declares: "Royal Lear,/whom I have always honored as my king,/loved as my father,/as my master followed, /as my great boss thought in my prayers" (II, l.140). Here, the honest Kent and Cordelia appeal to their past behavior to determine the truth, as opposed to empty words that could easily result in.