Kings lear Essay Example For Students

Kings lear Essay Humans, like all creatures on the earth, have the privilege of thefreedom of choice. There are two broad ranges of factors that affect thedecisions a person makes. The first factor that affects decision making isinternal and includes a persons character and intellect. The secondfactor is external such as environment and interaction with other people. Naturally, each decision a person makes results in a repercussion of somedegree, usually either helpful or hindering, and rarely inconsequential. The concept of justice is based on the fact that decisions are alwaysfollowed by consequences. It strictly adheres to the rewarding of gooddeeds and the punishment of evil. King Lear, a play by WilliamShakespeare, is a grave tragedy that is a prime example of the Elizabethanconception of justice. Lears kingdom turns to chaos because of a break inthe Great Chain of Being and restores to order when justice prevails. Its tragic labelling stems from the prevalence of death the just punishmentfor many of its characters. The deaths of Lear, Goneril, and Edmund areprime examples of justice prevailing for evil, and in Lears caseunnatural, acts. Lears ultimate fate is death. His early demise is a direct result ofbreaching the Great Chain of Being which states that no mortal willabandon his position in the hierarchy of ranking set by God. Learsintention of abdicating his throne is apparent from the outset and is seenin the following speech spoken during the opening scene of the play:. . . tis our fast intentTo shake all cares and business from our age,Conferring them on younger strengths while weUnburdened crawl toward death. . .1Evidently the splitting of Lears kingdom and abdication of his throneis not an act of necessity, but an act toward easing the remainder of hislife. Lears disruption of the Great Chain of Being is in an unnaturalfashion because the abdication of his kingship is without dire or mortalcause. The method of passing down his land to his heirs is also unnatural,as seen in the following excerpts:. . . Know that we have dividedIn three our kingdom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . We have this hour a constant will to publishOur daughters several dowers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Which of you three daughters shall we say doth love us most?That we our largest bounty may extendWhere nature doth with merit challenge. . . .2Lear does not bestow his kingdom upon his eldest son, nor is he evengoing to bestow the largest portion of the divided kingdom upon his eldestson. He expresses his intent to split his kingdom and grant the pieces ashis daughters dowers, the largest piece being granted to whichever of thethree professes to love him most. This is a violation of the natural orderof commonly accepted hierarchy that states a fathers estate be endowedupon his eldest son. An error in judgement and untempered release of angerare also factors contributing to Lears downfall. Lear listens to flatteryfrom Goneril, I love you more than word can wield the/matter;3 and Regan,I find she Goneril names my very deed of love,/Only she comes too short. . .4 in their bidding to profess they love Lear the most among the threedaughters, but Cordelia does not compete with their flattery: Cor. Unhappy that I am, I cannot heaveMy heart into my mouth. I love your Majesty LearAccording to my bond filial, no more nor less.5Cordelia cannot flatter Lear with praise and states that she merelyloves him as a daughter should love her father, with respect and obedience. Lear is so heartbroken by his youngest, and until then his most beloved,daughters refusal to praise him with her love that a rage ensues: Lear. Let it be so! thy truth then be they dower!For, by the sacred radiance of the sun,The mysteries of Hecate and the night;By all the operation of the orbs starsFrom 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 meHold thee from this for ever. . .6Lear acknowledges that Cordelia s speaking the truth. Althoughconfessions of filial love are not inappropriate or evil, Lears judgementis clouded by anger at Cordelias refusal to praise him with flattery as hehad planned and he swears by the gods that Cordelia is no longer hisdaughter and chooses not to give any portion of land as her dower. Learsdisowning of his daughter for refusing to participate in his unnaturalrites of determining which daughters receive which lands has proved thathis judgements are misguid ed. Finally, justice is fulfilled when Lear diesat the end of the play. The justice is in response to actions that hecommits which are not necessarily evil-hearted, but for the refusal toabide by the Great Chain of Being and his irrational and cruel disowningand banishment of Cordelia. Sexual Harassment and Rape EssayYou have now the good advantage of the night. Have you not spoken gainst the Duke of Cornwall?Hes coming hither; now, i the night, i the haste,And Regan with him. Have you nothing saidUpon his party gainst the Duke of Albany?Advise yourself. Edg. I am sure ont, not a word. Edm. I hear my father coming. Pardon me!In cunning I must draw my sword upon you. Draw, seem to defend yourself; now quit you well.Yield! Come before my father. Light, ho, here!Fly, brother.Torches, torches!So farewell.13Edmund asks Edgar if he has offended the Dukes of Cornwall or Albanythat would provoke Cornwall to come to Gloucesters castle with such hastein the middle of the night. Edgar pleads innocence, forcing Edmund toenhance his deception. He tells Edgar that he must draw his sword as ifdefending himself or trying to capture a wanted man. Edgar flees, and toenhance the deception in Gloucesters eyes even further Edmund stabshimself. Bringing the murderous coward Edgar to the stake;/He thatconceals him, death.14 Gloucester, arriving on the scene, is convinced ofEdgars treason. Edmund has removed Edgar from his fathers favour, butdoes not yet possess Gloucesters lands or wealth. An opportunity presentsitself which Edmund plans to take advantage of: Glou. . . .I havereceived a letter this nighttis dangerous to be spokenIhave locked the letter in my closet. T hese injuries theKing now bears will be revenged home; there is a part of apower already footed. . .15Gloucester reveals to Edmund a letter he received. It entails that asecret power, France, has landed in the realm to revenge disrespect towardLear. Edmund says: Edm. This courtesy, forbid thee, shall the DukeInstantly know, and of that letter too. Seems a fair deserving, and must draw meThat which my father losesno less than all. The younger rises when the old doth fall.16Edmund plans to tell the Duke of Albany of the letter Gloucester hasreceived and of his journey to inform Lear of the French forces coming toaid him. The information makes Gloucester look like a traitor in theDukes eyes and Edmund realizes he will be rewarded with his fathers landssince they will be stripped from him for treason. Edmunds evilheartedness and willingness to sacrifice his family for status and wealthclearly demands some sort of punishment as justice. It is only fittingthat the betrayal of his own blood, both his father and brother, isanswered by justice in his death at Edgars hands. Lear, Goneril, and Edmund were each motivated in different ways. Learswas an unnatural and irrational motivation. Greed and selfishness movedEdmund to the decisions he made. Lastly, Gonerils heart was of the basestevil and jealousy. Although the methods and paths of their downfall weredifferent, each person suffers the identical fate as decided by justice. It is debatable whether each decision we make is weighed on a cosmic scalewith justice waiting to punish the evil or reward the good, but what iscertain is that each decision we make plays a direct role in our futures.