William Shakespeare, King Lear

Concepts of nature:

In King Lear we can find different concepts of nature. Edmund wants to enjoy the same privileges as his half-brother Edgar. He wants to be treated equally, but to obtain this he decides to kill his brother. Edmund refers to nature as a goddess, he is an illegitimate son, his father blushes when he acknowledges him. Marriage is an institution and stands for the order. Having an illegitimate son means to act against this order. Nature is also a structure, clear order, you can't disobey it. But on the other hand nature is an instinct and Edmund presents it. Edmund shows a concept of nature as an instinct. He can be seen as a siner or somebody who does what he should do. Edmund is nobody in this structure. He is a bastard son so the order doesn't allow his existence. To become somebody he has to break the order. The concept of the order in the play is connected with the concept of nature, the old one and the new one is not well established yet. The old and new concept of nature is moving from the feudal world to capitalistic system. Glauster talks about eclipses of the sun. What happens in spheres is reflected in the human world macrocosm is reflected by microcosm the universe is within us. Eclipses are connected with lack of order in the realm of Lear, breaking of family bonds. Edgar criticizes the point of view of his father. He says that it is an excuse for us we should blame ourselves not the nature and universe for what is happening. Putting blame on the universe is avoiding responsibility. The structure is no longer valid. Edmund is more concerned with nature than an instinct. Glauster also acknowledges that sort of nature. Edmund thinks that he is better fit for inheriting the goods of his father. He was conceived with the desire. Edgar is just the product of the marital duty of his parents. Edmund is able to fight and act. Edgar doesn't even try to defend himself he runs away. Edmund has to break the old order to exist the system wants to get rid of him within the system he doesn't exist there is no place for him. If he wants to make himself someone he must break the system. In a sense there is nothing else he can do it is a necessity for him. The judgement of Edmund's deeds may differ. According to the old one Edmund doesn't exist and Edgar is a hope for reestablishing the order.

1. Plot and subplot - similarities

There are some similarities between main plot and subplot. Two parallel plots 1. King Lear and his daughter and 2 Glauster and his son. Parallels between parents and children, children act against their parents. Similarities both Lear and Glauster are from upper class Lear is the king and Glauster is a nobleman. They both make mistakes misjudging their children they banish the child who is innocent and trust the treators they are deceived by their children. Tragic errors leads to catastrophy in both cases. They banished their children and now are banished themselves. They both have to find a shelter and are welcomed by the previously banished children. They both prove to be blind on what is true and false. In case of Glauster the blindness is literal he loses his sight his eyes were plucked out. Lear is blind because he doesn't see certain obvious things until it is too late. He even dose not see his own suffering. He thinks that Edgar has been brought into that conditions by his daughters. Lear does not realize that everything that happens to him was brought about by his won deeds and decisions. Division of the country leads to division of the family and finally to the division of the society and disintegration of the Lear's personality. The two plots maybe a minor reflection of one another. What happens to Lear also happens to Glauster.

2. Lear's madness- interpretations

Lear's biggest mistake isn't the fact that he disowns Cordelia but the decision about division of his kingdom. He wanted to be treated as a king while he is giving away his power and land. Lear gives the power to his daughters he puts them higher in the hierarchy so he becomes their child. By giving away the power Lear starts all the tragic results by abdicating he starts destruction the entire hierarchy begins to break and fall into small pieces, it also starts a breakdown of the family ties, social order, political power and personality and this process involves more and more people, the entire world is going to collapse. This disaster reaches the level of personality Lear goes mad. One single deed division of kingdom triggers collapses, breakdowns and disintegration.

3. Christian humanist and nihilistic interpretations

The play has two the most important interpretations. First Christian humanistic whatever happens to Lear or whatever he does leads him to redemption. The scene with Lear and dead Cordelia, who is a pure creature that suffers needlessly she gives her life to bring Lear back to senses. The scene with dead Cordelia and Lear is like the body of Christ here there is a father with a dead daughter but in both cases the children are dead and may symbolize sacrificial animal prey, this suggests something positive. Second interpretation nihilistic is based on the clash of different points of view on a man nature and order. The order is disappearing, the medival system is reflected here in the feudal society. In middle ages people believed that if you were born as a craftsman there was a reason for that. People were born with different roles a noble or a peasant. It shouldn't be changed it was taken for granted as something unchanging. In King Lear we can see collapses the world is immersing in chaos and absurdity. We are at the mercy of unknown forces that govern our life. The tragic things that happens to Lear lead to nowhere. There is no one who could reestablish the order. The nihilistic point of view is presented in the final scene there is no hope left almost all characters are dead Lear is left only with Kent and Edgar. There is a question who should become the king Kent or Edgar.

4. Elements of grotesque and carnival.

Because of the lack of purpose the play has more tendency towards grotesque than tragedy. There is no controlling force so the characters do not know what governs them and the world. There is no concentration of absurdity of existence two elements are combined laughter and horror there is a very thin line between them. There are scenes that suggests this interpretations grotesque scenes 1. The scene when Glauster loses his eyes. He is presented here as a martyr he speaks all the time about suffering. He undergoes both physical and mental tortures. But at the same time Goneril and her husband behave like spoiled children Goneril talks in a foolish way to her husband they are having fun doing something bad 2. The scene of judgment of Lear's daughters when Lear is already mad and banished. Storm is raging outside and Lear decide to judge his daughter. The daughter are not present but are replaced by an object the stool, chair. The scene is a kind of parody , a trial and the court of law. Law is based on reason but here is opposite. Lear is a prosecutor he is mad, chair the accused and accusation the chair kicked Lear daughters kicked the father. 3 Scene of Glauster's suicide he wants to commit a suicide when he realizes his mistake he has nothing, he is nowhere and he is no one he is deprived of land, possession and home. He wants to commit a suicide but he just jumps on the ground. The scene is both funny and tragic Glauster wants to kill himself it is tragic but he jumps not from the cliff but from stone and this is funny.

5. Cordelia and Edgar

Cordelia by the refusal undermines the whole hierarchy, denies the order ( her public presentation of feelings). In a sense Edgar is similar to Cordelia there are parallels. 1. There are both good children 2. Their decisions lead to the disaster 3. Edgar wanted to protect his father 4. Edgar fathered Glauster as Cordelia mothered Lear both old men become children of their own children reversal of roles 5. They are both good people trying to protect their fathers Edgar by not letting his father to kill himself takes control over his father's life so in a sense he plays the role of God. In the end Edgar tells GLAUSTER the truth who he really is this leads to Glauster's heartbreak when he realizes that the son he banished is the good one. Edgar's kindness kills Glauster. 6. Both Cordelia and Edgar are good children they play against the established order and couse events that lead to catastrophy.

6. Animal imagery.

Animal imagery suggests the fall as far as hierarchy is concerned. All Lear has is his body. This is an element we have in common with animals. Lear speaks of himself as animal our body is most definite source of identity, even when we lose our social identity we have our body. Crawling LEAR is going to crawl he compares himself to an animal only animal and children crawl he loses everything that made him father and the king. He is no better than an animal. We are like flies unimportant. Lear becomes an animal as the result of losing his identity he giver away everything.

7. Fool

• the fool stays with Lear even when he's banished

• Fool needs a king to be a fool

• in every court there is a fool

• only fool may tell the king about his mistake

• because of fool Lear is still the king

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