Duality and Division in King Lear

EDUC 5860 TEXTBOOKS
Duality and
Division in "King
Lear"
Adna Abdirahman
1
Introduction
“King Lear” is a tragedy by The play chronicles King

William Shakespeare Lear’s declining mental
written and first performed health and the consequences
in 1606. Due to its dark of dividing his kingdom and
ending, the play was power amongst his
revised after the English daughters Cordelia, Regan
Restoration for English and Goneril.
audiences to enjoy a happier
“non-tragic” ending (“King
Lear”).
2
An Analysis of
Shakespeare's
"King Lear"
“King Lear” presents a The Duke of Gloucester and

theme of duality in the King Lear both respectively
stories of Lear and the reject and admonish the
Duke of Gloucester who are children who love them the
equally struggling with most. Shakespeare blurs the
their children’s desire for lines between true loyalty
power. Both stories parallel and virtue when Gloucester
each other in some aspects casts aside Edgar and Lear
as Edmund aspires to usurp banishes Cordelia.
the throne from Gloucester
and Goneril and Regan who In both narratives, it is with
persuade King Lear with the fall of the most loving
insincere flattery in hopes child that the other siblings
of having the throne divided can rise and manipulate
amongst them. their fathers.
3
King Lear’s deteriorating Consequently, he gains

mental health allows his favour with his father for
daughters to take being a loyal son and
advantage of him and regretfully overlooked in the
redirect his attention to past as a result of his
their needs (Storozynsky status.
164). Regan and Cordelia
are able to utilize his A recurring theme in the
weakness to plot against play is also the notion that
him. Gloucester is similarly those in power are too old
“easy prey” and succumbs and that it is time for the
to Edmund's power of younger generation to rule.
suggestion (Storozynsky In Act 3, Scene 3, Edmund
165). In this text, Edmund reflects, “the younger rises
functions similarly to Iago when the old doth fall”
in “Othello” and (Shakespeare 22). He
strategically lies and mentions his
manipulates his father. conceptualization of fairness
as him stripping his father
Edmund gains the of his status and possession
advantage of turning his when he does not receive it
weakness into a strength in a just manner.
when he draws attention to
his illegitimate status as the
reason for the Duke not
considering him truthful
(Shakespeare 2.1.70-74).
4
His intent is literal and Old age becomes

communicates the synonymous with fragility
determination to rise to and is used as an excuse to
power only after being pursue power by
satisfied with the fall of his unconventional and brutal
father. Likewise, Goneril means. It also serves as a
and Regan 's attempts to plausible excuse for the
reduce the number of characters pursuing
knights King Lear has and authority and control to
put Kent in the stocks is justify their ruthless
also an attempt to slowly ambitions with logic.
diminish the influence he
has. For a play immersed in
betrayal, manipulation, and
They are not satisfied with distrust, Shakespeare
the control they already continues to emphasize
possess and maneuver in a descriptions of the heart.
manner which implies that For Cordelia, articulating
they will only truly be feelings into thoughts does
fulfilled once their father not come easy. She states
relinquishes his status and that she cannot “heave” her
possessions. The recurring heart into her “mouth”
references to white hair and (Shakespeare 1.1. 91-92).
old age symbolize weakness Due to this inability, she is
being attributed to the banished for merely being
play’s ageing parents unable to express her
(Shakespeare 3.7.35). feelings well and inflate
King Lear’s ego along with
her sisters.
5
This hasty decision by Lear It enables the reader to

allows us to understand his understand that transition
failure to recognize characters go through and
sincerity and engage in the ability for loves ones to
transparency himself. It is quickly become enemies and
only after leaving the villains. This is evident
castle, being mistreated by when King Lear banishes
his daughters, and having Cordelia, wishes sterilization
no home, that he similarly on Goneril, and refers to
feels emotionally Regan as a disease in his
distraught. This is a stark flesh (Shakespeare 2.4.216-
contrast to the character we 218). His hasty reactions
were introduced to at the and statements towards his
beginning of the text that children enable readers to
presented the central source comprehend his unstable
of conflict in dividing the mental health and descent
throne equally but with a into distress and despair.
condition. Lear makes
several references to his
heart throughout the text
and, at one point, refers to
his heart feeling as though
it is in his throat due to his
emotional distress
(Shakespeare 2.4.116).
Shakespeare uses this
visual imagery to convey
the extremes in emotion
that are present in the
text.
7
The separation and division

of characters is barely a
linear process in “King Lear”
which distinguishes it as one
of Shakespeare’s darkest
plays. There are moments in
the text that emphasize a loss
of humanity in pursuit of
power, whether it is
characters engaging in
torture or betrayal.
However, without these
elements, it would not exist
as a tragedy.

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How does King Lear's mental health decline over the course of the play?

What parallels exist between the stories of King Lear and the Duke of Gloucester?

EDUC 5860 TEXTBOOKS

“King Lear” is a tragedy by The play chronicles King

“King Lear” presents a The Duke of Gloucester and

King Lear’s deteriorating Consequently, he gains

His intent is literal and Old age becomes

This hasty decision by Lear It enables the reader to

The separation and division

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