King Lear By Traglear

To truly understand the tragedy of King Lear, one must first understand The Elizabethan Chain of Being, and the chaos that arises from changing class in an unnatural way. In the beginning of the play, Lear wants to step down from being King but still hold all the power of the position. However, when he steps down, he disrupts the Chain of Being and he not only ends up losing all his authority and descends into madness, but he also creates disorder in the world. This passage clearly illustrates the theme of the Elizabethan Chain of Being and foreshadows how it will further lead to the inevitable development of chaos and destruction in the plot. The passage opens with a very serious tone, as the Fool is alone on stage performing a soliloquy.
He begins by directly saying, “I’ll speak a prophecy” (III, ii, 80) and uses the repetition of the word “when” to catch the audience’s attention and to indicate that everything that he says will in fact take place. The tone, clarity and repetition in the passage foreshadows that the play will be taking a dark turn.
In addition, in this passage the Fool also reveals that the plot will continue to get more chaotic as he says, “[w]hen priests are more in word than matter;/ When brewers mar their malts with water;/ When nobles are their tailors’ tutors;/ … [When] cut-purses come not to throngs;” (III, ii, 81-88).
The Fool creates an image of a world where everything is opposite to belief. It is expected that priests act with integrity not just speak about it, brewers should produce pure malt not water it down, tailors should be better at tailoring than nobles, and thieves should prey on large crowds. The Elizabethan Chain of Being states that there is a structured order to the world and everything has a purpose, but when Lear steps down, the world is forced into chaos. With these lines, the Fool predicts that as the play progresses, all structure and order will be lost and positions in society will lose their purpose, thus leading to utter confusion. Although the Fool directly tells the audience of the events that are going to take place, his form notifies the reader of how quickly these events will occur. The use of rhyming couplets and enjambment in the Fool’s prophecy establishes a fast rhythm and pace. This helps the audience unconsciously understand that the prophecy being iterated will occur very soon in the play. In conclusion, this passage is significant as it emphasizes the importance of the Elizabethan Chain of Being in King Lear, and the foreshadows the imminent chaos that will arise due to Lear’s unnatural change of
position.