King Lear by William Shakespeare: One of the Greatest Tragic Plays

King Lear by William Shakespeare is regarded as one of the greatest tragic plays ever written. We see heroes die left and right for what is “right”, we see the bad guys come to their demise and, in the end, we are left with Edgar of Gloucester. Edgar, throughout the play, underwent serious transformation, serious rough times, serious agony and true self-discovery, going from naïve heir to bold champion and because of that, he can fill Lear's shoes. The average playgoer would say this with ease: the death of the old royals and Edgar's arrival is pure consolation. Britain can thrive with Edgar in power. This essay will prove the exact opposite. Britain will not get better because of cowardice, lack of dependability and the fact the old King's shoes aren’t so big to begin with.

King Lear’s inciting incident is Lear disowning his youngest and most-loving daughter Cordelia and leaving the kingdom to his older daughters, Regan and Goneril. Regan and Goneril show their true colours very soon after being given Cordelia’s land and are pinned as villains instantly. Everything is believed to go downhill from there. As the play goes on, the now divided courts are only seen in the mist of trouble and it is Regan and Goneril’s fault. The problem with leaving that point there is it is clear you cannot. Firstly, how can Regan and Goneril be so evil when Lear is good? Secondly, was the court in good shape when Regan and Goneril came in to rule? In Act I, there is much talk of the former king being hasty, short-tempered and frivolous. Examples of this throughout the play: he refuses to give up his retinue of one hundred knights, curses Goneril with infertility when she fires the knights herself and he fires servant Kent for simply disagreeing with him. This is not a stable leader. We also see the Earl of Gloucester (a part of Lear’s team and the future king’s father) brag about having a bastard son. It is clear these men are not good influences. In fact, Lear says in Act 2 scene 4, “…thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter…Which I must needs call mine…In my corrupted blood.” (2. 4. 221 – 225). “My corrupted blood,” he says. Lear recognizes here what we could call genes. He realizes that traits can be given, or at least influenced by, a parent. Goneril is not wicked on her own; she gets her love of power and selfishness from him. On the idea of power and selfishness, we receive clues the kingdom was not in great shape when Lear ruled. This is seen when Lear’s dismissed servant and Earl Kent returns to court as Casius, a poor man looking for work, and no one is the wiser. Edgar also disguised himself as poor when he is running from the law. He encounters several people from the court—from gentlemen, to Kent to the King—and is unrecognized. This shows beggars are much too common. Nobles change their accents and clothes and pass as one. Lear expresses his newfound acknowledgement of the poor when he encounters Edgar as Poor Tom in a heath. “Your looped and windowed raggedness, defend you/From seasons…O, I have ta’en/Too little care of this!” (3. 4. 31 – 33) Regan and Goneril have come to rule a kingdom that’s not in good shape, influenced by a careless king. It’s not a surprise things supposedly get worse. So terrible in fact, the first in line for ruler after everyone else dies resigns immediately.

This character is Duke of Albany, husband of Goneril. It is widely believed Albany is a representation of the divided loyalty conflict in England in the 17th century. Throughout the play he is unsure whether to stick by his wife or defend the old King. “I cannot be so partial, Goneril, /To the great love I bear you—” he says to his wife in his first protest (1. 4. 309 - 310) but he does nothing more. It is not until Act 4 scene 2 that Albany tells Goneril how he honestly feels. Only this comes much too late as Lear has kicked out in the cold and the Earl of Gloucester has had both his eyes gauged. In this argument, two acts too late, Goneril calls Albany a “milk-livered man” (4. 2. 50), implying he has no courage or passion. Unfortunately, Goneril is correct. Soon after Albany declares he is ready to fight the upcoming war…on Goneril’s side. Albany and the army end up defeating the King. Albany feels sorry for this and quotes, “Our present business / Is general woe,” (5. 2. 317 – 318) after Lear drops dead. At that point everyone standing in Albany’s way of a clear mind and decisiveness is dead: Goneril, Lear, Regan and Edmund. But Albany doesn’t step up to the plate. He resigns. Then, Kent, the most loyal noble, backs out. Cowardice is apparent when Edgar is left.

Edgar is made king of Britain by process of elimination and this is a bad, bad thing. While many argue Edgar is the saviour (he is constantly depicted as a Christ-like character) Edgar hard times are his own fault from his cowardice and naivety. When Edmund tells Edgar to flee, he does. Edmund has no explanation as to why he should. Just that he heard people were out for him. Edgar knows he hasn’t offended his father or anyone and still run, leaving himself homeless. This makes it clear Edgar is unable to stand up for himself. He is gullible and passive. These are not kinglike traits. Luckily, he undergoes life-changing experiences, the average playgoer would say. However, Edgar’s change a) is self-induced and b) has negative results. Edgar purposely disguises himself as a bedlam beggar, goes all the way instantly, cutting his arm and behaving mad to the highest extent, says in the dramatic line “Edgar I nothing am.” (2. 3. 21) Edgar spends sometime in the outside world—weeks, maybe a month—and when Lear encounters him in the heath it seems like he has actually gone mad, what with the lack of necessity being such a drastic change. Act 3 scene 6 proves that false because Edgar returns to his old, articulate self when the rest of the characters exit. “He childed as I fathered,” he says, comparing himself to Lear (3. 6. 109) “As I fathered” is a clear reference to Gloucester. Edgar still thinks of himself as the Earl’s son. He hasn’t shed the noble skin as he proclaimed he had in Act 2, scene 3, line 21. He is still a gentleman of the court and when he returns to court (after two other disguises, deceiving his blind and suicidal father for no good reason) he is a champion fighter, battling his own brother Edmund for Duke of Albany. Edmund had done some pretty despicable things. He set Edgar for the death penalty and then Gloucester. Neither were killed. In fact, if the idea of transformation were legitimate, we say Edmund helped Edgar and Gloucester see reality. Edgar winds up wounded Edmund fatally. He knows it was brother, but his brother does not know it was him. He reveals himself but does not apologize. He says, “The gods are just…” (5. 3. 170) In reality, Edmund failed at his main plot; neither Edgar nor Gloucester died. They are freed. Edgar seems to have vengeance and justice confused. He had gone from naïve man to slayer. He rid himself of what he deserved, fooled his father and killed his brother and the play ends with “…we that are young / Shall never see so much, nor live so long. (5. 3. 325 – 326) It seems he believe a rebirth is due. However, he is still there. He is residue of old court and, from see his own behavior, Britain will not improve.

Through allusion and flattery the wrong can look right. Lear is flattered and loved king and therefore respected by the audience. Edgar and Albany are pity, innocent in comparison to fellow character and therefore rooted for. Nonetheless, no character is flawless and no noble of King Lear is truly noble. We’d like to believe that. After all, Britain needs a ruler.

“The art of necessities is strange / And can make vile things precious.” – King Lear (3. 2. 70 – 71)