King Lear Subverts

In his play King Lear, Shakespeare explores the consequences of subverting the natural order, and he does so through the immoral actions of his characters. Indeed, every character in the play, from Regan to Gloucester, subverts that order at some point. Characters like Lear and Edmund both disturb the natural order Lear and Edmund both with the wrong intentions, Cordelia on the other hand is one of the few characters who tries to sustain the natural order, but the great tragedy of the play is that Lear thinks she is actually trying to subvert it. Lear allowing Regan and Goneril to have power is a dramatic disturbance of the natural order. Edmund and his manipulative ways to gain some power, and Cordelia the peace maker. Shakespeare finds
King Lear, however is blind to these actions, and blind to the greed and manipulation of his oldest daughters. He only hears the lies and exaggerations of their faked devotion and affection for him, disproved by their later actions. Cordelia also says “I love your Majesty, according to my bond, no more nor less” (King Lear 1.1.94-95). She is demonstrating the patriarchal principle of the time, to divide your devotion between your husband and your father. By exaggerating their alleged love for their father, Goneril and Regan are defying patriarchal rule and devoting themselves entirely to the love of their father. They are manipulating their words and utilizing Lear’s vulnerability to fit their plan to take over the power that is still rightfully Lear’s, and they are benefitting from Cordelia’s honesty unrightfully banning her from the
His goals throughout the play is to receive land and power, but also receive love and recognition by his father. Gloucester's rejection of Edgar is unnatural because Edgar is the "legitimate" son, while Edmund is not. Gloucester states "I never got him"(King Lear 2.1.79), which is Gloucester stating that Edgar was never his son anyway, and Edmund is a "loyal and natural boy"(King Lear 2.1.85). The detrimental effects of this reversal is that Edgar is cast out of the castle and loses everything he once had, and now Edmund the bastard son receives all the things that were not once originally his, which in this case is against the natural order, because Gloucester was manipulated by Edmund because of his desires to have