Traglear In Joyce Carol Oates's Is This The Promised End?

From the article “Is This the Promised End?” The Tragedy of King Lear, written by Joyce Carol Oates, King Lear is presented as someone who is “…overwhelmed by the authority of the title ‘King’… [becoming a] human being dying inside an archetype” (Oates 4). King Lear was someone who yearned for status and power, but never truly upheld any of the responsibilities that came with the title of being king. Because he was obsessed with keeping a royal façade, he disconnected with the ones dearest to him—his daughter, Cordelia—and in the process, even himself, as he “…attempted to escape his responsibilities as a ruler and father, while maintaining his privileges…” (Oates 3). In the case of Arthur, he is considered the modern day king—an A-list celebrity.
Mandel reiterates the word “crown” throughout the novel, especially when Arthur is performing as King Lear, to show how he is also considered royalty. The idea of royalty and having the title of king touches upon the acquisitive and materialistic side of human nature, which is a by-product of global capitalism. Global capitalism thrives upon competition and the greedy nature of human beings and as people continue to aim for what capitalism deems as “successful”, they become a slave to society, similar to the working class discussed by Karl Marx. Mandel uses this correlation between royalty, which entails high status and wealth, and global capitalism to show how global capitalism has a huge influence on the increasing depletion of human interaction in our society today, which is exemplified by both King Lear and Arthur Leander who loses connection with others surrounding them, especially their kin—Cordelia and Tyler—as they try to either achieve or maintain a high social