Preview

King Lear - Disruption of Order in King Lear and the Causes Essay Example

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
926 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
King Lear - Disruption of Order in King Lear and the Causes Essay Example
Shakespeare's King Lear is a play which shows the consequences of one man's decisions. The audience follows the main character, Lear, as he makes decisions that disrupt order in his Kingdom. When Lear surrenders all his power and land to his daughters as a reward for their demonstration of love towards him, the breakdown on order in evident. Lear's first mistake is to divide his Kingdom into three parts. A Kingdom is run best under one ruler as only one decision is made without contradiction. Another indication that order is disrupted is the separation of Lear's family. Lear's inability to control his anger causes him to banish his youngest daughter, Cordelia, and loyal servant, Kent. This foolish act causes Lear to become vulnerable to his other two daughters as they conspire against him. Lastly, the transfer of power from Lear to his eldest and middle daughter, Goneril and Regan, reveals disorder as a result of the division of the Kingdom. A Kingdom without order is a Kingdom in chaos. When order is disrupted in King Lear, the audience witnesses chaotic events that Lear endures, eventually learning who truly loves him.

At the start of the play, Lear decides to divide his Kingdom into three.

Give me the map there. Know we have divided

In three our Kingdom and ‘tis our fast intent to

Shake all cares and business from our age.

(I,i,37-39)

This is the first indication that order is disrupted. Dividing up a Kingdom politically has many disadvantages that Lear does not realize. A Kingdom divided mens there will be more than one ruler and a difference of opinion will occur. There will always be disagreements and arguments which may end in haste, creating tension between the rulers. Also, the pieces of land will eventually have to be divided again as generations pass, which allows for easy attacks. Although Lear may feel he had a good reason to divide his land, there really is no rational reason for his action. He only divided his land so he could
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    nick summers review
    • 8586 Words
    • 20 Pages

    nick summers review

    The Madness of King LearBy Nick Summers - December 08, 2002 It is odd to think that true madness can ever be totally understood. Shakespeare's masterful depiction of the route to insanity, though, is one of the stronger elements of King Lear. The early to middle stages of Lear's deterioration (occurring in Acts I through III) form a highly rational pattern of irrationality: Lear's condition degenerates only when he is injured or when some piece of the bedrock upon which his old, stable world rested is jarred loose. His crazy behavior makes a lot of sense. Despite his age and frailty, Lear is no weak character; it is difficult to imagine how another character could have better resisted such mental and emotional weights as the king suffers under. Lear's worsening madness is understandable only when interpreted with a proper appreciation of the intense forces acting on him and of the gradual disappearance of everything he finds recognizable about his former world.As Lear sets out from his palace toward his daughters' homes, he is still sane, though he begins to regret disowning Cordelia ‹the first sign of mental stress and the first step toward his eventual madness. Lear's Fool needles him about the rash decision, and the king blurts out, "O! let me be not mad, not mad, sweet heaven; / Keep me in temper; I would not be mad!" (I.v.46-47) It is a harbinger of thoughts to come.Lear's impending madness is established in parallel with the growing storm; both threaten to break at any moment. But Lear is strong: he does not give in to insanity all at once; instead he holds on as long as he can, only gradually slipping into lunacy. And Lear is strong‹it is important to note the severity of the stressors acting on him; ignoring them can lead to a misinterpretation of his character as a weak, senile old man instead of a capable leader simply abused by the people he trusted. Perhaps he was foolish to trust them in the first place, but he was not crazy. Above all, Lear's madness…

    • 8586 Words
    • 20 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    To Kill A Mockingbird Adversity Analysis
    • 700 Words
    • 3 Pages

    To Kill A Mockingbird Adversity Analysis

    In Lear's case, Lear had to deal with going insane after being put out into a terrible storm by his two unfaithful daughters, Goneril and Regan. While the storm put into perspective the fact that Lear was powerless it was his own madness that made him realise the wrong he had done by his faithful daughter, Cordelia. This brought the determination to set things right and using his inner strength he comes to cherish Cordelia above everything else to the point that he would rather live with her in prison than to rule as king…

    • 700 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The Integrity of the Tragedy of King Lear
    • 1443 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Integrity of the Tragedy of King Lear

    The character of King Lear possesses the fatal flaw of hubris. He is arrogant, self-absorbed, an imperious king who is unbelievably unrealistic. Especially in the division of his kingdom, his title always came first and he had little or no understanding of what it meant to be a father or to love as can be seen in Act One nothing will come of nothing. Speak again. Hence Lears suffering from Act Three onwards is a large part of his journey…

    • 1443 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    King Lear Essay
    • 1494 Words
    • 6 Pages

    King Lear Essay

    Motifs and symbols are often used to enrich a literary text. Identify one or more symbols, motifs or strands of imagery and explore the role which they play in King Lear…

    • 1494 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ageism in king Lear
    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Ageism in king Lear

    Gloucester observes disastrous events occurring in the play, most notably the ones occurring in the kingdom. He notes that love can never last, friendships eventually break up, and brothers become enemies which eventually leads to chaotic behavior. Ultimately, these malicious acts break out into devastating events such as civil wars, the bond breaking between father and son, and lastly the betrayal of King Lear and his noble power. In addition to all of these spiteful acts, it is evident that ageism is also portrayed in the play about the King himself, especially at the end of scene one. The first sign of how ageism begins in the first act is King Lear’s debatable decision to divide up the kingdom between his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. Eventually, Lear’s unwise decision causes chaos and havoc throughout the family, leading to multiple conflicts such as the banishment of Cordelia and the insulting comments about Lear’s old age and judgement.…

    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Disruption of Order in King Lear and the Causes
    • 1406 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Disruption of Order in King Lear and the Causes

    <br>Lear's feelings in this passage parallel the disorder of the storm. To bring order to the universe, Lear must start by bringing order to himself. This occurs when he becomes lawful and puts his daughters on trial. Soon after, Lear says, "When the rain came to wet me once and the wind to / make me chatter, when the thunder would not peace / at my bidding, there I found ‘em, there I smelt ‘em out" (4, vi, 100-102). Here, Lear explains how the "storm" actually helped him "see" the truth. Soon after this event occurs,…

    • 1406 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Comparing King Lear's Detteorating Mental And Physical Health
    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Comparing King Lear's Detteorating Mental And Physical Health

    King Lear is an 80 year old ruler of ancient Britain. He is a head strong old man and decides he will retire from the throne and divide his kingdom among his three daughters- Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. He is blind to his weakness and misjudges, believing that the two evil…

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    King Lear Research Paper
    • 1477 Words
    • 6 Pages

    King Lear Research Paper

    King Lear reaches a point where he turned into a mad king and easily enraged by anybody that disagrees with his decisions, except his fool. King Lear is an old man who has enjoyed his authority of kingship for a long time and he is giving up everything to his. Lear is ready to hand all of his authority, and income that comes with kingship, but Lear keeps few things in return, first being one hundred knights and the second is to keep the title as “King” by saying “With reservation of an hundred knights By you to be sustain’d, shall our abode make with you by due turn, Only shall we retain The name and all th’addition to a king.” (1.1.132-135). This is an example of Lear’s pride and arrogance because Lear still wants to be known as a king although he owns nothing, no kingdom, and no authority over anything. Lear kept one hundred knights to prove that he is still known as a king and still powerful. As time passes Lear becomes less known in society which makes him furious because he is used to be a powerful king soon afterward becomes unrecognized. Lear is upset to the fact that he is unknown and an example when he shows his frustration would be “Does anyone here know me …/ Who is that can tell me Who I am?” (1.4.215-219). This proves that Lear himself notices that he is a nobody now, and he cannot define himself since he has lost everything, including his daughter and his loyal servant Kent. Lear’s daughters Goneril and Regan got everything they wanted from their father, and now they want to take his one hundred knights to make Lear completely powerless. Lear begins his retirement with him keeping one hundred knights and his title and wants to live with one of his daughters for one month. Lear’s knights are the only thing he has left and that is his only pride other than his title. His daughters demand Lear to get rid of his knights in order to stay. Lear lost his knights and losing his knights represents taking…

    • 1477 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    King Lear Research Paper
    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages

    King Lear Research Paper

    <br>This little verse helps the Fool the show Lear again that dividing his kingdom was a…

    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    King Lear Slideshow
    • 417 Words
    • 3 Pages

    King Lear Slideshow

    This realization causes King lear to reconsider his values and understand himself, and helps him want to tackle the Conclusion of King Lear Order and Chaos is seen throughout King Lear, and one of the more common elements is loyalty and betrayal. Between both sons and daughter towards their parents. Which is something that can be applied in reality that is also seen between parents and children. Now it is just a matter of which…

    • 417 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analyzing King Lear's Speech
    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Analyzing King Lear's Speech

    In Shakespeare’s tragedy “King Lear”, Lear finds himself in a poor situation where he has given up everything, divided up his kingdom between his daughters, and is left with nothing. His daughters, Goneril and Regan, however, have turned against him so that he is now standing alone. Lear delivers this speech after he has been infuriated by his daughters. He is devastated by his daughters’ betrayal and swears revenge against them.…

    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    King Lear Essay
    • 640 Words
    • 3 Pages

    King Lear Essay

    At the beginning of the play, King Lear’s loss of the throne is his responsibility and entirely his own fault. Lear had hopes to rid himself of the burden of the throne by giving away the power of his kingdom to the daughter whom he feels loves him most. When speaking with his three daughters, Lear inquires “which of you shall say we doth love [me] most” (I.i.49), both Regan and Goneril shower Lear with flowery words and exaggerated lies. Upon delivering these lies to their father, Regan and Goneril are both granted power over parts of Lear’s kingdom. When it comes time for Cordelia to express her love she speaks the blatant truth enraging her father with her love for him only going so far as to cover “[her] bonds, no more, no less” (I.i.92-93). Lear’s excessive pride and arrogance does not allow for him to accept the truth, thus causing him to “declaim all [his] paternal care” (I.i.113). Lear’s injustice towards Cordelia, his only honest and loyal daughter is proof that a civilization needs justice to be a functioning society.…

    • 640 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Gloucester and Lear's Realizations of the Importances in Life
    • 1154 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Gloucester and Lear's Realizations of the Importances in Life

    In William Shakespeare’s King Lear, Gloucester and Lear both experience similar situations in which their children cause them to suffer greatly: The former suffers from blindness and the latter slips from reality into a state of madness. It is not until Act 4, scene 6 that they come to the realization of the importances in life; such as true love for and from a child. Gloucester is convinced by his illegitimate son Edmund that his legitimate son Edgar cannot be trusted, resulting in the banishment of Edgar. King Lear believes the false protestations of love his two elder daughters, Goneril and Regan sell to him; meanwhile, his youngest daughter Cordelia is the only daughter whose love for her father is real. Since she could not express her love for him in words, Lear banishes her as well (4.6.109-121). Gloucester and Lear experience despair in their lives because of the betrayal of their children, until hope appears to them in Act 4, scene 6: Gloucester and Lear realize that they have misjudged their children, and by the end of the scene, they gain knowledge of how to correct their wrongdoings. Both men have disloyal children, but they each also have one loyal child that they love deeply and are filled with grief for treating badly. Gloucester and Lear banish their loyal child and make their disloyal children their heirs. In Act 4, scene 6, Gloucester and Lear realize they are blind of the truth which has cost them greatly, and therefore experience a rebirth; Gloucester no longer has a death wish, but strives for self-discovery and Lear realizes that he is equal to all other human beings and flattery and praise are unimportant. It is not until this scene that the importance’s in life, such as become evident to Gloucester and Lear.…

    • 1154 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Gaining Wisdom Through Suffering
    • 760 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Gaining Wisdom Through Suffering

    At the beginning of the play, Lear was a selfish man. Power was very important to him. Suffering turned Lear from a selfish man wanted to be treated as a king without having the responsibilities that come with running a kingdom, to a man that comes to realize his morals and values. Lear gave away his kingdom to Gonerial and Regan but still wanted the same status and power of king. Lear gained wisdom through his mistakes of banishing his youngest daughter, Cordelia. Lear comes to the realization of his foolishness in act three. For instance, “Let thunder rumble! Let lightning spit fire! The rain, the wind, the thunder and lightning are not my daughters. Nature, I don’t accuse your weather of unkindness. I never gave a kingdom or raised you as my child, and you don’t owe me any obedience." Here King Lear is coming to terms of his mistake of giving away his kingdom to the wrong people. He then goes on "So go ahead and have your terrifying fun. Here I am, your slave a poor, sick, weak, hated, old man. But I can still accuse you of kowtowing, taking my daughter’s side, against me, ancient as I am. Oh, it’s foul!” In this scene Lear is in the storm with Kent and the fool. In this act the king is turning from an arrogant man to a noble man. It takes king Lear a complete breakdown to realize his mistake.…

    • 760 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    King Lear's Insanity
    • 1244 Words
    • 5 Pages

    King Lear's Insanity

    King Lear’s madness is beneficial because of the revelation it brings Lear about his life. Lear showed that he was accustomed to a lavish lifestyle while he was a Goneril’s house. He couldn’t handle having a servant not give him the utmost respect, he refused to dismiss his entourage of a hundred knights, and he had his own private fool to provide a running commentary on his predicament. This coupled with his vain nature meant that Lear never considered how the destitute of his kingdom were doing and that he wouldn’t spare a thing. That is until Lear has gone through the violent storm unprotected and forced to take cover in a hovel. It is hear that Lear’s sanity begins to deteriorate with him saying that “This tempest in my mind doth from my senses take all feeling else save what beats there.” (III.iiii.15-17) It is a direct result of his reflection on his own sanity and his situation that causes Lear to realize that the homeless of his kingdom must be going through a similar experience. It is this that causes Lear to cry out to the world “Take physic, pomp. Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel, that thou may’st shake the superflux to them.” (III.iiii.38-40) This is a beneficial change because it’s a step on his way to realizing that he was wrong about which of his daughters loved him the most. This is because this is the first time that Lear…

    • 1244 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More