"The Storm" within Storms of King Lear

Back to King Lear... Finally I have made some ground in this play. I fought through Act 2 and Act 3 to find something that brought the story full circle for me, maybe an interesting twist or a development of some sort because I was getting lost in the language. There is a scene within Act 3 that really helps me in showing the development of King Lear as a person. By this time in the story King Lear is really struggling to hold on to his sanity. He is outside during a storm with his “Fool” and Edgar who is dressed as Tom O’Bedlam. King Lear is analyzing what is going on with the man before him “… poor naked wretches, wheresoever you are… that bide the pelting of this pitiless storm…” The King sees a man who is naked standing in front of him and he is praying, asking whoever caused this man before him to experience such nakedness in the presence of a storm that is meant for destruction, why has this happened... For the first time, the King sees a simple disparity between himself and another man. Due to this realization he attempts to immediately experience that of what this nice man before him is experiencing, “… expose thyself to feel what wretches feel…” King Lear is definitely losing his mind right now because he just undressed even though there is a bad storm going on, but beyond that, there is a storm that was preexisting within his mind. He is battling the reality that with everything he had in his possession, power, money, land, respect… The only thing that separates him from anyone else is clothing. Without his KINGLY garments, he is but another helpless HUMAN stuck in the eye of a storm at the mercy of the GODS.

The "Kinglier" King Lear

While reading King Lear has been a difficult task, I have muscled through a few acts and wish to discuss what has been going through my mind. The normal Shakespeare reaction of my time is usually, what is he trying to say? I must admit, reading this Shakespeare play has not been as difficult as previous plays, although I still have a difficult time understanding EVERYTHING, I do believe I get the jest of the story… Within the 1st Act, King Lear demands that his daughters profess their undying love for him in order to appease his dwindling faith in his own self. He has 3 daughters, Goneril – the eldest of the three, Regan – the middle child, and Cordelia - his favorite and the youngest of the three. Goneril and Regan are the only two that provide answers to the question “How much do you love me (King Lear)?” When asking this question, I thought to myself, why would a parent want his children to do that? Immediately it seemed to me that he was somehow disconnected from his children… Goneril goes first as she is the eldest and seemingly most cunning. Of the things that she says, “A love that makes... speech unable, beyond all manner of so much I love you…” is the part that sticks out the most to me. The reason being is because at this point, in his right mind, King Lear should have been able to pick apart the fact that she said absolutely nothing… A love that makes speech unable? Then go right behind that and say even though there is nothing I can say, all I can really say is that I Love You… Sounds like the same answer the youngest daughter gives… Hmm… Regan follows suit by saying, “I find she (Goneril) names my very deed of love… only she comes too short…” I point out these two lines because, as the story unfolds, this is the first time the reader has an opportunity to actually see each of the sisters for who they really are. I pull from these the true essence of their character. The youngest, Cordelia, does not choose to respond with such embellishment. She simply states that she loves her father as much as a daughter should love a father. Having already been upstaged, there really was no more “bull-ish” that could have fit in the room… She takes it a step further and states that if her sisters loved their father as much as they say, they would have no husband… Having heard all responses the King banishes the youngest daughter and separates his 3 divisions of land amongst the 2 older daughters because their “answers” were better. I think that it made him feel like he still had an effect on his children, when in fact, all they truly wanted to do was gain control of his land and find a way to move him out of power. And with the youngest daughter banished, it was easier and they had no one protecting/looking out for his best interest.