King Lear Essay, Research Paper

I found the first act of King Lear to be interesting, unexpectedly so. In reading the introduction, I was under the impression that this story would be dull and slow to develop. Imagine my shock when the main event happened within a few moments. I found three major events in the first act: King Lear tests his daughter’s love, King Lear banishes Cordelia, and the King of France proclaims his love for Cordelia.

When King Lear banished his pet, his youngest daughter, Cordelia, I was shocked. From the beginning, it was made obvious that King Lear loved Cordelia more than his other daughters, and so it made the love test mroe absurd. And the fact that Cordelia’s love was so great, beyond speech, is what condemned her in her father’s heart, such a great tragedy!

King Lear, in belief that Cordelia was the wicked daughter, banished her and pubclicly humiliated her. He had her two suitors brought before him, and told them of her disinheritance. When Lear talked tothe Duke of Burgandy, one of her suitors, the Duke dropped her like a hot potato. How shameful! He only wanted her because of her father’s wealth. But when Lear questioned the King of France, Cordelia’s second suitor, the King professed his love and growing respect for her. The King of France, like Cordelia, saw through her sisters’ profession of love tofind the evil of their hearts.

This story truly does seem the tragedy, because in the quest for loyalty, the King loses his loving daughter and most trusted advisor.

The second scene seemed to me like a different story altogether. Instead of the main focus being on King Lear and his loss, it discussed the relationship between Gloucester, his illigitimate son Edmund, and his legitimate son, Edgar. I found this scene to be quite depressing because of the plotting and planning Edmund does to overthrow his brother to inherit Gloucester’s money. How can someone plot against their own father? The fact that Edmund and Cordelia’s sisters, Goneril and Regan, could plot against their father astonishes and offends me.

I found the fourth scene both deserving and humorous. Deserving in the fact that King Lear lost approval in banishing his daughter and Kent, his advisor. One thing quite strange in this scene is that Kent disguised himself and re-entered the palace to advise the King. I myself would have been too angry to even look him in the face. The humorous part of the scene is when the fool was teaching the King. The fool seemed wiser and more observant than the King, he had a clearer picture of what was happening in the palace.

In all, I found this act more captivating than expected, and am impatient to continue reading. I enjoyed Shakespeare’s use of foreshadowing in the first scene. I also enjoy his use of the fool’s character to make the King feel foolish as well as think on some of his mistakes. It seems like the King and the fool will have quite an interesting friendship.