King Lear, which was written in 1605 by William Shakespeare, can be seen as a classic tragedy. King Lear is the story of King Lear who is quickly abandoned by everyone he trusts when his daughter Goneril and Regan show their true colors. King Lear has three daughters; Cordelia his youngest, then Goneril and finally Regan. King Lear’s daughters and the King’s decision to split his land between them, before he goes mad from having too much to think about, forces the girls into a competition for their father’s favor.
The person who loves King Lear most will get all of his property when King Lear dies. This is what King Lear thinks will make him happy as well as ensure that everything is distributed evenly. King Lear disinherits Cordelia because she refuses to flatter him and give false compliments like her sisters do; making everyone believe that she does not love her father at all (Shmoop Editorial Team).
King Lear tries to live seven ages of man:
First: Youth – He begins by dividing his kingdom equally among his three daughters. King Lear thinks that the youngest daughter, Cordelia, loves him the most because she doesn’t flatter him and that is what makes King Lear happy. King Lear also believes that by dividing his kingdom between his three daughters he will ensure everything is distributed evenly after King Lear’s death. King Lear disinherits Cordelia because she refuses to lie about how much she loves her father.
Second: Re-proval – This stage represents King Lear going mad from having too much to think about, which causes a mental breakdown of sorts for King Lear. King Lear’s knights wander off and come back claiming they’ve seen terrifying creatures such as dragons and wild boars marching along with King Lear who now goes by the title King of Bare. King Lear believes that these creatures will protect him against his evil daughters. King Lear is caught in a storm with the Fool while naked and realizes that all the creatures have disappeared. King Lear then decides to wear some of his clothes again.
Third: Third Age – King Lear falls out with King of France over Cordelia marrying King of France’s son without King Lear’s permission, resulting in King Lear banishing Cordelia from the kingdom. By this time, Goneril and Regan are also at war with each other because they both think their husband should be king instead of each other’s husband taking on such a role (Shmoop Editorial Team).
Fourth: Fourth Age – The King of France and King of Burgundy join forces, defeat the British in battle and return King Lear to power.
Fifth: Fifth Age – King Lear decides to split his kingdom equally again among his three daughters because he wants what is best for them. King Lear then retires from politics and gives up all control over his land to his two eldest daughters (Shmoop Editorial Team).
Sixth: Sixth Age – King Lear goes poor and dispossessed living with only the company of a Fool, who tells him that things like money will never make him happy (Shmoop Editorial Team).
Seventh: Death/ Final Age – King Lear realizes that Cordelia truly loves him after she rescues King Lear from prison. King Lear then dies with Cordelia at his side, after King Lear begs her to give him her last kiss. King Lear’s body goes unburied because King of France and King of Burgundy are still fighting over what little land is left (Shmoop Editorial Team).
Themes:
King Lear is a play which can be analyzed in a number of different ways. One of the most prominent themes that arises throughout the story is that of change . King Lear starts off as a very powerful King who has complete control over everything he does, but as the play progresses there are various changes in King Lear’s status. In Act 3 Scene 4 Goneril tells Albany “when he most affects the honorable title of your master,/His countenance falls into reviving/Shame./That speech most honors him, the King himself/Speaks it in envy of that happy life/(Which he would imitate) if he could have it”(3.4.142-146).
King Lear’s status is diminishing from being a King to being ruled by his daughters which Goneril claims King Lear is revolted by this because King Lear would rather die than be under the thumb of his children. King Lear also changes his perspective on how he views things when he goes mad and starts going through bad material times including going so poor that “his daughters cannot feel his [King Lear] wants as a father, but as an estate,”(4.1.35) King Lear loses his power over his daughters and King Lear’s status changes from King of Britain to a beggar and having nothing (Shmoop Editorial Team).
King Lear goes through various stages of change throughout the play, but it is King Lear’s negative change which King Lear struggles with most. King Lear starts off as a very powerful King who is respected by many; “old [king] of fifty,”(1.1.5), “(he still hath ability in him to annoy the enemy),”(2.4.67), and even “So dear I love him,”(3.2123) Cordelia says about her father when she is being banished from King Lear’s kingdom because King Lear didn’t love her enough.
King Lear is very respected by his loyal friend, Gloucester and King of France and King of Burgundy who would rather die than be at King Lear’s service (Shmoop Editorial Team). King Lear then becomes poor and unimportant: “I am a very foolish fond old man,”(4.6.9), and “A most poor man,”(5.3.14) King Lear says about himself when his circumstances become so bad that he is on the streets with no money or shelter on such cold nights in which King Lear freezes to death entirely alone (Shmoop Editorial Team).
King Lear repeatedly struggles with change throughout the play because KingLear has such a hard accepting it even when KingLear has to face King Lear’s own mortality. King Lear also has a hard time accepting change when KingLear still tries to get his power back after KingLear is stripped from being king and forced to live poor because King Lear can’t accept the fact that he does not have control over his life anymore even though KingLear did give up his power of being King (Shmoop Editorial Team).
King Lear focuses a lot on the idea of emotional chaos, which contributes to the larger theme of change. This idea is first introduced into the play through King Lear himself as he descends into madness after his daughters treat him cruelly. One example of this can be seen in Act 4 scene 6 as King Lear says “I am a man/ More sinned against than sinning,” King Lear is seeing himself as a victim of his own experience despite the fact that King Lear’s decisions have been driving this entire story from the beginning, King Lear claims he should not be blamed for what King Lear has done to hurt others. King Lear descending into madness is an example of emotional chaos because King Lear loses touch with reality and ends up in a place where KingLear sees King Learself as the victim (Shmoop Editorial Team).
This theme of emotional chaos also comes up when KingLear is at Gloucester’s home and discovers Gloucester’s illegitimate son who was born through incest which leads to Edmund accusing Edgar and later leads to Edgar running away (Shmoop Editorial Team).