Bastards, scorn sisters, vengeful family members and numerous amounts of deaths, what a tragedy. Shakespeare’s play “King Lear” allows the audience to watch as two families are torn apart by greed for the same reason, power. Among the themes developed through animal imagery, the most notable ones would be those of Madness, Family and Nothingness. In the well renowned play “King Lear”, animal imagery is used throughout the play to give thorough insight to the themes of Madness, Family and Nothingness.
In the beloved play “King Lear” written by William Shakespeare, we watch as Madness begins to slowly interact with each character throughout the play. Some characters unable to describe Madness in words use animal imagery. Edgar being the legitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester, is brought into a downward spiral when his half-brother Edmund begins to tell lies to their father.
When Edgar is told about what his half-brother Edmund has been spreading lies about treason Edgar plans against his own father, he has nothing else to say but this: “Wine lov’d I / deeply, dice dearly: and in woman out-paramour’d / the Turk: false of heart, light of ear, bloody of hand; / hog in sloth, fox in stealth, wolf in greediness, dog in / madness, lion in prey” (III. IV. 86-90). With that quotation there are several references that use animal imagery.
One of the first was Edgar using animal imagery to describe himself he does that when he states ‘Hog in sloth’ he relates himself to a pig which is almost useless and only creates mess and that the word ‘Sloth’ meaning laziness, is one pf the seven deadly sins. He also states that he is a ‘Fox in stealth’ which correlates in which that Edgar is clever. When he states ‘Wolf in greediness’ it is expressing on how wolves will always attack animals lower than them on them on the food chain.
The reference to a ‘Lion in prey’ is adding on to the fact that the great chain of being is currently opposite than the way it should be going. As a result of on how lions are the ones attacking and not being attacked, nature must be opposite if lions are being the prey. This is of course referencing on hoe Edmund is trying to gain control over Edgar by driving his father’s head with mad thoughts. When Lear is reunited with his one true daughter Cordelia, he after his long string of relentless rants and actions is no more the happy to be in prison with his daughter: “No, no, no, no!
Come, let’s away to prison. / We two alone will sing like birds I’th’cage” (V. III. 8-9). King Lear is expressing to Cordelia that they should go to prison and be together. It is clear that King Lear’s madness has reached a point of no return and were he cannot fully comprehend that they have been captured and their lives are at risk. This is truly showing on how madness has slowly taken of King Lear that he can no longer mentally see clearly. Continuing with the situation of being captured with his daughter Cordelia, King Lear is still unable to grasp the current situation he is currently in. And pray, and sing and tell old tales, and laugh / At gilded butterflies, and hear poor rogues / Talk of court news; and we’ll talk of them too,” (V. III. 12-14). The term ‘Glided butterflies’ is used as a reference to Courtiers. A courtier is a person who attends royal court as almost an advisor. When King Lear calls them gilded butterflies he is calling them overrated fools. He is stating that everyone should laugh at these so called courtiers and hear what the rogues people known for being dishonest people, talk in the court rooms instead.
This monologue describes how King Lear’s madness has everything confused and not in the correct ordered. Animal imagery is used to describe how madness of some of the characters actions can be translated through use of animals. This allows the readers to relate to the story more creatively for linking the characters actions towards actions of animals. The play “King Lear” focuses around two families and their struggle for power. Shakespeare uses animal imagery to describe the theme of family and more importantly the relationships family members have with one another.
With the thrown of King Lear recently divided between his two so called loyal daughters, former King Lear’s power and control of the kingdom is slowly being taken away by his daughter Goneril. He has nothing else but this to say about it: “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is / To have a thankless child! ” (I. IV. 278-279). Shakespeare uses animal imagery and stylistics devices such as metaphor and hyperbole, to allow the audience to feel how King Lear is taken this betrayal. He is comparing the sting of his daughter’s betrayal to getting bit by a serpent, an image in the bible closely related to evil.
It is compared in such way because of how the serpent is a representation of Satan within the bible. By comparing his daughter to a serpent is another example of animal imagery. He is correlating the event of being but by having an ungrateful children pains him more than being bitten by a venomous serpent. Unable to get his way with Goneril he threatens her with the wrath of his other so called loyal daughter Regan: “When she shall hear this of thee, with her nails / She’ll flay thy wolvish visage. Thou shalt find / That I’ll resume the shape which thou dost think / I have cast off forever” (I.
IV. 296-300). King Lear is mainly stating that Goneril is as greedy as an animal the wolf who is only out for themselves and those of their herd. This is referring to Albany and herself. King Lear blinded with rage sputters out the in a rant in what he believes his other daughter Regan will rip Goneril apart because of her mistreatment towards King Lear. At this point in the play, Goneril and Regan have banned together to take over the rest of their fathers power, with this King Lear has this to say: “Is it the fashion that discarded fathers / Should have thus little mercy on their flesh? Judicious punishment! ’Twas this flesh begot / Those pelican daughters” (III. IV. 69-72). In Shakespearean time it was widely believed that pelicans fed their young on their own flesh and blood. This explains why King Lear refers to his selfish, greedy daughters Goneril and Regan, as “pelican daughters”. King Lear is believed to use this reference because he feels so betrayed by his once loyal daughters. Animal imagery in “King Lear” is used to allow the audience to view how families quickly turn on each other like wolves, serpents and pelicans when given the opportunity of power.
The famous play “King Lear” by William Shakespeare demonstrates how characters can use animal imagery to describe how depending on social class how nothing a person can really be in this society. After Edgar has taken hiding from his half-brother he disguises himself as a lower classmen in society, he then unexpectedly runs into King Lear who has nothing quite nice to say about the lower-class compared to himself. “Consider him well. Thou ow’st the / worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep no wool, the / cat no perfume. Ha, here’s three on ’s are sophisticated;. Thou art the thing itself; unaccommodated man is no / more but such a poor, bare, forked animal as thou art. / Off, off, you lendings! Come, unbutton here” (III. IV. 99-104). This monologue demonstrates how poorly King Lear is talking about Edgar disguised as a lowerclassmen and how he has nothing to offer society. King Lear uses animal imagery to describe this, when he states ‘Worm no silk’, ‘Beast no hide’ and etc. He uses these terms because what is a worm with no silk or a beast with no hide? Useless is what King Lear is describing when he uses these terms.
When Kent goes into disguised to still be a loyal companion of King Lear, he unfortunately runs into Oswald who is a servant to Goneril and Kent has no nice words to speak. “That wouldst be a bawd in way of good service, and art / nothing but the composition of a knave, beggar, / coward, pander, and the son and heir of a mongrel / bitch:” (II. II. 18-21). With this Kent is trying to aggravate Oswald by insulting him in the lowest possible way. He does this by calling him a knave, beggar, coward, and pander, but also by insulting his lineage by calling his mother a mongrel bitch.
It is quite funny how Shakespeare is using a play on words when saying the word coward in live performances the first syllable is emphasized, demonstrating animal imagery. The last use of animal imagery in the entire play is when the truest daughter of King Lear is assassinated. When this occurs he is placed in a state of rage and says this: “Why should a dog, horse, a rat, have life, / And thou no breath at all? “(V. III. 305-306). King Lear is almost demanding why his daughter is dead yet these animals that are nothing or less then nothing still are still allowed to live.