What is the value in friendship? What is the value in family? A better question may be; What is the value in loyalty? Very few characters remain loyal to their loved ones throughout the play. There is irony in the betrayal that occurs in Shakespeare’s King Lear. While Lear believes he can trust his two eldest daughters, when they are given the throne, they do everything in their power to drive him out of the kingdom. Similarly, Gloucester’s bastard son plots to overtake his father’s name. In Act 1 Scene 4, the fool states, “Thou mad’st thy daughters thy mothers. For when thou gav’st them the rod and put’st down thine own breeches.” Although Lear constantly criticizes the fool, he is correct in that the king should have known better than to trust Goneril and Regan. It was clear they were insincere in their dramatic claims of love for him.
Cordelia and Egdar are banished from their father’s lives’ although they are the most loyal and respectable children. Lear’s most honorable nobleman, Kent was banished along with Cordelia, but instead of going against the king, Kent also remains loyal. In the end of the play, both Lear and Gloucester realize they have been wronged by their children and in return, wronged the people that were most loyal to them.
I agree, Keri. Throughout King Lear, loyalty is rare. Surviving in an unstable situation means that people focus on the bottom line: saving themselves. But there are some characters in the play who demonstrate extraordinary loyalty, such as Kent, Edgar and Cordelia. They remain loyal until the end to those they love and care about; Cordelia and Edgar stay faithful to their fathers, and Kent stays faithful to his king. Although they are placed in a bad situation and are misunderstood by the people they love, they faithfully do their duty. The play celebrates the virtue of loyalty, but it also shows that it can be dangerous. Loyalty is not appreciated, but rather ignored. In some cases, loyalty can mean death, but most of all it can lead to suffering.
ReplyDeleteI also agree. Even though people in King Lear are known as royal family, they never show loyalty, except, Cordelia, Kent and Edgar. Because Edmund, Regan and Goneril only cared about what they want from Lear, they lost their loyalty that was existed from their birth. But Cordelia, Kent and Edgar did not care about the loss of their reputation, and they firmly remained beside King Lear.It is important to keep the loyalty in royal family and loyalty offers reputation; however, sometime, loyalty can be dangerous or poisonous.
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