- In the amoral world of King Lear, chaos ensues when those in power relinquish social justice. Such is the case with Edmund and Lear’s daughters, whose unjust acts of savagery instate complete chaos.
- First point of support: Since Edmund and Lear’s daughters have no sense of social justice, their acts of savagery create chaos.
“Wisdom and goodness to the vile seem vile;
Filths savour but themselves” (4.2.38)
“Know thou this, that men are as the time is; to be tender-minded does not become a sword.
Thy great employment will not bear question; either say thou’lt do’t, or thrive by other means” (5.3.31).
- Second point of support: When social justice is recognized by Lear, it is too late for him to prevent chaos because he has lost power.
Examples:
I am a man, more sinn’d against than sinning” (3.2.58).
“Through tatter'd clothes small vices do appear;
Robes and furr'd gowns hide all. Plate sin with gold,
And the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks;
Arm it in rags, a pigmy's straw does pierce it” (4.6.163).
c. Third point of support: Characters believe punishment derives from divine justice, when in reality it is from a lack of social justice.
Examples:
“As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods.
They kill us for their sport” (4.1.36).
“The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices make instruments to plague us” (5.3.170).
“This is the excellent foppery of the world, that, when we are sick in fortune, often the surfeits of our own behaviour, we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars…” (1.2.118)
Discussion
Evidence of chaos caused by social injustice is observable throughout King Lear, but it is still unclear if, by the end of the play, the notion of divine justice is fully recognized. The broadness of that question is not without some skeptisism, but it could be speculated that the lack of justice met coincides with the desire for justice, inasmuch the audience might recognize this as a reprehensible flaw. Perhaps Shakespeare was in some way trying to push the development of social justice, as he very carefully depicts that a world with a lack thereof is quite undesireable.
Another theme that is maintained throughout the play not necessarily that of divine justice, but rather it is how, in the absense of divine justice, man should be responsible for the right and wrong actions of man, as this notion translates to the most valuable form of social justice, whereas divine justice does not. In the context of Lear, defining right and wrong will always be a subjective issue, but what is clear is that power without social justice results in chaos.
Shakespeare’s King Lear is a tragic story involving the Great Chain of Being, filial ingratitude, and good vs. evil. As with similar worksworks, the central themes of this play reflect the author’s outlook on humanity. With emphasis on character development in King Lear, Shakespeare conveys his views on humanity in such a way as to catagorize people, via their personal actions, as being innately defined as either good or evil. Shakespeare is saying that, regardless of societal influences, one must understand that someone of an inherently good nature will seldom make an attempt to hurt, lie, or otherwise backstab others for personal gain.
Examples of characters endowed with an inherently good nature are Cordelia, Lear, and Edgar. Alternately, Shakespeare relates that a person with evil tendencies will stop at nothing to attain personal power, often resulting in the suffering of others. Throughout the play, Edmund, Regan, Goneril, and Cornwall exhibit a clear alignment towards evil. Additionally, it is important to recognize that when establishing an atmosphere of irrepsonsibility and disregard, Shakespeare shows that evil thrives behind the guise of riches. Those who manipulate events to suit personal greed exemplify this notion. However, whether or not a person is evil or good may not be readily identifiable, as it is easy to misconstrue the true nature of an individual veiled by expensive fineries and high status, and it is this uncertainty that is most often exploited when motives of an evil origin are present in that nature.
“Through tatter'd clothes small vices do appear;
Robes and furr'd gowns hide all. Plate sin with gold,
And the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks;
Arm it in rags, a pigmy's straw does pierce it.” (4.6.163)
Essentially, what is conveyed here is that those who are not fortunate enough to possess wealth will suffer from the most minor of infractions, and those with wealth can simply evade prosecution. What this proves is that wealth can do much to conceal a person’s true nature, though in the end that person is still either good or evil. It is imperative to note that everyone is liable to sin, though that does not necessarily make them evil.
The Good/Evil Lineup
Edgar is man of honesty and dignity. He is compassionate and caring, as seen in his
conversation with Lear and how he understands Lear’s plight, and wishes him well. Thus,
he appears to be the character with the most good in him.
Kent is selfless, good natured spirit, and is always loyal to Lear. This is shown with how he tries to protect Lear, and always stick by his side. (An example of this would be when he becomes enraged at Oswald’s letter that contains negative comments about Lear)
The Fool is also loyal and honest, and acts as Lear’s conscious in a way. Through obscure metaphors and description he reveals to Lear his own turn of events and Lear always trusts him because the fool does not lie.
All things considered, King Lear is a decent person who seems to have an excessive amount of personal pride. In the beginning of the play, he equates his daughters love with material things such as land, and does not have a clear sight of what he is doing. Once he realizes his power is lost he becomes angry and embittered, especially after his daughters cruel transformation. However, through this we see Lear’s empathetic and concerned sign, and even take pity on him for having poor decision making skills in his old age, but aside from his blindness he is still mostly good.
Gloucester is like Lear in the sense that he is blind, and in his situation he’s blind to
Edmund’s lies. He fails to realize the world around him and is very gullible and foolish.
Despite this, he is still a loyal man who lives with some dignity, as shown by his faith to
Lear and when he shows mercy for Kent when he’s locked in the stocks.
Cornwall is a fairly evil character. He is easily persuaded by Regan, and as shown by
locking Kent up in the stocks, and plucking out Gloucester’s eyes, he is willing to do
sinister things.
Due to the illigitimacy of his birth, Edmund is mistreated, but that does not justify his malicious actions throughout the play. His ambition grows boundless as he forms alliances with Lear's daughters Regan and Goneril. Together, they device plot to assassinate his brother, so that he can claim his inheritance.
Goneril is dishonest, mean-spirited, and spiteful. She lies to Lear in how much she
loves him in order to get more land, and completely disrespects him after getting it.
She complains of his knights and asks him to leave, showing him no signs of love or
acceptance.
Regan is very similar to Goneril in the fact that she has no respect for age and rank. She
shows this by punishes Gloucester (ripping out his eyes) and Kent (locking him in the
stocks). She is clearly evil.
It is shown that Cordelia genuinely loves her father because she doesn’t try and flatter him with love simply for material gain as her sisters do. She seems inclined to trust Lear and still have some respect for him, perhaps realizing his condition. She simply recognizes right from wrong and acts on that premise.
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