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Who is most responsible for Lear’s suffering?
Before Cordelia leaves Britain with grief, she says: “Time shall unfold whatplighted cunning hides”, but for Lear, time is not abundant. King Lear at his old age, who plans to set the rest of his life on his daughters’ “kind nursery”, finds himself being abandoned, rejected and humiliated by his two cruel daughters. It is a cruel world that Lear lives in, a world where people put morality aside and selfishly seek for power. However, despite Goneril and Regan’s evil, Lear’s misfortune is caused by his own weaknesses. His ignorance, impulsiveness, and peremptoriness turn the wheel of fortune against him, and give evil the opportunity to thrive.
In the play, evil has gained the upper hand. Cordelia and Kent, who are loyal to the king, are banished, while Goneril and Regan gain the power. Lear is tormented by his two ungrateful daughters, the two winners of Lear’s love test. Even after Lear divides his kingdom and gives up his power, Goneril and Regan are still dissatisfied with the power they have got. Both of them agree that Lear is old and his authority may become a threat in the future. They plan to “hit together”, “do something in the heat” and take away Lear’s remaining power. They show no respect toward their father. Goneril complaints that “by day and night, (Lear) wrongs (her)”. She cannot endure having an “idle old man” in her house striking her gentleman. She orders her servants to treat Lear and his knights with “weary negligence”. Lear curses Goneril and puts his hope on Regan, but Regan is “as like (Goneril) as a crab’s like an apple”. She and her husband leave home to avoid Lear. When Kent fights with Goneril’s servant, Regan punishes Kent by putting him in stocks, ignoring the fact that he is Lear’s messenger. Lear kneels down in front of Regan and begs for her comfort, but the cold-hearted Regan suggests Lear to go back to Goneril and ask for her forgiveness. Lear’s one-hundred knights that symbolize the king’s dignity are being dismissed. Lear changes from the powerful king of Britain to a powerless old man, a “fortune’s fool”. He realizes how his daughters’ evil takes away his dignity and destroys his life. “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child”.
Although, Goneril and Regan’s ingratitude towards their father is unforgivable, it is Lear’s own weaknesses that start this tragedy. Lear is extremely ignorant and naïve. He does not understand the meaning of true love. “Old fools are babes again, and must be used with checks as flatteries.” Lear enjoys being praised by people. It is Lear’s idea to show off his daughters’ love and give a prize for the people who can show their love to him in words. Lear is too blind to see Cordelia’s faithful but silent love, that she cannot “heave (her) heart into (her) mouth”. He is also unaware of Goneril and Regan’s selfishness, jealousy and their hunger for his power until he is lock outside the castle in the storm. When Goneril “hath tied sharp-toothed unkindness, like a vulture, here”, Lear leaves Goneril and naively goes to Regan. Lear tells Regan that “(Goneril)’s eyes are fierce, but thine do comfort and not burn”. “The hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long that it had it head bit off by it young”. Regan betrays Lear and shows immediate loyalty towards Goneril. Lear’s ignorant and naivety give his daughters the chance to steal and abuse his power.
Being like a child, Lear is emotional and impulsive, even “the best and soundest of his time hath been but rash”. With his pride of being the king, Lear is impatient and can be easily irritated. His questions must be answered instantly and his orders must be carried out immediately or else “the world seems asleep”. Even his favourite daughter and courtier cannot survive between “the dragon and his wrath”. Lear banishes the people who are most loyal to him. The Fool criticizes Lear’s brainless action, referring Lear as a “bitter fool”. All of his three daughters are cursed by Lear despite their differences in character, but the one who suffers most at the end is Lear himself. Being humiliated by his daughters, Lear feels that his heart will “break into a hundred thousand flaws”. He struggles to control his temper, but his misery is driving him to insanity. Lear “hath put himself from rest and must need taste his folly”. His “hideous rashness” makes his life a tragedy.
It is unfortunate that Lear has such ungrateful daughters. However, similar to Shakespeare’s other tragic characters, Lear’s tragedy is caused by the fatal flaws in his character. His blindness and impulsiveness have made fortune a stranger to him. Outside him, there are Lear’s loyal followers helping him fight against the evil forces, but Lear must fight the weaknesses within him by himself. Until his reason overcomes his emotion, his life will remain miserable.
