Date sent:        Thu, 25 Apr 1996 20:32:30 -0400

Joshua Horn
English 201

 In Shakespeare's King Lear, the character of King Lear is often portrayed as an old fool on
 the brink of dotage, but if the Lear is looked at in just a little bit different light, he
 transforms into a creature of cunning, devious and sly.

 The first scene I would like to address is when Lear proposes a contest to divide the land
 between his daughters based on which one loved him the most. Now, this is a fairly
 dim-witted plan if taken at face value, but if considered carefully, it was decidedly
 rigged. Goneril was given her share directly after speaking, as was Regan; both lots were
 equal in size and stature. This fact should have come as no surprise to us, in fact, the
 audience was informed of this in the very first lines of the play: KENT	I thought the king
 had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall.

 GLOUCESTER	It did always seem so to us: but now, in the
 division of the kingdom, it appears not which of
 the dukes he values most; for equalities are so
 weighed, that curiosity in neither can make choice
 of either's moiety.
     (Ii 1-6)
So clearly from the outset, Lear had no intentions of foolishly dividing his lands by a
silly contest. Obviously, he planned to bestow the greatest portion upon Cordelia, so what
is Lear's purpose in this little deception? The only plausible explanation is that Lear had
an ulterior motive, to keep Cordelia, his baby, all to himself.

 Taking a strait interpretation of the contest, Lear is completely ignorant of his older
 daughters' personalities. For a father not to know the most basic nature of his children,
 especially children the age of his, is preposterous. If Lear though, knew his daughters, he
 could easily predict their responses. Assuredly they would flatter him to no ends in order
 to get a larger share. He would have Cordelia go last, so that by that time there would be
 nothing she could say to out do her sisters. Cordelia's only possible avenue would be to
 prove her complete and total devotion, something her sisters couldn't do since they were
 married. Cordelia would be forced to reject her two suitors and love her father completely,
 and forever. Or so that was Lear's plan.

 Cordelia must have, unless we assume she was completely oblivious to the world around her,
 saw what her father planned to do even as it was set into motion. She did the only thing
 that a girl could in that position, remained silent. When Lear repudiated this noiseless
 refusal, she was forced to flatly turn down her father. It is evident from her reply that
 this is indeed the case. CORDELIA	Good my lord, You have begot me, bred me, loved me: I
 Return those duties back as are right fit, Obey you, love you, and most honour you. Why
 have my sisters husbands, if they say They love you all? Haply, when I shall wed, That lord
 whose hand must take my plight shall carry Half my love with him, half my care and duty:
 Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters, To love my father all.
    (Ii 95-104)		

 At this denial, Lear goes into a rage,	Kent, seeing this explosion as a mere response to a
 slightly bruised ego, attempts to intervene. It is at this point that Lear alludes to his
 darker intention. KING LEAR	Peace, Kent! Come not between the dragon and his wrath. I loved
 her most, and thought to set my rest On her kind nursery. Hence, and avoid my sight!
      (Ii 121-124)
Kent unwittingly continues on his erroneous assumption, and is promptly banished.

 Lear has but one final chance to claim his daughter as his own. He strips her of all her
 wealth, title, and privileges, and calls in her suitors. The idea at this point would be
 that now, since she is so materially worthless, her suitors will withdraw, leaving her with
 nowhere to turn except to beg forgiveness from her father. This does indeed effect the Duke
 of Burgundy, as he declines to court her farther. The King of France though, asks what her
 offense was. Lear has no reply, he surely cannot tell of his plan, nor can he say the mere
 facts of the scene, them being so minor taken out of context. Before Lear can come up with
 a suitable reason to tell France, Cordelia saves herself by over-simplifying the situation:
 CORDELIA	I yet beseech your majesty,-- If for I want that glib and oily art, To speak and
 purpose not; since what I well intend, I'll do't before I speak,--that you make known It is
 no vicious blot, murder, or foulness, No unchaste action, or dishonour'd step, That hath
 deprived me of your grace and favour; But even for want of that for which I am richer, A
 still-soliciting eye, and such a tongue As I am glad I have not, though not to have it Hath
 lost me in your liking.
     (Ii 223-233)
 Upon hearing the bare essence of her "crime" France is appalled at the King's brutishness.
 Since France already has his own country, and relies not upon Lear as a superior, he has no
 real qualms about still taking her for his wife. Cordelia readily accepts.

 Lear, in a despicable act of spite, makes a speech, if not to frighten France away or
 Cordelia back, then to burn into her the complete hatred he is capable of; and so Lear uses
 the strongest curse a child can hear from a parent: KING LEAR	Thou hast her, France: let
 her be thine; for we Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see That face of hers again.
 Therefore be gone Without our grace, our love, our benison. Come, noble Burgundy.
     (Ii 262-266)
With that, Cordelia and France leave and do not return until the end of the story.

 The tale progresses as the consequences of Lear's failure rebound upon him, redoubling at
 every turn. Upon Cordelia's return with the French Army, and following loss, Lear's first
 words are still directly related to his plan: KING LEAR	No, no, no, no! Come, let's away to
 prison: We two alone will sing like birds i' the cage: ... so we'll live, 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 with them too, Who loses and who wins; who's in, who's out; And
 take upon's the mystery of things, As if we were God's spies: and we'll wear out, In a
 wall'd prison, packs and sects of great ones, That ebb and flow by the moon.
     (Vii 8-19)
Notice that Cordelia never responds to Lear, she cannot believe it. After everything that
they both have been through, he is still as single minded as ever. Lear at this point
doesn't appear to care whether she cares to talk back or not, as he continues: "...Have I
caught thee? /He that parts us shall bring a brand from heaven,"  (Viii 21-22) I believe the
answer to Lear's question is, yes; and Cordelia knows it, for as soon as Lear asks this, she
begins to cry. For all the trouble, for all the sorrow and wrecked lives that lay scattered
along the path that has been taken, they have ended up exactly where Lear put us in the
opening act, where Lear always wanted to be: with Cordelia. He could not win her through
cunning or by any other means that he had, and now Cordelia's sisters, her sweet, loving
sisters, have arranged it by force. Purposely? I think it can safely be said that this is
quite a nicely ironic ending, which can be attributed to the warped minds of Goneril and
Regan. 

 After Cordelia's untimely death at the orders of Edmund, Lear is broken. After he had
 finally gained the long sought for prize, it was stripped away literally out of Lear's
 grasp. One might say that Cordelia had eluded him one final time. Lear has never taken
 defeat easily, and after failing to bring Cordelia back to him (again), he joins her. The
 close of the play, and it appears Lear has won. His wish has been granted, his dream
 fulfilled, as they will be remembered throughout the ages: Lear and Cordelia, together,
 Forever.

Bibliography

1. Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Ed. Alfred Harbage. New York: Penguin, 1986
Horn
