Revealing The Sympathy Of King Lear

King Lear is one of Shakespeare’s famous works. This is a tragedy that tells about the king and his three daughters. There are also many characters which I want to tell about: Kent, Fool, Gloucester, and ect. The main character of the tragedy is King Lear. He is interesting character that carries both good and evil principles. My sympathy to the King Lear has changed throughout the whole play. At the beginning I did not like him. He was haughty and a little bit selfish. Nevertheless, after going through the difficulties and obstacles of life, every person will change, even the most heartless and mean. Which way a person will change depends on himself. Strong in spirit and tempered by character never will be broken, they will become only stronger. However, if a person is weak-minded, then no one will know what can happen to him. Such a person can completely lose himself or as happened with the king, go crazy. On the other hand even from this state one can find a way out. Lear is changing and our attitude towards him is changing too. Looking at him, we first feel hatred for to this character, but following the development of events, we are more and more reconciling with him, as with a person.The story of the king is a long way that Lear walks in his life. This is the burden of power and its loss, which leads to an important understanding. The king learned to see what is false and what is true, what is wisdom and what is true greatness. On his life’s journey, the monarch acquires enemies, and, worst of all, daughters become the main enemies. However, he finds friends in the person of the faithful Fool and his loyal friend Kent. Lear’s path was difficult and beard heavy losses. So, the king became an exile. The most hurtful part was when he regained his sight and ended up with his loving daughter Cordelia, he again loses her. His youngest daughter is being killed. Eventually the ending of King Lear’s life ends with his death. The only good news is that Lear died spiritually enlightened.

King Lear in the work of Shakespeare appears to as a majestic, proud and self-confident sovereign. He is so confident in his power, as he is in being a good father, so he decides to divide the kingdom between his three daughters, hoping for their further gratitude. Unfortunately for selection criterion, he chooses flattery. That daughter, who will be generous in praise and declarations of love to her father, will receive a large share of kingdoms. As it turned out, the two older daughters did not skimp on flattery. Flattery is a bad quality, so in the beginning I already started have a feeling of aversion for older daughters. The youngest daughter, Cordelia, loved her father very much. “What shall Cordelia speak? Love, and be silent.” (I,i,61) these were her words. Only King Lear does not see this love and incorrectly appreciated his youngest daughter, who did not want to show her feelings for her father in public. “I love your majesty. According to my bond, no more nor less.” (I,i,93), said Cordelia. Of course king did not like this answer. Angry at his youngest daughter he said “How, nothing will come of nothing.” (I,i,90) As a result, Cordelia does not receive anything, and the other two daughters receive everything. This scene shows how proud the king was. Blinded by the flattery of his older daughters, he did not see Cordelia’s true love.

A loyal friend of Lear, Kent, tried to enlighten king that he makes a big mistake dividing the whole kingdom only between older daughters, for which he was expelled along with Cordelia. From the very beginning, I realized that Kent is a positive character who carries all the qualities which are present in a faithful and reasonable person. Throughout the play he remained faithful to the king and his own principles. “Thy safety being motive.”(I,i,160), even after the exile he did not leave the king. He changed his style and continued to serve him and be devoted to him, “I do profess to be no less than I seem—to serve him truly that will put me in trust, to love him that is honest, to converse with him that is wise and says little, to fear judgment, to fight when I cannot choose, and to eat no fish” (I,iv,12) said Kent to King Lear when he returned to him in a new look. In the play all the characters changed. Someone became a real beast, someone went crazy, but someone remained true to himself and stay a human, as is the case with Kent. Even despite the fact that Lear was very rude to him he stayed loyal to him. Kent represents good and honor in the play, so my sympathy to him, as a character, is very strong.

In the course of the continuation of the tragedy, the main moral aspects of Goneril and Regan are manifested. Their cruelty, hypocrisy and deceit, covering up the egoistic aspirations that govern all the actions of these characters. The most cruel part for me was when Regan with his husband gorged Gloucester’s eyes. Regan and Cornwall’s demeanour was extremely aggressive, inhumane, and angry. Therefore, as expected Goneril and Regan betray their father, no matter how much they “loved” their father. “As much as child e’er loved, or father found, A love that makes breath poor and speech unable, Beyond all manner of so much I love you. (I,i,58) said Goneril on a request to tell how much ahr loves the king. According to Shakespeare, “The one who appreciates money, will always throw you in a trouble”. King Lear understands this, but late and this is his tragedy, because in the role of the king, he forgot about his humanity. “Who is it that can tell me who I am?” (I, iv,217) words of Lear when Goneril said that he do not see himself clearly. Having lost all, Lear was able to see the world not through the prism of royal greatness, but he looks at life differently and begins to understand the sincerity of human feelings, reflecting on the question of who such a person is. As it turned out, a person is both: a fool, a destitute, a beggar. All people are equal and no matter what place in society they occupy, and these people, a fool, a destitute, and a beggar are also victims of an unfair fate.

The image of the fool occupies a large place in this play. Fools occupied the most miserable position in society: they were not considered an individual personality. The owner and any noble guest in the house, could mock him and insult him. On the other hand, the fool were allowed, unlike the rest of the servants, to speak more freely and boldly. Along with Cordelia, Kent and Edgar, Lear’s loyal friend is the Fool who does not even leave Lear in a storm. This companion of Lear embodies folk wisdom. The Fool tried to enlighten king “Why? For taking one’s part that’s out of favour. Nay, an thou canst not smile as the wind sits, thou’lt catch cold shortly. There, take my coxcomb! Why, this fellow has banished two on’s daughters, and did the third a blessing against his will. If thou follow him, thou must needs wear my coxcomb.–How now, nuncle? Would I had two coxcombs and two daughters!”(I.IV.96-103) he said that having acted so stupidly with his kingdom and daughters he became a fool by himself. “If I gave them all my living, I’d keep my coxcombs myself. There’s mine. Beg another of thy daughters.” (I,iv,105) with these words he gives to the king his fool’s cap.

Lear’s history is the grandiose path of knowledge that he goes through. From being blinded by his power – to understanding what is true and what is false, and what is true greatness and true wisdom. On his path Lear finds not only enemies – first of all, them become his eldest daughters, but he also finds friends who remain faithful to him, no matter what: Kent and the Fool. Through exile, through loss, through madness, king attains insight, and again to the loss, death of Cordelia, and in the finale to his own death. This is Lear’s path. The tragic path of knowledge.