Portrayal of the Ten Commandments in King Lear - Book Report/Review Example

 The Ten Commandments in King Lear Table of Contents Introduction Historical Aspects of the era Edmund Cordelia and Edgar A passage from the old to the new Conclusion Works Cited The Ten Commandments in King Lear Introduction The Ten Commandments are an extremely important part of Christianity. As a result, it finds itself manifested in many works of fiction that are a part of countries and cultures of which Christianity is a part. William Shakespeare’s works were a part of Elizabethan England and were thus, a part of a time when Christianity’s influence upon the people was profound and very important. No analysis of his works can leave out the influence and importance of Christianity. This is especially important in the context of the Elizabethan era, when England had started to gain more knowledge regarding other cultures. Christianity was the factor that bound many of the European countries together at this point of time and also what divided them. The manifestations of one of its most core theories in a play that is considered to be one of the finest tragedies of the Elizabethan era and also in the history of English literature. The Ten Commandments are a concise list of instructions that the pious Christian is to follow on his road to salvation. According to the Bible, it was handed down to Moses. It encapsulates the different teachings of Christianity and for the believer, is an easy manual that would enable him or her to attain salvation. Historical Aspects of the era Characters from other religions are often not portrayed in a very good light in Elizabethan plays. Shakespeare however, in King Lear, shows how an inadequate practice of Christian principles such as the Ten Commandments could happen irrespective of the religion of the person involved. The characters in this play are all Christians; however, they show scant respect for the Ten Commandments. With the exploration of the world that had started to happen during the Elizabethan era, other cultures were also explored. This was also the age of the Protestant Reformation that had led people to believe in the individual exploration of the Bible. People had thus started to find it easier to accept the fact that what was told them regarding the different aspects of Christianity was not necessarily what they had to accept in life. People were thus, during a transitional phase from Catholicism to Protestantism, confused regarding the principles of the new sect that they had become a part of. This was also owing to the fact that many were illiterate and many were unable to read the Latin Bible that was available to them. An impulse to interpret the commandments for oneself is something that one sees in the characters of Edmund, Regan and Goneril. Edmund Edmund is a product of sexual intercourse out of marriage and thus, his very existence is a violation of the seventh commandment that forbids adultery. He is thus, not a part of the system that Christianity is an essential element of. Placed outside of this system, he tries to subvert it and thus, his attacks are directed against the upholders of the values of the old system. He seeks to upset the very line of Lear through his seduction of the rightful owners of it (under the then prevalent system of monarchy), Goneril and Regan. He attempts to mislead his father and presents a wrong picture of his half-brother, Edmund, who is the legitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester. He seeks to subvert the list of commandments that are present in the bible for this purpose. He seeks to murder his brother, thus violating the sixth commandment. He also seeks to mislead his father and harbors no respect for him. By doing so, he violates the fifth commandment that requires one to have respect for his or her father and mother. By giving a false report against his brother, he also breaks the ninth commandment. He seeks to commit adultery by coveting what belongs to another and thus violates the seventh and tenth commandment. As a reason for these violations of his, he cites nature. Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy law My services are bound. Wherefore should I Stand in the plague of custom, and permit The curiosity of nations to deprive me, For that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshines Lag of a brother? Why bastard? wherefore base? …  Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land. Our father’s love is to the bastard Edmund As to the legitimate. Fine word—“legitimate”!  Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed, And my invention thrive, Edmund the base  Shall top the legitimate. I grow; I prosper. Now, gods, stand up for bastards! (1.2.1–22) There is thus, another violation of the commandments that Edmund commits by holding nature above the Christian god. This is the initial part of the play when his actions are rewarded and he seems on course to inherit the property of Gloucester. Cordelia and Edgar Cordelia and Edgar are the two children in the play who are faithful to their parents. They uphold the values of the Ten Commandments and these can be seen in the way in which they treat their parents, even while he acts as a madman, Edgar attempts to save his father and be of help to him. Cordelia’s reply to Lear as to how much she loved him is also in keeping with the commandments. Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth. I love your majesty According to my bond; no more nor less. (1.1.90–92) She says that she loves her father as is prescribed by the society, of which Christianity is a part. Her ideas are informed by the duties that are prescribed by the Ten Commandments even though she does not make any specific reference to them. Shakespeare talks of the values that people imbibe through their very existence and the Ten Commandments form a part of this. The dutiful children in King Lear are those that uphold the commandments. While Edgar is rewarded for his virtue, Cordelia dies, leaving the audience and Lear to lament a society that is unable to preserve her virtue. A passage from the old to the new The passage from Gloucester to Edmund promises a passage to a new world order; the old one is restores by the end of the play when the virtuous son of Gloucester is rewarded for his honesty and love. The play thus becomes one that is able to fuse aspects of Christianity with the normal lives of the English. It also manages to show the human aspects of the lives of the royalty. The simple relationships between the father and the daughter are revealed in this play. There is an element of change since it is Edgar who takes over the kingdom at the end; however, the values that inform his character are not different from those that existed earlier. Conclusion One of the greatest tragedies in the history of English literature, King Lear talks of the relationships that existed between parents and their children. It is thus, the story of family units, the running of which presents an opportunity to analyze the Ten Commandments. This is because the Ten Commandments talk about the ways and means in which people should live their lives as members of a literal and figurative family. Shakespeare’s play portrays such families and the fact that these families belong to nobility does not do much to change the dynamics of the relationships. The violations of the different commandments by the different characters in the play reveal the contradictions inherent within the Elizabethan society. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of King Lear. Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University, 1997 Read More