What Is the Role of Women in King Lears Tragedy - Essay Example

King Lear is a misfortune written by William Shakespeare early 1603 and 1606. It features in three main female characters namely Goneril, Regan and Cordelia who are King Lear’s daughters. In the very beginning of the play, he decides to divide his kingdom and power amongst his daughters. While Cordelia, the youngest of them all, is straightforward and honest, Reagan and Goneril are used to flattering their father. Cordelia therefore did not “worship” her father in public. So much so that she was banished from thee kingdom. Interestingly, although the Cordelia character was not prominent in the play, she helps shape the play a great deal. It should be remembered that her refusal to flatter her father instigated the whole tragedy. It is also evident that being the youngest of King Lear’s children, she was his favorite. This is elaborated by King Lear saying on Act I scene I, “I loved her the most, and thought to set my rest on her kind nursery” (122). Cordelia’s honesty leads to her being disinherited. Kent objects to that unfair treatment and is banished from the country. Consequently, after learning that Cordelia has been disinherited, the Duke of Burgundy withdraws his marriage proposal and the King of France goes on with his, impressed by her honesty. Lear then decides that he will be living with Regan and Goneril together with their husbands, the Dukes of Cornwall and Albany respectively. The two daughters speak revealing that their declarations were fake and view Lear as an old and foolish man. In his misfortunes, he is mocked by the Fool during the entire play. So, what is the role of women in King Lear’s tragedy? When reading King Lear, the reader is left to ask: are female characters stereotyped? Do we see Cordelia as the representation of goodness and her sisters as evil? The tragedy is synonymous with its aversion of gender roles. This is evident even in the play’s production. Interestingly, a number of women have played male roles in King Lear. Most notably and commonly played is The Fool, who has been characterized by, among others, Emma Thompson commercially. In 1990, in an interesting turn of events, Marianne Hoppe played King Lear. Another production in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in 2012 saw Tantoo Cardinal and Kevin Loring actors take up the roles of Regan and Edmund respectively. The roles of the Fool and Cordelia were assumed by a female who doubled up as both. The play therefore creates a leeway as of the characters and their gender. So, what was King Lear’s perception towards women? In King Lear, women are depicted as the roots of all the problems in the world. They are also portrayed as disloyal, emasculating and promiscuous. In particular, King Lear has profound and serious issues with women. Following his betrayal by Goneril and Regan, he begins an angry speech against women, particularly female sexuality that echoes throughout the play. What exactly is King Lear’s attitude towards his daughters? Does it spill over onto all women? Textual evidence shows that King Lear views female sexuality as horrific and terrifying. He also views women as promiscuous and monstrous. When Regan and Goneril betray him, Lear feels that he has been emasculated and stripped of his “manhood.” It is therefore clear that at the beginning, and in most parts of the play, Lear’s had a low and negative opinion of women. Important to note is that there is plenty of talk about mothers in the play, although there are no literal or characterized mothers in the entire play. A psychoanalytic interpretation of the mention of mothers provides that Lear in his old age regresses to an infantile disposition and seeks a love that is normally and naturally provided for by a mother. Evidently, his children become daughter-mother figures in his life. His contest for love also serves as the binding agreement. So much that his daughters’ inheritance depends on how much they care for him. An in-depth analysis at Cordelia’s refusal to love Lear more than a father can be seen to symbolize incest. Also the situation shows a complete reversal of parent-child roles where Lear’s madness looks like a child-like obsession. When Lear and Cordelia are captured together, Lear envisions a nursery whereby Cordelia would only exist for him. Interestingly, Cordelia’s death ends his fantasy of a mother cum daughter and the play ends with only male characters. Shakespeare’s tragic end of the play has its sting from the discrepancy. Cordelia, her two sisters also dead, takes to the throne as the rightful heiress. She is however shortly overthrown and imprisoned by her two nephews who eventually lead to her suicide. Interestingly, the Fool, who is very important in the first half of the play, disappears without an explanation in the third act. More so, the play does ask us to compare the Fool with Cordelia. In Act I, Lear chides Cordelia for her foolishness. In Act V, he chides himself for folly too. In the final act of the play, while Lear is holding Cordelia’s dead body, he says, “my poor fool is hanged.” The reader can interpret this to mean that Lear thought of Cordelia to be a fool. The king is also helped by his daughter when there is a war. So, what is Shakespeare’s view of women? The lead, Cordelia appears on the first and last parts of the plays. This is a good example of a Shakespearian woman who is either silent, absent or dead. Cordelia is also characterized by her silent and obedient nature. Her two sisters’ attitude and scheming nature is expressed as a “fault”. However, according to feminists, this act by Cordelia is interpreted to mean defiance in male authority. Shakespeare therefore uses all women to interpret a prophesied future, like right now. Women are seen to be independent of women. They are also seen to start battles which, interestingly, they solve. The reversal of roles is seen in Lear’s inability to accept that he has lost his “male authority”. Shakespeare must have had a hint at the current society. In the seventh scene of the third act, Cornwall and Regan pluck out his eyes. Before the martyrdom, Gloucester qualifies the daughters as monsters and evil creatures. Albany, Goneril’s husband, will put it clear in his speech: “Tigers, not daughters, what have you performed to a father and gracious aged man.” Thus according to Shakespeare’s text, Goneril and Regan are demonized and responsible for all the chaos in the state. They are enemies of mankind and must also be destroyed. Shakespeare demonizes women in power but try to strike a balance in the female figure by talking of a savior. Personified in Cordelia, the savior will be a redeeming woman and also a restoration of patriarchy. Another analogy to the present woman is seen throughout the entire Act IV. The women are juxtaposed and contrasted, demonized and sanctified. In Scene II, Goneril openly declares her lusty passion for Edmund. This echoes Lear’s belief that women are promiscuous. However, Shakespeare tries to project a better future when Cordelia shows her father love and forgiveness in Scene IV, when his other daughters have turned him mad. King Lear offers insightful social commentary from class to politics. Shakespeare, in this play, seems to challenge some existing social and political structures while offering radical solutions. The theme of class aversion is better shown in Edmund. Why Edmund is considered an “illegitimate” son? How does his position as a “bastard” impact his social position in the play? Edmund is therefore portrayed as one of Shakespeare’s most complex villains. His being illegitimate is rubbed all over his face. Shakespeare is seen to use King Lear as a figure antithesis to James I to avoid being demonized by him. Shakespeare acknowledges the feudal problems and has a personal belief that that could be resolved. In Act I, Scene I, Shakespeare introduces the readers to a subplot which mirrors the main plot. The subplot involves Edgar, Edmund and Gloucester. It shows misjudgments and follies and how these can bring about disastrous circumstances at the end of an era. Edmund is seen to personify the emerging society. His determination to usurp his father represents the new generation’s schemes and greed for power from the old people. Just like in the modern societies, Edmund thirsts for power in a ruthless way that seems to divide right through family, feudal and idyllic relations. In Act I, Scene II, Edmund’s tyrannical intentions are portrayed in his soliloquy. His words, “I grow, I prosper” seem to guard and explain his materialistic ambitions throughout the play. His “plague of custom” embodies his resentment of the existing feudal system. The people insistence on calling him illegitimate doesn’t make him happy and only fuels his craving for power and respect. Therefore, Edmund slanders the honest and good Edgar who emblazes the same feudal characters as Kent. Edmund’s betrayal in Act III Scene 7 ends in Gloucester being mutilated. To add insult to injury, Cornwall and Regan pluck out his eyes and leave him to “smell his way to Dover”. This scene can be seen to dramatize and symbolize the amoral vices that are synonymous to the upcoming power seeking bourgeoisie class. Shakespeare contrasts and demonstrates that the good and compassionate people in the society can suffer in the hands of the young bureaucrats. Shakespeare also shows the two big flaws of the characters Lear and Gloucester as lacking sound knowledge and judgment at the beginning of the play. During Act IV Scene I, Gloucester is seen to go through a regeneration period after realizing his folly in his blindness. In an interesting twist of events, Regan and Goneril become very infatuated with Edmund. This materializes into a tragedy in Act V scene VI as they are both stricken off. Regan is poisoned by her sister who eventually commits suicide. In my opinion, Shakespeare instigates this event to show the detrimental effects of the cannibalistic nature of the power hungry young generation. The fact that the two sisters fight over Edmund who is certifiably illegitimate also shows class aversion. The power craze and elimination is further shown in Act V when Edgar defeats and kills Oswald and further goes to eliminate the cancer that is Edmund in Scene II. Shakespeare goes on to show that though he supports some ideas of the existing capitalist ideas, there is room to involve other mechanisms and the young generation in thee feudal systems. This is better portrayed when at the very end; Edgar and Kent regain their power from Albany. Kent however refuses while Edgar accepts. His appointment into the high office thus suggests a better future where the two classes will integrate very well, hopefully. In King Lear therefore, Shakespeare brings about a utopian society where man can be just, not just for his own good or his own class good, but for all those trampled upon by society. He also shows that with a viable authority and a sense of responsibility, the present leaders and governments can create the wellbeing of the society. Work cited Shakespeare, William. King Lear. London, London Press, 1608. Print. Read More