English 2610

If there were ever a story you could tell that would embody the popular phrase, "life sucks, and then you die," this would be it. King Lear makes his mistakes, suffers madness and dies. Cordelia chooses to be faithful, suffers and dies. Edmund? Dies. Gloucester? Dies. Kent? Says he's going to die soon after. Even the King of France, who made the most romantic gesture in the whole play, loses his wife and his kingdom... and probably dies (even though, to my great disappointment, his character remains undeveloped and barely mentioned after the first scene).

Now one would think, by that introduction, that this play gave me a very bleak outlook on life. But, in fact, such is not the case. I think that the life lessons and views into human nature that this story gives can be used to create a very hopeful and better self.

"Actions speak louder than words." Is a lesson that I think is pretty obvious in this play. While big words and flattery work for some people, showing you truly love someone is better when it's done through your actions. What do you do for the ones you love on an everyday basis. What do you do to prove your loyalty, your devotion to them? Do you stick by them though their meltdowns, like Kent did for Lear? Do you see through their insults and forgive them without hesitation like Cordelia does?

I think a nice lesson you can take away from this play, is that just because you end up with the short stick, doesn't mean you are the one who made the wrong decision. We suffer everyday from decisions other people make. So many people suffered from King Lear's mistake, as well with Edmund's deception. The trick is deciding what kind of person you want to be when those things are forced upon you.

During the storm, when Lear was going mad, my mind went back to The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus, and the idea that hell (and heaven for that matter) is a state of mind. Mephostophilis described his hell to be one that played out in his mind. Knowing that he had joy in his grasp and choosing to turn his back on it. I think it was the same for Lear. His descent into madness or his hell, was brought on by his sin (his turning his back on joy, or Cordelia). I just thought that was a really interesting connection, you may take it any way you like. :)