Madness in King lear
In Shakespeare's play King Lear, Shakespeare introduces many themes. The most important theme shown in King Lear is the theme of madness. During the course of this play madness is shown in the tragic hero, King Lear. King Lear develops madness right in the beginning of the play but he actually shows it in Act 4. In this act, King Lear is not only at the peak of madness but it is also shown him coming out of his madness as well. This act is likely to be the most important act because it shows the phases King Lear goes through, from complete madness to him coming out of his madness and realizing his mistake, the point of tragic vision. The theme of madness in King Lear is first shown in the act through Cordelia's statement to the guards about the condition her father is in. Cordelia says "Alack, 'tis he! Why, he was met even now as mad as the vexed sea, singing aloud, crowned with rank fumiter and furrow-weeds, with hardocks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers, darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow in our sustaining corn." [Act iv, iv, 1-6]. This gives a great description of King Lear's state of mind. Cordelia gives a description of King Lear dressed in flowers, and weeds, a
King Lear's moment of tragic vision comes when he is rescued by Cordelia and wakes up in her presence. At first King Lear shows signs of sanity through his speech to Cordelia and Kent about his recognition of him being mad. " I feel I am not in my perfect mind." [iv, vii, 63] King Lear than recovers enough to know that he is in the presence of his daughter Cordelia, which he did not know before. "Do not laugh at me; for (as I am a man) I think this lady to be my child Cordelia." [iv, vii, 67-69]. The phase of the end of King Lear's madness is when he finally admits he was wrong and asks for forgiveness. "Pray you now, forget and forgive. I am old and foolish." [iv, vii, 84]. This is the moment of tragic vision or demonic epiphany because King Lear confesses to his mistake but it is too late because he has already lost everything. But in order for King Lear to finally admit to his mistakes, he has to be sane. A person has to be in a clear state of mind in order to come up with the notion that they have done something wrong, and being a King with such hubris, to admit that they have done a mistake. "Ha! Goneril with a white beard? They flattered me like a dog, and told me I had white hairs in my beard ere the black ones were there. To say 'Ay' and 'no' too was no good divinity...Go to, they are not men o' their words!
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 902
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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