King Lear: Wisdom Before Death
...gar. Lear takes all he has for granted and is blind to what he should hold onto in life. After Lears to eldest daughters feed Lear their lies, his youngest daughter steps forward and tell his what she honestly feels. She tells Lear that, "I love you majesty according to my bond; no more nor less" (Act 1 Sc. 1 ll. 91-2) While Cordelia loves her father more than her sisters ever could, Lear takes her simple description of her love for him as insultingand responds by telling her to, "Mend your speech a little..." (Act 1 Sc. 1 ll. 93) After she refuses again to flatter him, he foolishly banishes her from the Kingdom. Both Lear and Gloucester payed dearly for the foolish mistakes they made in life. Due to these mistakes both Lear and Gloucester are stripped of their health, each in different ways. At one point Gloucester helps the outcasted King, Edmund betrays his father yet again by revealing this help. When Gloucester is found he is blinded by the Duke of Cornwall, who is the husband of Lear's daughter Regan. Gloucester says to them, "Thy cruel nails pluck out his poor old eyes" (Act 3 Scene 7 ll. 54). It is only as a result of the trust Gloucester gave Edmund that he had to endure this cruelty. Lear while he does not experience a physical pain equal to Gloucester's he does lose his good mental health because of his mistakes. Over the course of the play Lear is constantly descending into madness. After a conflict with Goneril and Regan Lear leaves in a rage into a stormy night with a few followers. It is this night that Lear realizes his inevitable plight into insanity. He simply notes, "My wits begin to turn." (Act 3 Sc. 2 ll. 68) Lear's mental health is troubled largely due to his giving his two eldest daughters all of his power. Another way Lear and Gloucester suffered is through the loss of what was most dear to them. For Lear this meant loosing his youngest and favorite daughter; Cordelia. He sent Cordelia away near the very start of the play and there is no reunion till very near the end. When they do reunite Lear is dissoriented but, he soon recognizes her, however this happens in time only for them to go to prison. After little time in prison she is executed and his last comment before death is about her, he says, "And my poor fool is hang'd! No, no, no life! Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, and thou no breath at all?..." (Act 5 Sc. 3 ll. 304-6) Lear is so entirely crushed by the death of Cordilia, he dies himself. In much the same way Gloucester looses his son Edgar, for much of the Gloucester was under the impression that Edgar was after his life, and therefore Edgar disguises himself. Gloucester has 'Poor Tom' take him to the top of Dover cliff with plans of suicide. The end of his would be last words ended with, "If Edgar live, O, bless him! Now, fellow, fare thee well." (Act 4 Sc. 6 ll. 40-1) This is a very ironic moment as none other than Edgar is there with him, however, soon after Edgar decides to reveal himself to his father, Gloucester dies. While it came late in life, both Lear and Gloucester achieved wisdom before death. Both men eventually understood what happened to them throughout the play. After entering a shelter which Lear's faithful servant Kent had found, the fool is frightened by a beggar caled Poor Tom, who is ac...