Sophomore year English class essay on King Lear.
Betraying Appearances
Father and son, father and daughter, sister and sister, and brother and brother work antipathy to each other in the tragedy King Lear. Deceptive inner and outer appearances as well as betrayal reoccur throughout the play. Stemming from a single question, the plot evolves as each character struggles through betrayals and becoming someone that they’re not, either through their gestures or by physically altering to another person entirely. As a result of these false pretenses, these characters head for a bleak, unpromising future, leading to the downfall of loved ones or of themselves.
“Which of you shall we say doth love us most?” King Lear inquires of his three daughters. Cordelia, King Lear’s favorite and most admired daughter, truthfully responds to his question -- that she loves him as a daughter ought to love her father, and nothing more. Her sisters, Goneril and Regan, answered to their father with words of flattery and praise, knowing the cost of their words meant a suitable dowry, consisting of a third of their father’s kingdom for each sister. Cordelia’s disownment left Lear’s kingdom between Goneril and Regan. Behind their false smiles and flattery, both sisters immediately come together and conspire to strip their father of the little power he had remaining. Though Goneril and Regan’s words were the most pleasing to Lear’s ear, Cordelia’s more unrefined, bare-truth answer is the honesty Lear should have accepted, for she is the only daughter that truly loves her father and wishes no ill will upon him.
Following the disownment of Cordelia, the Earl of Kent speaks out against Lear’s sudden and quick-tempered decision. Kent, seeing past Goneril and Regan’s deceptively flattering words to their true false nature, wishes only to advise Lear of his fault but instead is banished. Ever loyal to Lear, Kent changes his hair color, outer appearance, and language to become a peasant named “Caius” to watch over Lear, and protect him from Goneril, Regan, and her husband Cornwall. In such disguise, he is able to gain Lear’s trust and become close to him. Observing the rude way both Goneril and her servants behave towards Lear, and the constant letters sent by Goneril through her servant, Oswald, to her sister, Kent is well aware that the sisters are plotting against the King.
While Kent secretly watches the events unfold between Lear, his daughters, and Cornwall, Gloucester, another loyal friend of the King, must attend to his own problems. Edmond, Gloucester’s illegitimate son, tired of being viewed only as Gloucester’s bastard son, plots to raise his status by removing his older, legitimate half-brother, Edgar. Although Gloucester raised both his sons and treated them with equal love, Edmond has been denied of inheritance and other privileges that are provided to his brother due to his legitimacy. Disgusted with being the underdog, Edmond falsely informs his father of Edmond’s plotting to kill the King. Gloucester’s loyalty to the King leaves him no other choice but to declare his son, who in truth has committed no such wrong, a criminal that is to be executed when found. To Gloucester and everyone else, Edmond’s confession of his brother’s plot to kill the King has made him legitimate on his own terms. Edgar, now fully aware of his half-brother’s intentions, is forced to change his name and appearance to safeguard his life. Edgar striped himself of his nobleman clothing, which signified his former status, and covers himself with dirt to haggard and poor, calling himself “Tom o’Bedlam,” a name given for insane beggars.
With Cordelia, Gloucester, and Kent, the only other person who is loyal to Lear is the Fool. His outward appearance is that of a jester – bright, patchwork clothing and a coxcomb. Despite his outward appearance, he is constantly at the King’s council, offering insightful advice in the form of song and riddle. Lear, realizing that both his daughters words were false and that they care naught for him and go as far as to shut him out of the Gloucester’s castle, ventures out into a storm, his Fool the only one accompanying him.
Gloucester, knowing the French are in England and will be attacking Gloucester eventually, seeks out Lear to take him to a safe haven. Only to his son Edmond, whom he trusts, does he reveal his plans. Though Edmond wishes his father to be safe and solemnly agrees to keep his plans secret, inwardly he rejoices. As soon as his father leaves, Edmond relays the information his father had given him to Cornwall with a look of horror and disbelief. For Edmond declaring his father guilty of treason, Cornwall gives him the title of Earl of Gloucester, and orders him to find his father. Meanwhile, Gloucester finds Lear naked with “Tom o’Bedlam.” The stripping of the nobleman Edgar’s clothing and identity to the far lesser social standing of a madman; Lear following suit signifies Lear stripping himself of his status of king and the pride that came with that title.
The calm façade of hospitality by Cornwall and Regan is shattered when Gloucester returns. Gloucester, blinded by Cornwall for treason and through his loss of sight, discovers that Edgar is innocent and truly loved him, unannounced to him he is taken to Edgar, disguised as “Tom o’Bedlam” to have his wounds attended. Only Cornwall’s servant, aghast by his master sudden cruelty and left feeling betrayed and shocked stood against Cornwall and is killed, but before he is killed, he mortally wounds Cornwall. Albany, Goneril’s husband, learns of Cornwall’s death, Lear driven insane, and of his wife’s part on all of these events and is horrified. Not only has Goneril’s true nature shocked her husband, but she also has wishes to have an affair with Edmond as well, breaking her nuptial vows. With the knowledge that her sister’s husband is dead, and that her sister has less power than she, Goneril begins to contrive against her sister.
Cordelia, hearing of her father’s mistreatment and leading the French army into
Gloucester, send a search party to find him. While seeking her father, Oswald finds him first. Oswald was told by Regan to kill Gloucester, but Edgar takes on the character and dialect of a peasant from west of England. Taking on this new identity, he kills Oswald who leaves his letter from Goneril to Edmond with Edgar. In the letters, Goneril planned to have her husband, Albany, killed by Edmond. Not only has Goneril been unfaithful to Albany in planning to become Edmond’s mistress, but she plans to have him killed as well.
Edmond heading the Gloucester’s soldiers is joined by Albany, who agrees to help only to protect England. Inside, both sisters plan ways to rob the other of Edmond’s affections. Meanwhile, Albany is informed by Edgar is his disguise as a peasant of Goneril’s infidelity. Edmond inwardly declares his love for both sisters, unable to decide between the two and leading the both along until he decides. Although he is working with Albany’s soldiers as well, he hopes that Goneril will kill Albany if he happens to survive the battle. Albany knows of Edmond’s affections towards his wife, and that she will be championed by an unknown man if Edmond survives that battle. Both men are fighting side by side as comrades for the same cause, while planning the other’s death.
England wins the battle and Edmond faces his half-brother, Edgar who finally reveals his true identity. Goneril, overtaken with jealously of the thought of Edmond and Regan being together, poisons her sister. On discovering that her husband has seen the letter she has written to Edmond and is aware of her plans to be with Edmond, she commits suicide. Edmond, who is mortally wounded by his half-brother and close to death, shows a gentler nature. Edmond repents his wrong plotting and the false pretenses he used to rise above his brother and into power, stating with his failing breaths: “Some good I may do/Despite of mine own nature.” He sends a message to withdraw the death order he has made for Cordelia, although the order came too late.
Hidden identity and betrayal leads the characters to misfortune and sorrow. The greedy conspirators Goneril, Regan, and Edmond die, the loyal Earl of Gloucester looses a son, his vision, and passes away from a broken heart, and innocent Cordelia is murdered. By not being and remaining their true selves and through betrayals the characters bring tragedy to themselves and their loved ones.
© Caroline Alicia Harris
post script If you are the copyright owner of anything metioned in the above essay, I do have the bibliography os my sources if you need to see them. I choose not to post them on this site, in the hopes nothing will be reused.