King Lear: Loyalty Essay, Research Paper

& # 8220 ; Goodness & # 8221 ; in King Lear: A Lesson in Loyalty

Shakespear & # 8217 ; s good characters, in the drama King Lear, are considered good because they are loyal even when they are disguised from or unrecognisable by those to whom they owe trueness. In add-on, their trueness does non hesitate even when they are banished or mistreated by those to whom they are loyal. Cordelia, Edgar and Kent are all characters that exemplify this goodness and firm trueness.

Let us first see King Lear and his relationship with his girl Cordelia. When King Lear asks Cordelia to profess her love for him she simply answers that she loves him harmonizing to her bond, no more. Enraged, the male monarch banishes her without an heritage or dowery. Cordelia tries to explicate that she will non talk of her love for him in order to acquire lucks since this would be fallacious. However, Lear garbages to understand and Cordelia leaves beging her sisters to care for him.

What makes Cordelia a good character here is non merely that she refuses to blandish her male parent in order to lead on him out of his wealth, but besides because she accepts her male parent & # 8217 ; s penalty and leaves volitionally even though she knows it is non a merely penalty. Additionally, she expresses no animus toward Lear, alternatively she asks her sisters to care for him. This firm trueness is besides exhibited subsequently in the drama when Cordelia finds Lear and she realizes he is huffy. She cares for him and gives him medicative herbs until he is good once more. Even when Lear begs for her forgiveness she insists that she has no cause to be offended.

Possibly the most pure signifier of trueness is when it is displayed even when the donee is incognizant. When trueness is expressed in this distinct mode the donor can non anticipate to be repaid for his commitment. Cordelia shows such distinct trueness when left entirely with her sisters after she is disowned and she expresses the hope that they will love Lear. Even though Cordelia knows Lear does non hear her good wants for Lear, she however expresses them. This fact is proof that she displays this pure signifier of distinct trueness.

Edgar is the following character who displays trueness to his male parent even after he has been outlawed and was forced to conceal and mask himself. Gloucester favours Edgar & # 8217 ; s evil stepbrother Edmund, who deceives him into believing that it is Edgar who is disloyal. However, after Gloucester & # 8217 ; s eyes are plucked out he realizes his error when he is told that it is Edmund who

has betrayed him. When the blind Gloucester is led to the disguised Edgar, his boy agrees to take him to the drops of Dover. In order to forestall his father’s attempted self-destruction, Edgar stages a scene where he leads his male parent to believe that he has fallen off the drops but has been miraculously saved. Edgar one time once more defends his father’s life when he prevents Oswald from assassinating him. Through these events Edgar exemplifies trueness by taking his blind male parent to safety, even though he had been wrongfully mistreated.

Edgar is non considered a good character simply because he was loyal to his male parent after he was mistreated by him. He is considered a good character because he was loyal to his male parent even when he was disguised. Edgar meets his blind male parent and does non uncover his true individuality to him at foremost. The fact that he was loyal to his male parent even when he could non be recognized is of import because it shows that he expected no wages for his actions.

The Earl of Kent was the following character in the drama to expose unwavering trueness. Unduly mistreated by Lear for trying to rede him of his awful error, Kent was banished from the King & # 8217 ; s presence. Yet, even while banished, Kent searched for a manner to stay serviceable and loyal to his King. While disguised as a retainer, he expresses his desire to function Lear and finally is chosen to fall in the royal staff. His trueness was non wavered by Lear & # 8217 ; s unfair intervention.

Kent & # 8217 ; s motives were certainly pure in that he desired merely to protect his male monarch, and non to be rewarded for his trueness. Even when Lear could non acknowledge him in camouflage, Kent remained a firm loyal retainer and friend. He wanted to be near to the King in order to protect him. He demonstrated that he did non want a wages for his loyal actions since he remained in camouflage and did non uncover his true individuality to the King.

King Lear is a drama about trueness. & # 8220 ; Goodness & # 8221 ; is portrayed by the characters as altruism. Each & # 8220 ; good & # 8221 ; character shows loyalty through altruistic actions. Cordelia altruistically does non try to rob Lear of his wealth by blandishing him. Even though she risks ostracism, she altruistically refuses to indulge her male parent & # 8217 ; s foolish wants. Edgar, excessively, is altruistic in his actions by taking his male parent to safety even when he knows Gloucester does non acknowledge him and will non appreciate that he was, in fact, the genuinely loyal boy. Finally, Kent, Lear & # 8217 ; s Selfless retainer, put on the line his life to protect his king even after he has been mistreated.

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