BY JH Sayyar
According to A. C. Bradley the sub plot in King Lear weakens the structure of the play because it is only the repetition of the main plot. Here Bright Man says that it universalizes in gratitude and intensifies the tragic effect of the main plot. Lear and Gloucester embody the traditional aspect of the sensitive soul of the two master less tyrants, anger and lust dominate the whole play. It was generally believed in the Elizabethan time that lust and passion could not be subdued by reason. As we see in the book second of Faire Queen and in it there is shown a tough competition between wrath and lust.
While King Lear presents the higher aspect of human nature closer to divinity, where as Gloucester represents the lower and inferior human nature. It is an outstanding difference between the two heroes. Lear suffers mentally while Gloucester suffers physically and he is given physical torture. According to Lewis, “ Lear commits an intellectual crime due to old age and anger and was punished according to the laws of nature. Therefore Lear exclaimed in these words:
“I will have such revenge on you both
That all the world shall… I will do such things
What they are yet know not, but they shall be
The terror of the earth.”
On the other hand Gloucester’s sin is physical and gets its punishment in the shape of Edmund’s trickery. He snatches his father white beard for the sake of wealth. The common characteristics between the are rashness. Gloucester’s rashness and anger on Edgar reminds him of Edgar at the end of the play. While Lear’s rashness reminds him of her true daughter Cordelia at the end of the play.
Both the old men were blind to the hidden reality. They fail age wise to observe the things under the light of reason because passions and wrath were ruling them.
Other similarity between the two is their reaction to sorrow and joy. When the King comes to know that it is Cordelia that saves him whom he had rejected due to her truth. Therefore Lear exclaims in these words:
“I think this lady
To be my child Cordelia.”
The double plot reflects the duality of man’s nature through it protagonists. In the beginning scene Albany and Cornwall get equal share from the Kingdom and Cordelia is rejected similarly Edmund wanted to get all from his father’s property ignoring his brother Edgar. Edmund uses oily tongue like Goneril and Regan.
Therefore Gloucester loves him more than Edgar because he is his bastard son. As we see that in Hamlet duality is seen through speeches, but in K. Lear the duality is shown by the structure of the play. Edgar changes him into a beggar, hides him into the trunk of the tree, and watches everything sitting far away.
At one level the sub plot seems to be the replica of the main plot bringing out a contrast in nature. Shakespeare attains it though prose and verse. According to R. K. Elton, “ Double plot in K. Lear is a s a developing metaphor, therefore, in Hamlet the young Hamlet makes a play within the play to increase suspense. It the double plot in the reverse shape that Shakespeare uses for effects.” Therefore Gloucester says:
“As flies to wanton boys are we to the
God they kill us for their support.”
In the second act, scene- 4, the two protagonist are together on the stage and again on the Heath so that the readers may could see their face expressions after making mistake and their results before their eyes. In the third act Gloucester is deceived by Edmund and Lear remain ignorant to his daughters’ oily tongue trickery. Here we witness a contrast of the two sides, devoted love, and hard self-seeking. One wants to kill the King while the other wants to save him.
Now Lear’s mind is a battlefield of hate and love. It is a fact that love learns to contain the challenge politically in the outer world of Lear. Lear, rejected by Regan and Goneril, he makes a journey of two worlds: one the physically world and the other is spiritual world. Both the journeys teach him a lot for future days.
The double plot also exposes the nature of Lear’s family and Gloucester’s family. Gloucester’s family enhances the effect produced by Lear’s family circumstances. The two plots are interrelated to each other in its nature. Gloucester makes a physical mistake and Lear makes a intellectual mistake and get it its reward.
To sum up, King Lear is the play that debunks the whole aspects of a family and family phobia. Both are shown old men and fail to understand reality. Lear fails to understand Cordelia and Gloucester fail to understand Edgar and is trapped by his bastard son as his daughters’ oily tongues trap the King.
When they become together in the cave and then they accept their mistakes. Here Richardson says, ”Lear impose his will without any consideration, but Gloucester accepts other’s will without consideration. The main difference between the two is that Lear is active and Gloucester is passive. Gloucester gives hope and wants to commit suicide while Lear does not loose hoe and want to without them and also want to punish them,”
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I like your analytical notes about Shakespeare's writings. In response to the question posed by way of your blog post title – hypocrisy is definitely self-created. How I see it? In order for a person to become a hypocrite, it means they know there's a right way and a wrong way. They learn the right way first and then purposely choose – on their own - to create the “mask”.
I say, if it's already a part of your human nature, then you don't have to bother to that additional “covering”. If it were already a part of your human nature, you wouldn't have to always to behave “the right way” (show the appearance of sincerity and integrity) so that outsiders looking at you don't know that you are intentionally going “the wrong way” (you're just a deceiver).
You say right but you forget that there are two kinds of persons on this earth real human being and bastard human being. Read King Lear's double play of nature the bastard is bastard and real is real. You cannot choose your parents and childhood environment we get both of the two already premade and when we get the seed of heredity from our parents the appearing on the earth get the polluted environment and in this polluted atmosphere his character is built such types of characters are surely hypocrites on earth.
and those who are brought up in such environment has double nature. So far as Shakespeare is concerned Shakespeare has painted kings, princes and queens not common man whose bringing up pattern is different than common men on earth but I think you are talking about common men.
Human nature is full of love hope and faith hypocrisy is our self made habit for financial gain and nothing else. Therefore it is said rightly that character is destiny.
I have a read a few of Shakespeare's plays. Mostly I've seen film adaptations. I don't like when they try to “modernize” his plays. He wrote for a specific historical time frame and when the movie producers keep it in that period, I usually enjoy most film adaptations. Although I appreciate Shakespeare's writings, I don't always agree and I don't have to agree because after all, it's just fiction, intended to make you think.
I think there is only one kind of human being. Real human beings who make choices. The choices they make might cause other people to call them “dirty rotten bastards”. :)
Hypocrisy is not always for financial gain. It is most of the time, but not all of the time. But hypocrisy is definitely for the purposes of manipulation to gain “something”.
Your character is your destiny because you choose your path. We have a free will and when all is said and done, we can't place blame on anybody for our choices. “You reap what you sow.” That's not fiction. That's fact. Also, to say that there are “bastard human beings” is to say that people can not repent or change or be redeemed. Once a bastard, always a bastard? (O.o) That can't be right.
Just thinking. Final note. Back to you. :)
I have read the whole article and you say that Shakespeare all are fictions but you must know that for example we King Lea is not a fiction King Lear was a preRoman Celtic King. Shakespeare took his story from the Celtic book and wrote a evergreen tragedy. How we can call it a fiction.
One thing is most important about Shakespeare that he only wrote for Kings, queens and princess not for common man. Those who call Shakespeare's plays fiction and free of moral teaching are lack of knowledge.
Hamlet’s legend was present before the birth of Shakespeare in Italy, Scandinavia, Byzantium and Arab countries. In Scandinavian king was murdered and he left his two sons Hroar and Heligi, both the sons of the kings roamed in the country to hide self under false name. Shakespeare took the story fro this source.
how e can say that Shakespeare's play are fiction. no fiction but the real stories of history unknown to men.
Of course, fiction is based on real life. But fiction simply means the events did not happen in real life. Could have happened but didn't. Shakespeare's plays are fiction. He has historical facts weaved in, that can be verified, just like most writers of fiction. He may have written for the royalty and nobles but there were poor folks in his audience at the theater. They must have understood what was going on too. Also, many writers borrow ideas from what has already been written by others. Why would Shakespeare be any different? Who said his plays lacked moral content? Certainly not me. I am certain he had a moral lesson for us all to learn. That's why I said: He makes you think!
I am not much of a Shakespeare fan. There were just a couple of plays that we had in college. Anyway you seem to have a thorough knowledge on the subject.
By choice no one would want to be a hypocrite. This is forced on us in order to survive.
1. Hypocrisy is censored by the world
2. The whole response of world is hypocrisy
3. Anyone goes to hypocrtical thought
4. Nature is the backgroung of everything
5. You are the sole response of you
6. Rest is nature of the life finishing
As I have read the Bible and other related scriptures, I know there are many kind of hypocrisy for by man's nature he is like that. It is even mentioned in a certain scripture that a natural man is enemy to God. Why is it so? Man is created by God in his own image. Man resembles God in that manner. But what about his attitude, his manner. Before man became a sinner, he is as pure as God. He is obedient and very willing to do whatever God has commanded. When man was tempted by the devil, he refused it. He even reasoned out. But he had failed when Eve convinced him to eat the forbidden fruit. That's what I know why man became an enemy to God. It is difficult to comprehend. Isn't it?
Anyway, my point is sin sets the barrier for us to become like our Great Creator. And for that we practice the different forms of hypocrisy to make us acceptable, all forms of lying, all forms of deception, all forms of cheating. In short, hypocrisy does it all. Will you agree?
yes you say right there are many kinds of hypocrisy as we know hat Peter was a hypocrite who helped the Jews in arresting Jesus Christ what will you say about Peter? Was Christ's teaching was ineffective on Peter? No he was naturally hypocrite tat is why he make such types of obnoxious act against Christ.
Just like there are many peoples on earth like Peter who the jobs of hypocrisy on earth/ It is just lack of true knowledge if we have the knowledge of truth of all tings we will not make any negative act against anyone.
I tell you sin is the of self deceit because if we disobey God's commandments in practical like we make sins at every step. God says not to drink wine, but we all take it, God says not tell lie, but we all tell a lie in practical filed..think where is the root cause of our sin?