Parent-Child Relationship in “King Lear” Essay

At the heart of King Lear lies the relationship between stimulate and child. Central to this filial theme is the conflict between homos integrity and natures law. Natural law is synonymous with the moral authority usu assort associated with divine justice. Those who adhere to the tenets of inborn law are those characters in the text who act instinctively for the common goodKent, Albany, Edgar, and Cordelia.Eventually, Gloucester and Lear learn the importance of earthy law when they recognize that they have violated these basic tenets, with both finally turning to nature to interest on answers for why their children have betrayed them. Their counter dismantles, Edmund, G unrivalledril, Regan, and Cornwall, represent the evil that functions in violation of natural law. All four conspirators are without conscience and lack recognition of higher moral authority, since they never consider divine justice as they plot their evil. Their law is man-made, and it focuses on the individu al, non the good of the community. Tragedy unfolds as two carefully interlacing and parallel stories explore the abandonment of natural order and the unnatural betrayal of parent and child.In the primary feather plot, Lear betrays his youngest daughter and is betrayed by his two oldest daughters. In almost identical fashion, the subplot reveals another beat, Gloucester, who betrays his older legitimate intelligence and who is betrayed by his younger illegitimate intelligence. In both cases, the natural filial relationship between paternity and children is destroyed through a lack of awareness, a renunciation of basic fairness and natural order, and abrupt judgment based on emotions. By the plays end, the abandonment of natural order leaves the level littered with the dead bodies of fathers and their children.In the opening act, Lear creates a love test to justify giving Cordelia a larger touch of his kingdom. Although his kingdom should be divided equally, Lear clearly lo ves Cordelia more and wants to give her the largest, choice variance of his wealth. In return, Lear expects excessive flattery and gushing confessions of love. But instead, Cordelias reply is tempered, honest, and reasonablecustom dictates that she share her love between her husband and her father.Just as soon as Cordelia fails to meet her fathers expectations, Lear disinherits her. At Cordelias loss, Goneril and Regan are quick to take advantage. They may have genuinely loved their father at one time, but they now seem tired of having been passed over in favor of their younger baby. After Lear states his obvious preference for Cordelia, the older sisters feel free to seek their revenge, turning the familys natural order on its ear. At the same time, Lear fails to see the strength and justice in natural law, and disinherits his youngest child, and so setting in motion the disaster that follows. Lear puts in place a competition between sisters that impart carry them to their grave s.In a similar father-child relationship, the opening scene of King Lear positions Gloucester as a unthoughtful parent. The audiences introduction to this second father has him speaking of Edmunds birth in a derogatory manner. Although Gloucester says that he loves both Edmund and Edgar equally, society does not regard the two as equaland incomplete does Gloucester, whose love is limited to words and not actions of equality. According to natures law, Edmund is as some(prenominal) Gloucesters son as Edgar is but according to mans law of primogeniture, Edmund is not recognized as Gloucesters heir.In one of the initial pieces of information offered about Edmund, Gloucester tells Kent that Edmund has been away seeking his fortune, but he has now returned. Under English law, Edmund has no fortune at home, nor any entitlement. Edmunds return in search of family fortune provides the first hint that he will seize what English laws will not give him. Clearly, Edmunds actions are a result of his fathers preferenceboth sub judice and filialfor Edgar, his older and legitimate son. This favoritism leads to Edmunds plan to destroy his father in an effort to gain legitimacy and Gloucesters estate. Again, the natural order of family is ignored.Gloucester corrects natural law and a parents love for his child when he is easily convinced that Edgarthe son he claims to love so muchhas betrayed him. Gloucester also puts his faith in Edmunds command of persuasivelanguage, when he scorns the love his eldest son has always shown him. With this move, the earl demonstrates that he tin be swayed by eloquence, a man-made construct for easy persuasion, which causes him to reject natural law and the bond between father and child.Edmund both ignores and embraces natural law. By betraying his father to Cornwall and Regan, Edmunds self-serving course of action abandons natures order and instead foreshadows the neo-Darwinist argument for survival of the strongest individual. His quali fication to survive and win is not based on competitive strategies or healthy family relationships instead, Edmund will take what he desires by deceiving those who trust and love him.Edmunds covetousness favors natural law over mans law because natural law doesnt care that Edmund is illegitimate. He claims nature as his ally because he is a natural offspring, and because mans law neglects to recognize his rights of inheritance. But, nature only serves Edmund as a convenient excuse for his actions. His actions against his brother and father are more a facet of greed than any reliance on natural law.One might argue that Gloucesters cavalier locating toward Edmunds conception mitigates Edmunds actions. When combining this possibility with Edmunds final scene, in which he tries to spare Cordelia and Lear, Edmund clearly shows himself to be of different fabric than Goneril, Regan, and Cornwall. In many ways, Gloucester is responsible for what Edmund becomes. Edmund is as much Glouceste rs son as is Edgar. In embracing the man-made laws that reject Edmunds legal rights, Gloucester is denying natural laws that would straighten out Edmund and Edgar equal.Gloucester also acts against nature in rejecting Edgar without sufficient proof of his wrongdoing thus Gloucester shares responsibility for the actions that follow, just as Lears love test results in his rejection of Cordelia. Both men are easily fooled and consequently, they both reject natural law and their children. Both act without deliberation, with hasty responses that ultimately betray their descendants.At the plays conclusion, Goneril and Regans abandonment of natural order and their subscription to evil has finally destroyed them. The audience learns early in the final scene that Goneril has poisoned Regan and killed herself. Their deaths are a result of unnatural competition, both for power and for love. But Lear is the one who set in motion the need to establish strength through competition, when he pitte d sister against sister in the love test.For the audience, the generational conflict between parent and child is an expected part of life. We grow impatient with our parents and they with us. We attempt to control our children, and they rebel. When Goneril complains that Lear and his men are disruptive and out of control, we can understandrecognizing that our own parents visits can extend too long or that our childrens friends can be quite noisy. Shakespeares examination of natural order is central to our own lives, and that is one of the stand qualities of King Lear.