King Lear: He Hath but Ever Slenderly Know Himself

KING LEAR

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Isabella Delgado Lavaggi

King Lear: He hath but ever slenderly know himself – discuss

King Lear is thought to be one of Shakespeare's more difficult works. In the play, he shows how main characters go through a transformative phase, they change greatly through their suffering specially King Lear. Lear is considered one of Shakespeare's most psychologically complex and interesting characters. He is capable to discover himself along the play by different self-experiences.

At the start of the play, King Lear is an imprudent man that symbolizes egoism. What is most disheartening, is the fact that he is obstinately loyal to appearances in life than to actual truth. He carries a very important title, but wants to give up the position and all the responsibilities that come with it and still be respected as a king. Lear's desire for simple declarations of affection has disastrous consequences for his family and for his kingdom. His retirement leads to a war that leaves his entire family dead, including his beloved daughter.

During the course of the tragedy, Lear, uses his power only as a means of projecting his personality, which he hides behind as he struggles to maintain confidence in himself.

Lear is initially consumed by the human appetite and exhibits behaviors of someone dominated, he yearns for authority, and harms others when he doesn’t get his way. For example, when Cordelia refuses to bestow on him in the first scene, he goes into a fit of anger:

Let it be so; the truth then be thy dower…

Here I disclaim all my paternal care,

Propinquity and property of blood,

And as a stranger to my heart and me

Hold thee from this forever.

Lear only masks the fact that he is really a very needy person, he has an insatiable desire of power. He always demands more love than can be given. We can see this attitude when he constantly rejects those who love him most, Cordelia and Kent, who would protect him from his other two daughters’ impending betrayal. Notwithstanding their loyalty to him, Lear is unsatisfied with the way they express it. This leads to madness and tragedy.

Along the play he is working so hard to project this role, that Lear is untrue to himself, and loses sight of who he is. This can be noticed when Goneril and Regan say their father “hath ever but slenderly known himself”. This makes Lear a very insecure person, which explains in part why he insists that his daughters cheer up his ego before receiving any of his kingdom.

Lear’s consciousness starts altering when Goneril and