King Lear Sample answer The themes evident in King Lear are skilfully presented through a series of dramatic symbols and images. Discuss. The main themes in the play King Lear are portrayed to the audience in a creative manner through the use of symbols and imagery. Shakespeare s dramatic presentation of the themes of blindness, power, injustice, madness and love is heightened through the use of striking imagery and symbolism. These noteworthy symbols and images allow us to appreciate these reoccurring themes and aid our understanding of their significance in the play. The theme of blindness in undoubtedly one of the most prominent themes in the play King Lear. This reoccurring theme is first presented to us in Act I Scene I, through Lear s renowned love test. Lear asks his daughters to compete for their inheritance by professing their love for him, Which of you shall we say doth love us most?, which symbolises Lear s failure to see that the Kingdom needs a strong leader, not merely someone who was able to satisfy her father s selfish whims, I love you more than words can wield the matter. The love test can also be seen as a clear symbol of blindness in the sense that it reveals to us Lear s ignorance to the true nature of his daughters. Lear is blind to the fact that Goneril and Regan see the love test as an opportunity to manipulate their father and get what they want, We must do something, and i the heat. Lear s pride, which led him to set the love test in the first place, has made him blind to the truth. When Cordelia refuses to take part in the love test, I cannot heave/ My heart into my mouth, Lear takes offence instead of seeing her silent stance as a symbol of her true love and respect for him, Hence and avoid my sight!. The love test is symbolic in that it reveals Lear s blatant inability to see what true love looks like to the audience. The effectiveness of the love test as a symbol for blindness is increased due to the sheer fact that as the audience, we are shocked that a father would ask his daughters to compete for their inheritance. This contributes to making it a most striking and memorable symbol. The power that Lear gives Goneril and Regan as a result of this love test is also revealed through creative symbols and imagery. King Lear Imagery and Symbolism Sample Answer 1
The theme of power is revealed through the symbolic act of Goneril dismissing Lear s train of knights, A little to disquantity your train. Goneril s brutal dismissal of a hundred knights and squires is in my opinion, a symbolic act of rebellion. She wishes to exert her power and make it known to her father that it is now her who is in charge, you are old and reverend. As the audience, we are shocked at this dramatic image of Goneril turning on her father and dismissing his Men so disordered, so deboshed as it reveals to us how power hungry she truly is. The image of Lear cursing at Goneril for diminishing his number of knights, Ingratitude, thou marblehearted fiend is quite distressing as it reveals to us Lear s powerlessness against his daughters. The only weapon the former King has to use against his daughters is that of verbal abuse, Detested kite!, but alas, his words have no power. Regan s refusal to house Lear s knights can also be seen as a symbolic act of defiance. It is clear that her reason for not allowing the knights is not merely because she doesn t want To have the expense and waste of his revenues, but because herself and Goneril are joining forces to show their power over Lear. Both of their refusal to house his knights is symbolic as it reveals their lust to exhibit their power over Lear, as well as highlighting how together they are more powerful. This image of two sisters coming together to defy their father, I have this present evening from my sister/ Been well informed of them, is also quite creative as it clearly portrays to the audience the fact that people can become corrupted by power and abandon all sense of moral conscience. The upsetting images of both Goneril and Regan verbally abusing and insulting their father throughout the play, Idle old man, makes it evident to the audience that the sisters have been corrupted by power. Edgar, like Lear, also suffers as a result of another s lust for power. The injustice Edgar experiences is presented through the use of meaningful symbols and imagery. The theme of injustice is clearly presented through the character of Edgar, and more specifically through his persona of Poor Tom. Edgar s experience of injustice is evident from the beginning of the play, when his brother Edmund tricks him into believing that their father is after him, Some villain hath done me wrong. This pitiful image of the brother noble being so easily tricked evokes empathy within me and reveals the lack of fairness in this world. When Edgar is forced to disguise himself as Poor Tom in order to evade his father, the theme of injustice is further revealed. In my opinion, Poor Tom is deeply symbolic of the injustice in this world. Poor Tom represents how the good and noble in this world are forced to conceal themselves and take the basest and most poorest shape, while the wicked reign and flourish, Edmund the base/ Shall top the legitimate. The symbol of Poor Tom is both clever and creative in that it personifies the theme of injustice and allows the audience to appreciate to what an extent injustice prevails in King Lear Imagery and Symbolism Sample Answer 2
this world. Through the striking image of Edgar disguised as the lowest social class, My face I ll grime with filth/ Blanket my loins, elf all my hair in knots, we see the extent to which he is suffering at the hands of his brother and the injustice he must endure. Poor Tom is also a clear symbol of the injustices between the social classes in this world. When Edgar disguises himself as a Bedlam beggar, he goes unnoticed by all, including his own father, What are you there? Your names?. This makes it strikingly evident to the audience that the poor social classes receive little attention or care, highlighting the injustice in the kingdom, Edgar I am nothing. Edgar s abstract disguise as Poor Tom also reveals to us the theme of madness, a theme which is further revealed through the dramatic image of Lear out in the storm. The exaggerated image of Lear roaring and raging in the storm, Rumble thy bellyful! Spit, fire! Spout, rain!, reveals the theme of madness in a new and exciting manner. The bellowing of the out of control storm is symbolic of the storm raging in Lear s mind and the sense of madness he is experiencing, keep this dreadful pudder o er our heads. The image of Lear shouting at the storm yet refusing to go inside makes it clear to us that he is not in a rational state of mind and that the injustice he experienced at the hands of his two pernicious daughters has caused him to go insane. The distressing image of Lear out in the pouring rain evokes sympathy within me and gives me an insight into how being mistreated by others can cause a person to go mad. While Lear s madness is evident throughout the storm, the theme of insight is also revealed. It appears to me that the rain is a creative symbol for Lear s blurred vision being washed clean and allowing him to see the true nature of his daughters, Those pelican daughters. The dismal weather is symbolic of Lear s feelings when he gains the insight to realise his mistreatment, I am a man/ More sinned against than sinning. The heavy rainwaters reveal the theme of insight in the sense that they are symbolic of washing away Lear s selfish thoughts, A poor, infirm, weak and despised old man and giving him a fresh outlook on the needs of others. Through the madness he experiences in the pouring rain of the storm, he gains an insight into the lack of care he has shown others and tries to help the Fool, In boy; go first. You houseless poverty. It is clear to the audience that at first the storm symbolises the madness and turmoil in Lear s mind, but as it progresses, it comes to symbolise the cleansing effect of the rainwaters and the new insights gained as a result of old prejudices being washed away. Both the theme of insight, and its opposite, are further portrayed through the shocking image of Gloucester being blinded. King Lear Imagery and Symbolism Sample Answer 3
The image of Gloucester being blinded is undoubtedly the most cruel, yet memorable image in the play. This image reveals to us the twin themes of blindness and insight in a most engaging way. The grotesque image of Gloucester s eyes being gouged out, Thy cruel nails pluck out his poor old eyes, reveals to us the theme of blindness in its most literal sense, as the man can physically no longer see. However, Gloucester s blinding is also blatantly symbolic of his emotional blindness to Edmund s wicked nature, Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature/ To quit this horrid act. Gloucester s physical blindness is a striking symbol of the pain emotional blindness can cause. However, through the cruel act of being blinded, Gloucester gains fresh perspectives and thus the theme of insight is revealed. Gloucester s physical blindness comes to be a symbol for the insights he gains as he realises that Edgar was abused. In my opinion this symbol is quite ironic, as well as being effective as it shows the audience how it took Gloucester becoming physically blind for him to realise his emotional blindness. The desperate image of the blinded Gloucester smell[ing]/ His way to Dover reveals the theme of insight as only in his own time of need does Gloucester realise the plight of the less fortunate in society. In his blinded state, Gloucester had acquired the insight to realise the damage caused by excessive wealth and power, as well as the importance of equality, So distribution should undo excess. Gloucester s blindness is symbolic of the importance of moral insight over power and wealth, a reality which Cordelia has been aware of all along. Cordelia s return to help her father exposes her moral insight, as well as revealing the theme of love. Love is a dominant theme in many plays and King Lear is no exception. The emotional image of Cordelia with an ample tear trill[ing] down/ Her delicate cheek when she hears of her father s deteriorating mental health reveals to the audience the love she still holds for her father. Despite having been banished by her father, Cordelia s brave return to rescue him is symbolic of the deep love she has for him. Her pledge to give away all her wealth to anyone who can help Lear, He who helps him take all my outward worth, is a strong symbol of her love for her parent, and also highlights how different Cordelia is to her sisters, whose only love is for power and wealth. The tender image of Cordelia caring for Lear in his time of need reveals her love for him through her actions, let this kiss/ Repair those violent harms. In my opinion, this image is a significant revelation of the theme of love as it portrays to the audience the importance of actions over words. While Goneril and Regan had no trouble in verbalising their supposed love for their father, I love you more than words can wield the matter, their cruel treatment of their father did not support their bold professions of love. On the other hand, Cordelia found it difficult to put into words the extent of her love for her father, Love, and be silent, yet her caring actions symbolise King Lear Imagery and Symbolism Sample Answer 4
the power of her love for Lear. A most powerful image which perfectly captures the theme of love is that of Lear with the lifeless Cordelia in his arms, She s gone for ever!. Through this image we see that Cordelia s love for her father was so genuine that she was prepared to die for him, a most noble and courageous act. Lear s love for Cordelia is also seen in this image as he is clearly distraught by her passing, Howl, howl, howl, howl. O, you are men of stones. Cordelia s symbolic return to help her father, as well as the distressing image of the mourning Lear, reveal to us the power of love in this play and teach us that love is stronger than fear. Shakespeare s King Lear explores a wide variety of themes, from blindness and insight, to madness, power and love. These themes are creatively expressed through the use of symbolism and imagery in such a way that the audience can fully appreciate their significance and the meaning which they add to the play. I believe the use of symbols and images to portray these key themes greatly enhanced my experience of the play and aided my understanding of the message Shakespeare wished to convey. I thoroughly enjoyed the play King Lear and I believe I acquired various insights and knowledge through the effective portrayal of the key themes. King Lear Imagery and Symbolism Sample Answer 5