A_Few_Ideas_About_King_Lear

A Few Ideas About King Lear What Made King Lear Go Mad An analysis of the Shakespeare character King Lear: Throughout the Shakespeare play of King Lear the main character, King Lear, transitions through a range of mental/emotional states. #1: SELFISHNESS: King Lear was driven mad by the products of his own selfish nature and desires. He values appearance over reality. He values a positive public display of love over real love. He wants to be treated as the King and enjoy the title, but doesn’t want to fulfill a King’s obligations. Lear prefers Goneril’s and Regan’s fawning, over Cordelia’s sincerity. Goneril blames Lear’s madness on old age “You see how full of changes his age is” (1.1 line 290), Regan agrees. Lear was no doubt driven mad by his eldest daughters when he realizes that though they spoke love, it was untrue. He was shown his foolishness by his own Fool.“O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven! / Keep me in temper; I would not be mad!” (2.1 lines 41-42) Quote: “O Regan, Goneril! / Your old kind father, whose frank heart gave all– / O, that way madness lies; let me shun that; / No more of that.” (3.4 lines 20-23). Lear is driven lear, king, mad, daughters, age, two, old, regan, actions, women, respect, play, over, love, lines, let, group, goneril, father, driven, younger, values, shakespeare, running, power, own, men, madness, lear’s, land, kingdom, heart, go, end, eldest