Opening_Two_Acts_Of_King_Lear

Opening Two Acts Of King Lear The opening two acts of William Shakespeare’s play, King Lear, contain numerous displays of true duty as well as false duty. The characters demonstrating false duty are: Edmund, Goneril and her sister Regan. True duty is best exemplified through the actions of Kent, Cordelia and the Fool. Shakespeare expresses his understanding of right and wrong best through King Lear’s eldest two children, Goneril and Regan. Both of these individuals undoubtedly show how ungrateful and disrespectful they truly are. This is shown through their lack of decency and hospitality when Lear is a guest at their estates. Initially, Goneril is rude to her father when she is a host to him at her estate. She treats Lear with very little respect, is constantly wining and she complains about every little thing pertaining to Lear’s stay at her home. An example of this, in specific, would be the rowdiness of Lear’s entourage of one-hundred knights. After being tremendously saddened by his daughter Goneril, he is almost in disbelief due to the fact that he has been treated so improperly. Due to Lear’s discontent with Goneril and her lack of hospitality, he vacates the premises. In the hopes that his other lear, duty, edmund, goneril, regan, king, kent, lear’s, father, best, two, true, out, himself, false, edgar, daughter, cordelia, about, very, through, sister, power, little, fool, exemplified, due, brother, both, truly, treated, show, should, respect, performing