The Consequences of King Lear's Failed Love Contest in the Play by William Shakespeare

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Lear’s lack of self-knowledge in the beginning of the play is of devastating consequences. In the first scene we see the strongest statement reflecting a lack of self-knowledge. In order to divide up his kingdom, with the biggest piece in the middle of it going to Cordelia, with her husband to be. King Lear thinks of a sophisticated plan. He arranges a public ‘contest of love’ between his daughters, and whomever declares to loves him most, gets the most land. Thinking, his favourite daughter Cordelia will declare to love him the most. With this plan King Lear is trying to avoid his land from falling apart, and through this contest thinks he will get the public support, for the plan, he needs.
Only the truth is irreconcilable with the demands of Lear’s ego. When Cordelia doesn’t say what Lear wants to hear he breaks out in anger by a violent oath, disclaiming paternal care of Cordelia: “… by the sacred radiance of the sun, The mysteries of Hecat and the night; By all the operations of the orbs From whom we do exist and cease to be” . Lear casts Cordelia from his heart referring to her as a “barbarous Scythian.” His hatred surpasses the notion of equality in love, it shows self-centred love that asks more of the other then of oneself. With Lear’s actions we can see that he can’t recognise treachery and loyalty and falsehood and truth, and no one can tell him about it. Here his lack of self-knowledge is the biggest in the play.
The only one that can hold a mirror, telling the king the truth about his behaviour is the Fool. He is allowed to say anything of criticism without fear of retributions. He is actually Lear’s external conscience, speaking the truth about his three daughters. The Fool has greater wisdom about the world and s...

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...he same needs as others. He is learning about the physical and moral needs of all mankind. Lear strips himself naked, and starts to see his status as a king in a new way; “thou art the thing itself; unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor, bare, forked animal…” . He now realises that as a King he is responsible for the social welfare of the state, that his actions have political effect.

The political effects of the lack of self-knowledge by holding ’the love contest’ in the beginning of the play is that King Lear fails politically. The refusal of Cordelia to participate in the test destroys King Lear’s public personality. With it, it destroys the public support King Lear needed for the plan. Besides this political consequence is that it destroys King Lear as King, first being outraged and then turning mad and it destroys his family.

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