Loyalty in "King Lear"

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Loyalty is being faithful to commitments and obligations. On the other hand there are many ways to display loyalty. One can be loyal to a person, political party, country, religion, or cause. The list is seemingly endless. William Shakespeare’s play King Lear exhibits many forms of loyalty, but one that shines particularly is loyalty to ones selfish needs. However there is a limit to loyalty which most over look. The characters Cordelia, the emotional King Lear, and the vile Edmund all manifest their loyalty to their own self, and all meet their demise. The limit to loyalty is death.

Often said to be the exemplification of an angel on earth, Cordelia’s character is won over by so many readers’ hearts. However there is a side to Cordelia which is detestable and overtly selfish. Cordelia is dubbed as the most loyal to Lear throughout the entire play. Only this is not the case, her loyalties in fact do not lie with King Lear but to her own moralistic views. She displays these views right form the beginning of the play when she openly refused to shower her father with loving words. “ Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave/ My heart into my mouth. I love your Majesty/ According to my bond, no more nor less.” (1.1.96-98). This is really quite pathetic, as a person who has always shown her love to her father, she choose this day to embarrass, and refuse him what he considered his greatest joy and honor. What father would not want his daughters to praise him to high heavens? Especially when one, is as old as Lear. The great scholar Euripides said “To a father growing old nothing is dearer than a daughter”. It was at this moment of time that she should have exhibited her loyalty even if his demands went against her own

morals. Isn’t h...

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...rive, Edmund the base / Shall top the legitimate; I grow; I prosper. / Now, gods, stand up for bastards!”. Here Edmund displays his maniacal attempt at revenge against own family. The word legitimate here is used to explain Edgar and his position. This well laid out plan by Edmund to become legitimate and an heir soon goes awry. The death of Edmund is a result of what he himself has accomplished, and what he got from it because of those selfish accomplishments.

William Shakespeare in this play displays the inability for humans to be completely loyal to anything. Loyalty has boundaries just like anything else in the universe. To say that loyalty is absolute is ignorant and biased. Cordelia, Lear, and Edmund all repented for their loyalty to themselves, and paid a very heavy price as well. Everything in life is better in moderation, and loyalty is one of them.

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