Reason and Irrationality in King Lear

Reason and Irrationality in King Lear

In King Lear, Shakespeare deals with the issue of reason and irrationality namely by contrasting the Machiavellian tactics of Goneril, Regan, and Edmund with the love Edgar, Gloster, Lear, and Cordelia experience. In doing so, he makes a very profound statement about the nature of human existence—he condemns reason and natural order while promoting the most nonsensical thing in the world: human love. From the text, I ascertain that Shakespeare believes that all anybody needs to survive in the unjust world is love. I, however, believe that this is an unreasonable and unattainable expectation for the world we live in.

In order to understand how Shakespeare arrived at his conclusion, it is first necessary to see how he characterized reason and unreason in the text. Reason was found in the egoists, the characters that would be considered the villains or antagonists of the play. Edmund, Goneril, and Regan displayed behavior of methodical ambition for status and power. Their actions reflected the desire to revert to what I deem “the natural” and discard the contrived conventions of society. For example, Edmund desired to be treated like the human being he was instead of the bastard he was known in society. Goneril and Regan’s treason against their father, though considered disrespectful by society, would be perfectly normal in nature where survival depends on the strongest and fittest. Thus, this conduct is based on reason and the basic means to survive and thrive without interventions from emotions or moral dilemmas.

The behavior of these characters is symbolically reflected in the storm. The storm, a natural event, was destructive and nondiscriminatory. It did not care whether there was a king or a beggar in its path. Although the storm appeared to be chaotic, its behavior can be described in scientific terms. When we do this, we find that its movements are very precise and that lightning does not strike randomly but due to the buildup of excess charge in the sky. Thus, the storm, and in fact all things in nature, behaves in calculating and precise manners. Edmund, Goneril, and Regan’s behavior was no different from what can be found in nature. Certain species of animals will kill “family” members in order to gain territory or become alpha male of the pack.