Discussion of King Lear's Evaluation of Himself

Discussion of King Lear's Evaluation of Himself

" I am a man more sinned against than sinning," this is Lear's

evaluation of himself when he is at his weakest. To sin is to

contravene the rules of God, as this play is set in times before the

church played an active role in running the state the king was the

only one who could say what is wrong or right. This quotation is

derived from the storm scene in Act 3 Scene 2. Before we accept this

we must take into account his condition. His two eldest daughters who

earlier expressed a "love that makes breath poor and speech unable"

and professed to be, "an enemy to all other joys", have just rejected

him. He sees his suffering as being sinned against. Although the

statement itself reminds us of "Which of you should we say doth love

us most," we see he has improved into at least acknowledging that he

has sinned. He also is able to accept the fool's truthful but painful

remarks about how foolish he has been; we can compare this with his

earlier prejudice in act 1 scene 1 when similar statements from Kent

and Cordelia lead to their banishments.

Of Lear's character arrogance and vanity are his fatal flaws that pave

the way for his downfall from grace. Even before his opening scene we

hear the words of his subjects, "I thought the king had more affected

the Duke of Albany than Cornwall." Here they are discussing Lear's

unpredictable nature and rash fickle mind. This prepares us for the

forthcoming scene where we hear it from his own mouth deciding the

nations fate from three testimonies of his daughters loves, "Which one

of should we say doth love us most." He is trying to measure love in a

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...as he offers to take poison and,

"I'll kneel down and ask of thee forgiveness."

Sadly this moment is short-lived as Edmund orders Cordelia's execution

immediately after having killed both her sisters.

The process through the book has seen Lear go from an arrogant ruler

to a "bare, unacommadated man" and "despised old man."

Through this process Lear gains considerable self-knowledge and learns

to appreciate others. Even if we measure up the sins by and sins

committed against Lear we cannot say that, "I am a man more sinned

against than sinning," is completely true. Only when dead Cordelia is

held in Lear's arms we can be made to sympathise with Lear. Overall we

can conclude that this is a just end for Lear's abuse of power and

arrogance at the throne and deserved a compromising climax for his

traumatized life.