In both King Lear and Sunset Boulevard, a main character slipped into a delusional state of mind, but this did not occur by their actions alone. In King Lear, the titular character is aided by Kent, a man so blinded by his loyalty to the king that he is lessoned himself to continue to be near Lear. Additionally, in Sunset Boulevard, a dramatic film star, Norma, is living in a facade of former fame with the help of her servant, Max. Through enabling main characters, the authors are able to illuminate the spiraling madness and destruction that occurs when a person corroborates the skewed perception of another’s surroundings. Both Lear and Norma had people that they held in high standing that were willing to descend to the level of a servant to stay near …show more content…
Now, banished Kent,/ If thou canst serve where thou dost stand condemned,/ So may it come thy master, whom thou lov'st,/ Shall find thee full of labors.”( Act 1, Sc. 4 Ln. 1-8). This quote demonstrates that Kent is willing to demote himself in order to aid the king that he loves so dearly. Kent is cognizant that Lear is not acting properly when he sends Cordelia away and Kent is banished for protesting the command. Despite the unseemly action, Kent decides to return to the king’s side and help him along his journey. Shakespeare uses Lear’s descent into madness to show the devastating effects flattery and lies can have on what a person believes as truth. Kent continues the lie that Lear still has power through his devotion only fit for a king. In Kent’s well intentioned yet misguided quest to hold true to his king, he accentuates the effect of Lear’s inaccurate perception of what has transpired. “Your servant Kent. Where is your servant Caius?/ He's a good fellow, I can tell you that./ He'll strike, and quickly too.”(Act 5, Scn. 3, Ln. 342-345). Kent continues his devoted loyalty and attempts to withhold his
However, as their dreadful actions increased, they failed to realize the struggle to restore honor and certainty did as well. Shakespeare demonstrated how the only situation in which individuals struggle to restore honor is when that honor is gained through dominating and destroying the lives of others; when it is gained through wrongdoing. When the honor is gained through righteous actions, the challenges are easier to handle, resulting in internal peace. Both of King Lear’s daughters were trapped in an illusion where they felt they must continue their mischief in order to gain honor. They both drew attention towards their status and power while neglecting their character.
Lear: I’m old with older strengths with the burden of rule, legal ownership of territory and all the duties and commands that are thrown upon you regarding cares of state. Restless i have three times as many daughters as one and i have three pieces of a map. The last one being the largest and given to the blood and flesh which loves this old man more than for himself. So unleash your hearts for your words are future jewels, revenue, soil and marble, fuels of the earth and raiment.
When the audience is first introduced to Lear, he is portrayed as a raging, vain old man who can not see the purity of his daughter Cordelia's love for him from the insincerity of her sisters Goneril and Regan. In his fiery rage after disowning Cordelia, Lear commands to Kent, "Out of my sight!" (1.1.156). Kent fittingly implores the aging king to "See better, Lear; and let me still remain / The true blank of thine eye" (1.1.157-8). Kent recognizes love in its most noble form in the person of Cordelia, and is able to see through the hypocrisy of Lear's other two daughters. In beseeching Lear to "[s]ee better," Kent is, in effect, asking Lear to look beyond his vanity and inward pride to see the honesty of Cordelia, who refuses...
Following this Lear begins to banish those around him that genuinely care for him as at this stage he cannot see beyond the mask that the evil wear. He banishes Kent, a loyal servant to Lear, and his youngest and previously most loved daughter Cordelia. This results in Lear surrounding himself with people who only wish to use him which leaves him very vulnerable attack.
King Lear Essay Shakespeare has written dozens of plays and in each one he has included some of the most complex characters ever put on stage. Hamlet, Othello, and Macbeth are just a few examples of these great characters that will always remain in our memories. However, standing beside the complex main characters in plays such as King Lear and Hamlet, there are secondary characters of equal, if not greater complexity. In King Lear, secondary characters such as Edmund, Edgar, and Cordelia are directly responsible many of the extreme changes that occur during the play and it is their complexity as human characters that allows them to do this.
When King Lear sends away Cordelia he also sends away his most loyal man, Kent. Kent tries to warn Lear about making a big mistake by sending away Cordelia and only listening to what Goneril and Regan say, not thinking about the consequences the disinheriting of Cordelia might have. King Lear banishes Kent and says that he will have Kent executed if he dares to ever come back again. King Lear can’t realize that Kent is one of the true loyal men around him. Kent is even after that horrible treatment still loyal to his king so he comes back and serves him again in disguise. King Lear’s rage doesn’t allow him to see that Kent’s advise is only ment to protect and help his king, not to show and kind of disrespect to him.
After Kent delightfully brings the two together and Lear realizes who he is talking to, he begs for forgiveness: “Pray, do not mock me. / I am a very foolish fond old man, / Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less /....Do not laugh at me, / For as I am a man, I think this lady / To be my child Cordelia.“ (IV.vii.68-79). Lear has finally achieved self-awareness regarding his mistaken banishment of Cordelia, and proclaims to her in a surprising display of humility that he is just a “foolish fond old man.” Shocking the audience, Lear does not hold back his newfound sense of shame. He goes on: “Be your tears wet? Yes, faith. I pray, weep not. If you have poison for me, I will drink it. I know you do not love me, for your sisters Have, as I do remember, done me wrong. You have some cause; they have not.” (IV.vii.81-85). In another case of both humility and misjudgment, Lear believes that Cordelia no longer loves him due to his mistakes. Lear could not be more wrong because Cordelia 's love for her father is unconditional and still lives. Cordelia virtuously accepts his apology and assures him “No, sir, you must not kneel,” (IV.vii.67). Although the two do not live much longer, Lear intends to live out the rest of their lives being the best a father can
Kent is, perhaps, the nearest to perfect goodness in all Shakespeare's characters, and yet the most individualized. There is an extraordinary charm in a bluntness, which is that only of a nobleman arising from a contempt of overtrained courtesy, and combined with easy placability where goodness of heart is apparent. His passionate affection for and fidelity to Lear act on our feelings in Lear's own favor: virtue itself, seems to be in company with him. (Complete Works of Samuel Coleridge, Vol. IV, edited by W.G.T. Shedd, Harper and Bros., New York: 1884, pp. 138-39.)
King Lear is at once the most highly praised and intensely criticized of all Shakespeare's works. Samuel Johnson said it is "deservedly celebrated among the dramas of Shakespeare" yet at the same time he supported the changes made in the text by Tate in which Cordelia is allowed to retire with victory and felicity. "Shakespeare has suffered the virtue of Cordelia to perish in a just cause, contrary to the natural ideas of justice, to the hope of the reader, and, what is yet more strange, to the faith of chronicles."1 A.C. Bradley's judgement is that King Lear is "Shakespare's greatest work, but it is not...the best of his plays."2 He would wish that "the deaths of Edmund, Goneril, Regan and Gloucester should be followed by the escape of Lear and Cordelia from death," and even goes so far as to say: "I believe Shakespeare would have ended his play thus had he taken the subject in hand a few years later...."3
King Lear is a play about loyalty. "Goodness" is portrayed by the characters as selflessness. Each "good" character displays loyalty through selfless actions. Cordelia selflessly does not attempt to rob Lear of his wealth by flattering him. Even though she risks banishment, she selflessly refuses to indulge her father's foolish wishes. Edgar, too, is selfless in his actions by leading his father to safety even when he knows Gloucester does not recognize him and will not appreciate that he was, in fact, the truly loyal son. Finally, Kent, Lear's Selfless servant, risks his life to protect his king even after he has been mistreated.
Due to this flaw, Lear has given way to the two older daughters to conspire against him. Lear is finally thrown out of his daughters' homes and left with a fool, a servant and a beggar.
Cordelia and Kent speak the truth which Lear does not want to hear. Their behaviour is foolish as they confront Lear, a mighty fortress of pride, in their willingness to be true and loyal to a father and to a king. Cordelia cannot heave her heart into her mouth and speaks plain, “I love your majesty according to my bond no more nor less”. In doing this she risks displeasing her father, furthermore she continues to displease him when she tries to make him realize his foolish behaviour. In the end she is willing to give her life for a father who has wronged her (when she returns to rescue him). Likewise Kent is also wronged when he confronts Lear with the true reality of things. In doing this he sacrifices his identity as Earl. Kent again risks his life when in disguise he returns to serve Lear again. In the end there are suggestions that he will follow Lear, his master, to the grave.
Revoke thy gift, / Or whilst I can vent clamor from my throat / I’ll tell thee thou dost evil” (1.1.161-164). It is evident that Lear made an advance toward Kent or threatened him in another way because Kent said killing him would be doing an evil deed. Through King Lear’s prideful, yet fearful and dismissive tone in his conversation with Kent in Act 1, Scene 1, it is noticeable that Lear fears that Cordelia is right about the fabricated love his two daughters express towards him.
The reader discovers Kent's willingness to protect his King in the first scene. After Lear has had his daughter's display their love in a pubic competition Kent tries to persuade him that Cordelia "does not love him least" and that Lear should think about banishing her. Kent is trying to protect the King from his emotions and the decision that they have led him to. But Lear does not listen and instead banishes Kent from the Kingdom. His banishment is a result of another emotional outburst on the part of the King. If Lear were to look rationally at his actions and what his daughters have said he would realize his folly. Instead he is enraged by Kent and thinks that he is challenging his authority.
Throughout most of King Lear, Lear's vision is clouded by his lack of insight. Since he cannot see into other people's characters, he can never identify them for who they truly are. When Cordelia angers Lear, Kent tries to reason with Lear, who is too stubborn to remain open-minded. Lear responds to Kent's opposition with, "Out of my sight," to which Kent responds, "See better, Lear, and let me still remain" (I.i.160). Here, Lear is saying he never wants to see Kent again, but he could never truly see him for who he is. Kent was only trying to do what was best for Lear, but Lear could not see that. Kent's vision is not clouded, as is Lear's, and he knows that he can remain near Lear as long as he is in disguise. Later, Lear's vision is so superficial that the physical garments and simple disguise that Kent wears easily dupe him. Lear cannot see who Kent really is. He only learns of Kent's noble and honest character just prior to his death, when his vision is cleared. By this time, however, it is too late for an honest relationship to be salvaged.