The Consequences of Decisions in King Lear by William Shakespeare

The Consequences of Decisions in King Lear by William Shakespeare

King Lear is a detailed description of the consequences of

one man's decisions. This fictitious man is Lear, King of

England, who's decisions greatly alter his life and the lives of

those around him. As Lear bears the status of King he is, as

one expects, a man of great power but sinfully he surrenders

all of this power to his daughters as a reward for their

demonstration of love towards him. This untimely abdication

of his throne results in a chain reaction of events that send

him through a journey of hell. King Lear is a metaphorical

description of one man's journey through hell in order to

expiate his sin. As the play opens one can almost

immediately see that Lear begins to make mistakes that will

eventually result in his downfall. The very first words that he

speaks in the play are :- "...Give me the map there. Know

that we have divided In three our kingdom, and 'tis our fast

intent To shake all cares and business from our age,

Conferring them on younger strengths while we Unburdened

crawl to death..." (Act I, Sc i, Ln 38-41) This gives the

reader the first indication of Lear's intent to abdicate his

throne. He goes on further to offer pieces of his kingdom to

his daughters as a form of reward to his test of love. "Great

rivals in our youngest daughter's love, Long in our court have

made their amorous sojourn, And here are to be answered.

Tell me, my daughters (Since now we will divest us both of

rule, Interest of territory, cares of state), Which of you shall

we say doth love us most? That we our largest bounty may

extend where nature doth with merit challenge." (Act I, Sc i,

Ln 47-53) This is the first and most significant of the many

sins that he makes in this play. By abdicating his throne to

fuel his ego he is disrupts the great chain of being which

states that the King must not challenge the position that God

has given him. This undermining of God's authority results in

chaos that tears apart Lear's world. Leaving him, in the end,

with nothing. 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.