My Favourite Shakespearean Character - King Lear

King Lear as presented to us by Shakespeare in the first scene of his drama ‘King Lear’ is very rash and impulsive by nature. And in the end he has to suffer on account of this rashness. He has to pay a very high price for a small mistake committed by him. King Lear was not right in dividing his kingdom because in those times the idea of dividing the kingdom was something very strange. The love-test put to his daughters in also not a very sensible idea, I suppose. The love-test was only to satisfy his hunger for assurances of devotion. Otherwise, he should have known the genuine feelings of his youngest daughter, Cordelia, when she says “Nothing”. Instead he replies, “Nothing will come out of nothing”, and finally banishes her from his estate. He couldn’t see through the high-stated words of his other two daughters, Regan and Goneril. When Kent tries to curb his impulsiveness and checks him from taking harsh action against Cordelia he too is sent away. It is Cordelia and Kent (both banished by Lear), who come to Lear’s rescue when all other worldly supports melt away. Thus, Lear is a poor judge of character. He sends away those two persons who loved him the most in the world.

But when taken the other way round such type of behavior may be attributed to his being eighty years old. He wanted some sort of consolation, some reassurances. Critics are of the opinion that he had earmarked a largest portion for his beloved Cordelia. But he was let down by his favourite youngest daughter. He felt humiliated by her words. And the wrath afterwards was that of a wounded father.
Of all the characters of Shakespeare I have always liked Lear the most. He is the one who grows from being a King to being a man. This transformation brings him to realize what life is. But the realization brings in its wake death – the ultimate truth of life. The persons who were responsible for this education of Lear were the Fool, Kent (disguised), Edgar as a beggar. The Fool at one place tries to make the King realize his mistake:

“Then they for sudden joy did weep,
And I for sorrow sung,
That such a king should play bo-peep,
And go the fools among.”
(Act I, scene iv)

It is in the storm scene that Lear considers himself as a human being:

“…Here I stand your slave,
A poor infirm, weak and despised old man.”
(Act III, scene ii)

His knowledge grows further as we see in his authority speech where he has mouthed a great truth in the following words: “A dog’s obeyed in office!” (Act IV, scene vi)
His last words are simply marvelous. He is unable to cope up with the death of Cordelia after a brief reunion.

“Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life,
And thou no breath at all? Thou’lt come no more,
Never, never, never, never, never!
(Act V, scene iii)