Analyzing King Lear's Speech
Analyzing Lear’s Speech
Act 2, Scene 4
In Shakespeare’s tragedy “King Lear”, Lear finds himself in a poor situation where he has given up everything, divided up his kingdom between his daughters, and is left with nothing. His daughters, Goneril and Regan, however, have turned against him so that he is now standing alone. Lear delivers this speech after he has been infuriated by his daughters. He is devastated by his daughters’ betrayal and swears revenge against them.
Regan and Goneril decide to cut the number of Lear’s servants in half but after they continue arguing they end up taking all his servants and leave him with nothing. Regan finally brings the discussion to a high point asking “What need one?” Hereupon Lear furiously declares that humanity’s basic needs are what distinguish them from animals. “O reason not the need!” he cries, explaining that if humans only had things they absolutely needed to survive they would be on the same level as animals. He says that luxuries like for example having servants differentiate humans from animals. He continues that it is normal for humans to need more than only the necessities of life to be happy because this is what makes humans human. Lear clearly needs servants and attendants though because they represent his identity as a king and as a human being.
Lear says that “man’s life’s as cheap as beast’s” signifying that humans and animals would be on the same level if humans only lived of the most necessary things in life. He is very upset about the fact that his daughters are taking away his powers and reducing him to the animal standard. Lear has nothing left anymore but himself, an ordinary human being without support or powers, only the basic necessities of nature.
Lear also compares these human needs to Regan’s clothes and says “Thou art a lady. If only to go warm were gorgeous, why, nature needs not what thou gorgeous wear’st.” He compares his argument to Regan’s clothes which only serve the purpose of
Act 2, Scene 4
In Shakespeare’s tragedy “King Lear”, Lear finds himself in a poor situation where he has given up everything, divided up his kingdom between his daughters, and is left with nothing. His daughters, Goneril and Regan, however, have turned against him so that he is now standing alone. Lear delivers this speech after he has been infuriated by his daughters. He is devastated by his daughters’ betrayal and swears revenge against them.
Regan and Goneril decide to cut the number of Lear’s servants in half but after they continue arguing they end up taking all his servants and leave him with nothing. Regan finally brings the discussion to a high point asking “What need one?” Hereupon Lear furiously declares that humanity’s basic needs are what distinguish them from animals. “O reason not the need!” he cries, explaining that if humans only had things they absolutely needed to survive they would be on the same level as animals. He says that luxuries like for example having servants differentiate humans from animals. He continues that it is normal for humans to need more than only the necessities of life to be happy because this is what makes humans human. Lear clearly needs servants and attendants though because they represent his identity as a king and as a human being.
Lear says that “man’s life’s as cheap as beast’s” signifying that humans and animals would be on the same level if humans only lived of the most necessary things in life. He is very upset about the fact that his daughters are taking away his powers and reducing him to the animal standard. Lear has nothing left anymore but himself, an ordinary human being without support or powers, only the basic necessities of nature.
Lear also compares these human needs to Regan’s clothes and says “Thou art a lady. If only to go warm were gorgeous, why, nature needs not what thou gorgeous wear’st.” He compares his argument to Regan’s clothes which only serve the purpose of