Examples Of Dementia In King Lear
King Lear and Dementia: A Physical and Emotion Struggle The opening scene of King Lear begins to show the unhealthy state that King Lear is in, when it portrays Lear separating his kingdom and giving it to his daughters based on how much they love him. Lear bans his most prized daughter, Cordelia from the kingdom and leaves her with nothing only because she was honest with her response, which begins to show his state of senselessness. Lear demonstrates his mental illness throughout various scenes in the play. He completely loses order of his kingdom, which goes along with losing all his powers, duties, and responsibilities as King. He finds it troubling to separate his job as a monarch and his duty as a father as his illness progresses. Lear
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At the beginning of the play, he confuses his role as a King with his duties of a father as he gives his land away to his daughters based on how much they love him. King Lear judged his daughters based on their response rather than on their honest feelings for him, which reveals his pride and egotism to the reader. He wishes to be treated as a King and have his daughters fawn over him, but as a father he should separate his wishes and desires from his status as a monarch. This is clearly shown when King Lear states, “Which of you shall we say doth love us most?” (I. I. 51). He doesn’t say, “Which of you actually loves us most?” which implies that he would rather have a false depiction of his daughters love for him than their honest feelings. He wants to have the praise of a King, but he shouldn’t want this from his own daughters. By giving his kingdom to Goneril and Regan displays that the King does not have a worthy relationship with his daughters. He should have expected the outcome of their actions of betraying him if he really knew them. In the beginning of the play it is also implied that the King favors Cordelia so he is aware that she loves him most, yet when she gives her honest answer he becomes irritated and abandons her. This could also correspond with his mental state. With
At the beginning of the play, he confuses his role as a King with his duties of a father as he gives his land away to his daughters based on how much they love him. King Lear judged his daughters based on their response rather than on their honest feelings for him, which reveals his pride and egotism to the reader. He wishes to be treated as a King and have his daughters fawn over him, but as a father he should separate his wishes and desires from his status as a monarch. This is clearly shown when King Lear states, “Which of you shall we say doth love us most?” (I. I. 51). He doesn’t say, “Which of you actually loves us most?” which implies that he would rather have a false depiction of his daughters love for him than their honest feelings. He wants to have the praise of a King, but he shouldn’t want this from his own daughters. By giving his kingdom to Goneril and Regan displays that the King does not have a worthy relationship with his daughters. He should have expected the outcome of their actions of betraying him if he really knew them. In the beginning of the play it is also implied that the King favors Cordelia so he is aware that she loves him most, yet when she gives her honest answer he becomes irritated and abandons her. This could also correspond with his mental state. With