Violence In King Lear Essay
In the tragedy King Lear, William Shakespeare tells a story of sibling rivalry, the necessity of human action rather than fate to administer justice, and loyalty and lack thereof among several other themes. All of these specific themes are eventually tied in with violence during the play. This use of violence allows Shakespeare to not only comment on his modern society (Elizabethan England) but to also reveal a darker side to mankind. Shakespeare’s use of violence in King Lear emphasizes major themes such as loyalty, sibling rivalry, and justice which in turn reveals how cruel mankind can be. The fact that characters from all levels of society take violent actions reveals how Shakespeare is really making a commentary on all of mankind rather
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The act of blinding Gloucester is violent, but when Servant 1 attacks Cornwall the violence escalates while also tying into the theme of loyalty in King Lear. Shakespeare creates loyalty as a theme through the re-occurrence of loyal people who stay loyal throughout the play as well as those who break their loyalty. For example: Cordelia, Gloucester, and Kent are loyal to Lear throughout the play while Oswald and Edmund both forfeit their loyalty for personal gains. Before the servant attacks Cornwall, he says: “Hold your hand, my lord! /I have serv'd you ever since I was a child; /But better service have I never done you /Than now to bid you hold.”(3.7.84-87) Servant 1 explains that his actions are out of loyalty to Cornwall, that he is doing his master a service by steeping out of the line of rank and violently interfering with his Cornwall. The servant is showing loyalty to his master in an attempt to prevent him from doing further damage to Gloucester. By specifically saying that he has done Cornwall no better service than telling him to stop now, servant 1 reveals his loyalty because even in a situation where Cornwall is evil in every possible perspective, he is still trying to help his master and protect him from the aftermath of his own hand. This however is done through violence revealing innate cruelty behind the servant’s attempted loyal actions. Servant 1’s violent actions in the name of loyalty reveal mankind’s innate
The act of blinding Gloucester is violent, but when Servant 1 attacks Cornwall the violence escalates while also tying into the theme of loyalty in King Lear. Shakespeare creates loyalty as a theme through the re-occurrence of loyal people who stay loyal throughout the play as well as those who break their loyalty. For example: Cordelia, Gloucester, and Kent are loyal to Lear throughout the play while Oswald and Edmund both forfeit their loyalty for personal gains. Before the servant attacks Cornwall, he says: “Hold your hand, my lord! /I have serv'd you ever since I was a child; /But better service have I never done you /Than now to bid you hold.”(3.7.84-87) Servant 1 explains that his actions are out of loyalty to Cornwall, that he is doing his master a service by steeping out of the line of rank and violently interfering with his Cornwall. The servant is showing loyalty to his master in an attempt to prevent him from doing further damage to Gloucester. By specifically saying that he has done Cornwall no better service than telling him to stop now, servant 1 reveals his loyalty because even in a situation where Cornwall is evil in every possible perspective, he is still trying to help his master and protect him from the aftermath of his own hand. This however is done through violence revealing innate cruelty behind the servant’s attempted loyal actions. Servant 1’s violent actions in the name of loyalty reveal mankind’s innate