King Lear

I found the language of King Lear to be interesting because, sometimes the characters that were mad or pretending to be mad, as with Edgar said the most truth. Also I think that The Fool could be included in that too. Most of the other characters lied fairly regularly, or simply didn’t say anything that didn’t have an obvious meaning. I know that Shakespeare likes to have fools and madmen speak the truth so this would be consistent with his other works. I found the idea that the insane speak the truth interesting because it would seem that the reason most people lie is to avoid consequences whether these are that a child loses his innocence (‘white’ lies) or detrimental effects to oneself doesn’t really matter. Thus, I think Shakespeare is making a point that the insane don’t fear the consequences because they either have nothing to lose or they simply cannot for see what the consequences will be. The Fool was one of the characters who didn’t fear the consequences of the truths and insults he said to Lear and I think that while language didn’t empower him to help Lear, nor did it limit him, it was simply too late by that point Lear couldn’t be helped. Moving on to the other characters, the lies Edmund tells empower him, albeit temporarily. Through Edmund’s careful speech and some actions he is able to convince Glouster that Edgar is plotting against him, all while appearing loyal to both Edgar (in ‘hiding’ the letter) and Glouster (in eventually giving him the letter). This empowers Edmund to Edgar’s status. Edmund’s later betrayal of Glouster further empowers him, this time he doesn’t even have to create a fake letter. He starts his reveal to Cornwall by stating that his loyalty to the kingdom prevailing over his loyalty to his father surprises him, as well as his ‘wish’ he were not the detector of his father’s treason add credibility to his claim. Edmund is very good at using words to manipulate people, ultimately however he still dies at the end, by Edgar’s hand because of his machinations against Edgar. Similarly, Goneril and Regan are also empowered by language, since it was through there descriptions of their completely false love for Lear that they got their kingdom. They too die at the end and I think that in Goneril’s case, she couldn’t live because her true nature had been revealed and she could no longer disguise her meanings in clever phrasing. I think that it’s interesting that the characters who I think were the cleverest speakers (with the exception of the Fool) were also the most villainous. Perhaps Shakespeare is suggesting that listeners should take more into account that simply what the speaker says, that they should base their opinions of them off of their actions. After Regan’s and Goneril’s proclamations of love Kent says, “And your large speeches may deeds approve, That good effects may spring from words of love.”He wishes that their future actions will reflect their claims of love but I think he knows they won’t and that pretty language means nothing without action to back it up.