Transformation
The Transformation of King Lear

Like all other plays, throughout the tragedy of King Lear, written by William Shakespeare – many of the characters undergo changes that help the plot to progress. The transformations of King Lear’s character are one of the driving forces behind the play, and help the plot to develop. The audience may notice how Lear’s sanity, thought processes and physical status changes his character transforms. Throughout the tragedy, King Lear goes from having a complex social identity and status to becoming just another peasant.

Throughout the play King Lear, there are many actions and events that take place that cause a change in his character. When King Lear chooses to resign from the kingdom, giving his power to his daughters- he disturbs the great chain of being. Giving up his kingdom by choice as opposed to death was not common or agreed upon during that time. Therefore, by taking such a risky action in doing so, the audience is aware that his character will go through many changes.

King Lear goes from being the king and the patriarch of the family to becoming another peasant who is under the rule of these daughters. However, by doing so – the king expects to keep the privileges of being king without having to do the work. Lear goes from having a very high social identity, to being under the rule of his daughters which does not sit well with him. The audience learns about how his power is stripped away little by little, and is aware of how this is impacting his character. By Goneril and Regan reducing his power down to 50 men, then 25 then finally one – King Lear becomes a powerless being with limited to no control over his kingdom. Due to these changes in his social status, King Lear- his overall sanity is then impacted.

As King Lear’s social status is diminished, his level of sanity is quickly driven to the point of madness. At the beginning of the play, King Lear is a confident and egoistical character. He shows his power and confidence through challenging his each daughter with the task of telling him that she loves him the most to decide who will get the kingdom. He further shows his power by then proceeding to banish his daughter and loyalist servant – Kent. It is the repercussions of these actions, and his choice to give his other two daughters the Kingdom that further transforms his sanity.

Once Lear gives up his kingdom, it is difficult for him to cope not being to alpha-character. He begins to go mad as more power is taken away from him by his daughters. Lear goes through many emotional changes represented through his thought processes as his daughters begin to diminish his power. After Goneril demands that Lear reduce his men to 50, he says that she cannot do that as it is his kingdom. However, this is not the case. The emotional change that the audience is aware becomes evident through the curses he puts on his family, and how he reacts in certain situations.

Much of the transformation in Lear’s character occurs when Lear is forced to face the elements of nature after Goneril and Regan throw him out of his kingdom. Lear goes extremely mad when outside. There comes a point in the play in Act III, when King Lear comes to a climax. At this point, we see Lear peak at his insanity when he beings to strip in the middle of a thunder storm. He states as he strips, that man should be able to face nature by themselves. At his point, the audience sees as Lear comes to the realization that he no longer has power. At this point, Lear’s character is further transformed when he comes face to face with his daughters, and Kent.

In the last Act of the play, both the audience and Lear are aware of the multiple changes that Lear has undergone throughout the duration of King Lear. In the last couple of scenes, Lear states a few things. When he realizes that Kent is next to him, he states that “his eyesight was not as clear as it used to be”. This ties in with the theme of blindness, and is Lear’s admittance that he has not been thinking clearly. Finally, the last realization that King Lear has in the play is what Love is. He realizes that his two daughters who professed that they loved him the most were driven by their lust for power and it was truly his youngest daughter – Cordelia who was the more faithful and loving. By the end of the play, the king’s character has gone through an epitome of changes.

Throughout the duration of the play, Lear’s change in character is evident through many key points in the play. As power is stripped away from King Lear, he goes from being a power driven, egoistical man, to a man with common senses realizing his mistakes. Though his physical status changes, Lear’s real transformation occurs in his sanity. By the end of the play, King Lear transforms into a character that is aware of his surrounding, and realizes the meaning behind love and family.

Word Count: 874