'Lear's suffering is due to the stripping away of his identity'. By considering the dramatic presentation of King Lear, evaluate this view.

Shakespeare presents that the stripping away of King Lear's identity is largely responsible for much of his suffering throughout the play. Lear's identity can be seen as lost partly through his own actions, as well as the actions of others, in particular that of his daughters, Goneril and Regan.

It can be argued that Lear's loss of identity is down to his own actions. Hence, he can be seen as responsible for causing his own suffering. According to A.C. Bradley 'The idea of the tragic hero as being destroyed simply and solely by external forces is quite alien to him (Shakespeare); and not less so is the idea of the hero as contributing to his destruction only by acts in which we see no flaw'. Bradley's emphasis on the tragic flaw implies that Shakespeare's character's bring their fates upon themselves and thus deserve to face the consequences. An example of this can be seen in Act 1, when Lear fragments his land and divides it between his daughters. The fragmentation of the land is symbolic of the way that Lear also fragments his identity. As king, Lear identifies himself solely on his position of power, and therefore by giving away his land his is also giving away the control he previously maintained over his kingdom, and thus his identity. However, Lear mistakenly believes that he can give up certain aspects of his role, including responsibility, and still obtain other elements, such as honour, respect, prestige, and importance - ' Since now we will divest us both of rule, / Interest of territory, cares of state '.

Despite losing his identity, Lear never yields the title of king. He is referred to as 'king' throughout the play, although actual power remains in the hands of Goneril and Regan. This may in