The Madness of King Lear
Madness is a key theme throughout King Lear and has, therefore, been the subject of much debate by scholars and critics throughout the centuries.
Samantha MarkhamSamantha Markham
Samantha Markham is a professional freelance writer with a particular passion for literary and theatrical subjects.
Ludwig Devrient as King Lear (1769)Written between 1603 and 1606, King Learis one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated tragedies. The story is based on the legend of King Leir of Britain in which a king divides his kingdom. However, Shakespeare’s interpretation of the legend is much darker than the original and is filled with deceit, death and madness.
Much debate surrounding King Lear’s madness concentrates on possible early manifestations of it and its causes. While some assert that King Lear displays early signs of insanity from the commencement of the play, others believe that it is his anger and lust for revenge that drive him to madness.

King Lear’s Madness in the First Scene
The opening scene of King Lear is a fascinating exploration of flattery, self-love and the relationship between father and daughters. It seems absurd that a king would divide his kingdom according to professions of love, but it is worth considering that a long reigning king is accustomed to exercising irresponsible power.

However, the problem with chalking the opening scene up to an old king’s desire to be flattered is that the kingdom has already been divided. Gloucester tells Kent “…but, now, in the division of the kingdom, it appears not which of the Dukes he values most; for equalities are so weigh’d that curiosity in neither can make choice of either’s moiety.”(I.i) In other words, before his daughters are asked to speak, the division of the kingdom has already been established by Lear. Therefore, this places a question mark over the reason for Lear’s “Which of you shall we say doth love us most?”(I.i) Is it for reasons of self-love or is he displaying the first signs of a mind on the edge of madness?

Later in the first scene, King Lear’s violent anger towards Cordelia, and then Kent, could be said to be symptomatic of insanity. Indeed, Lear’s claim “Here I disclaim all my paternal care…And as a stranger to my heart and me/Hold thee from this forever.”(I.i) seems an incredibly disproportionate response to the offence.

On the other hand, it could be claimed that his actions are simply those of an irascible king, who is used to having his requests fulfilled without question. Whatever its cause, we see further instances of Lear’s short temper with both Goneril and Regan in subsequent scenes.

The Storm on the Heath
Of course, there can be no doubt that after leaving Gloucester’s castle, at the end of act II, Lear descends quickly into madness, as he wanders aimlessly in the storm raging at the elements “Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks; rage, blow.”(III.ii)

Nevertheless, the cause of this is hotly debated. Some claim that being exposed to the storm may have caused a physical illness, which results in delirium. However, it appears that Lear is slipping into insanity after having only been in the storm for a short time. Therefore, it could be argued that it is what he sees as the injustice and ingratitude of his older daughters’ behaviour that causes him to crack.

The Theme of Madness
Interestingly, there are many more instances of madness within King Lear. Edgar feigns madness as Poor Tom and it could be said that both Regan and Goneril are gripped by a kind of madness over their lust for Edmund.

Of course, whether or not King Lear is truly mad rather depends on the definition of madness. The part of Lear can be, and is sometimes, played as slightly unhinged from the very beginning of the play. In this instance, the interpretation must be that Lear is slipping into a form of insanity and perhaps dementia.

However, if Lear only becomes mad because of his circumstances, then it can be argued that his ‘madness’ is not a neurological condition, but simply a manifestation of grief, love, anger and a passionate desire for revenge.