EDUC 5860 TEXTBOOKS

Duality and
Division in "King
Lear"
Adna Abdirahman

Introduction
“King Lear” is a tragedy by
William Shakespeare
written and first performed
in 1606.  Due to its dark
ending, the play was
revised after the English
Restoration for English
audiences to enjoy a happier
“non-tragic” ending (“King
Lear”). 
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The play chronicles King
Lear’s declining mental
health and the consequences
of dividing his kingdom and
power amongst his
daughters Cordelia, Regan
and Goneril.

An Analysis of
Shakespeare's
"King Lear"
“King Lear” presents a
theme of duality in the
stories of Lear and the
Duke of Gloucester who are
equally struggling with
their children’s desire for
power.  Both stories parallel
each other in some aspects
as Edmund aspires to usurp
the throne from Gloucester
and Goneril and Regan who
persuade King Lear with
insincere flattery in hopes
of having the throne divided
amongst them.  their fathers.
2
The Duke of Gloucester and
King Lear both respectively
reject and admonish the
children who love them the
most.  Shakespeare blurs the
lines between true loyalty
and virtue when Gloucester
casts aside Edgar and Lear
banishes Cordelia.
In both narratives, it is with
the fall of the most loving
child that the other siblings
can rise and manipulate
  

King Lear’s deteriorating
mental health allows his
daughters to take
advantage of him and
redirect his attention to
their needs (Storozynsky
164). Regan and Cordelia
are able to utilize his
weakness to plot against
him. Gloucester is similarly
“easy prey” and succumbs
to Edmund's power of
suggestion  (Storozynsky
165). In this text, Edmund
functions similarly to Iago
in “Othello” and
strategically lies and
manipulates his father.
Edmund gains the
advantage of turning his
weakness into a strength
when he draws attention to
his illegitimate status as the
reason for the Duke not
considering him truthful
(Shakespeare 2.1.70-74). 
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Consequently, he gains
favour with his father for
being a loyal son and
regretfully overlooked in the
past as a result of his
status. 
A recurring theme in the
play is also the notion that
those in power are too old
and that it is time for the
younger generation to rule.
In Act 3, Scene 3, Edmund
reflects, “the younger rises
when the old doth fall”
(Shakespeare 22).  He
mentions his
conceptualization of fairness
as him stripping his father
of his status and possession
when he does not receive it
in a just manner.  

His intent is literal and
communicates the
determination to rise to
power only after being
satisfied with the fall of his
father. Likewise, Goneril
and Regan 's attempts to
reduce the number of
knights King Lear has and
put Kent in the stocks is
also an attempt to slowly
diminish the influence he
has.
They are not satisfied with
the control they already
possess and maneuver in a
manner which implies that
they will only truly be
fulfilled once their father
relinquishes his status and
possessions. The recurring
references to white hair and
old age symbolize weakness
being attributed to the
play’s ageing parents
(Shakespeare 3.7.35).
4
Old age becomes
synonymous with fragility
and is used as an excuse to
pursue power by
unconventional and brutal
means. It also serves as a
plausible excuse for the
characters pursuing
authority and control to
justify their ruthless
ambitions with logic. 
For a play immersed in
betrayal, manipulation, and
distrust, Shakespeare
continues to emphasize
descriptions of the heart.
For Cordelia, articulating
feelings into thoughts does
not come easy.  She states
that she cannot “heave” her
heart into her “mouth”
(Shakespeare 1.1. 91-92).
Due to this inability, she is
banished for merely being
unable to express her
feelings well and inflate
King Lear’s ego along with
her sisters.
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This hasty decision by Lear  It enables the reader to

allows us to understand his understand that transition
failure to recognize characters go through and
sincerity and engage in the ability for loves ones to
transparency himself. It is quickly become enemies and
only after leaving the villains.  This is evident
castle, being mistreated by when King Lear banishes
his daughters, and having Cordelia, wishes sterilization
no home, that he similarly on Goneril, and refers to
feels emotionally Regan as a disease in his
distraught. This is a stark flesh (Shakespeare 2.4.216-
contrast to the character we 218).  His hasty reactions
were introduced to at the and statements towards his
beginning of the text that children enable readers to
presented the central source comprehend his unstable
of conflict in dividing the mental health and descent
throne equally but with a into distress and despair. 
condition. Lear makes
several references to his
heart throughout the text
and, at one point, refers to
his heart feeling as though
it is in his throat due to his
emotional distress
(Shakespeare 2.4.116).
Shakespeare uses this
visual imagery to convey
the extremes in emotion
that are present in the
text.  
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The separation and division

of characters is barely a
linear process in “King Lear”
which distinguishes it as one
of Shakespeare’s darkest
plays.  There are moments in
the text that emphasize a loss
of humanity in pursuit of
power, whether it is
characters engaging in
torture or betrayal.
 However, without these
elements, it would not exist
as a tragedy.