The role of Independence in King Lear
For my comparative course I studied the play "King Lear" by William Shakespeare. I studied the themes, cultural context and general vision viewpoint for this play. I am going to discuss the role of independence in King Lear. Independence is an interesting theme in King Lear. The role of independence is seen throughout the play in the characters.
Cordelia gains independence in the first scene. For example when she stands up to her father and refuses to tell him that she loves him. Lear is enraged and disowns Cordelia. People may disagree with my point because it seems as if she looses independence by her father disowning her. However I think she gains independence because she stands up to her Father unlike her other two sisters. She doesn't seem to care about wanting part of the kingdom where as all her two sisters want are power. We know that Cordelia does truly love her for example when she vows to 'love and stay silent' Father but doesn't like what he is doing. Her refusal to take part in the love test shows her independence and suggest a woman disenchanted by thee pomp and the pride that comes with royalty.
Edgar looses his independence in the play. For example when he has to take a new identity as tom because gloucester has disowned him and have sent out people to kill him. Edgar runs away to the forest and decides to take a new identity. Even though it may seem he might gain independence cause he has to depend on himself he has still lost who he was because he has to pretend to be someone else. In Edgar's soliloquy he highlights how poverty can undermine human dignity as he decides "to take the basest and most poorest shape" hides his identity by being poor mad beggar tom .This shows how he has lost his independence because he has to fight for himself, he doesn't have anyone else to help him and he cant show his true identity.
Likewise to Edgar, King Lear is also suffering. He is loosing his independence. For example when his daughters take the kingdom of him and he is left outside in the wilderness with nothing and he looses his mind. He didn't see through his daughters, he thought they loved him and that he would still have power even though he gave all his kingdom and power to them. He didn't see how evil and mean they could actually be. Maybe Goneril And Regan are only mean to him because he was never a good Father to them. They are treating him like he treated them. We never know how Lear treated his three daughters when they were younger but we can only imagine since we know that he has always favoured Cordelia over Regan and Goneril that it was always like that when they were younger. Goneril and Regan never got anything and were always second best to Cordelia so they are taking revenge on their Father now. Lear never thought he would loose Cordelia but now he has and Regan and Goneril don't need him anymore.
Comparative text;
The role of independence is seen in both King Lear and Pride. Both Cordelia and Joe show how they gain independence by being honest with their parent/parents and going against them. In 'Pride' Joe gains independence by leaving his family. After his parents find out that he is gay and his mum trying to blackmail him saying that being gay is just a sad life, Shan gives Joe the courage that he needs to leave his family. There is nothing wrong with being gay but Joe's parents are old fashioned and have different beliefs. Its sad that Joe's parents don't support him especially his Mum since he is the closest with her, the fact she tries to blackmail him into not being gay is horrible. Joe walking out is one of the most memorable moments in the play, it shows how much he has gained courage and independence. We can see by the expression on his face that he is happy walking out of the house we can tell he feels relief because his parents have been holding him back his whole life and now finally he can do what he wants to do. Which shows his independence.
Similarly in 'King Lear' Cordelia gains independence by telling her Father the truth and leaving him just like 'Pride'. Cordelia refuses to tell her Father that she loves him because she thinks it is wrong what he is doing. Lear is enraged and disowns Cordelia. He takes everything from her she is left with nothing however she doesn't seem to care that she doesn't have part of the kingdom she just wants to be happy. Unlike her two other sisters that just want the power where as Cordelia just wants her Father to know that shes upset with him. We know that she does love her Father because she comes back to him at the end unlike Joe in 'Pride' possibly he goes back to his parents in the future when they can accept him but we dont know we can only hope.She just doesn't like what he is doing for example when she vows 'to love and stay silent'. Her refusal to take part in the love test shows her independence and suggests a woman disenchanted by thee pomp and pride that comes with royalty. Being a woman as well shows her independence by sticking up to a man (her Father) who has great power.
Silas marner
The role of independence is seen in Silas Marner a lot. In all texts independence is seen when Silas, Edgar and Joe all leave their normal lives behind and start a new life. In Silas Marner, Silas is blackmailed and accused wrongly of taking the money by his supposedly best friend William Dane. Silas leaves Lantern Yard and decides to start his own life by himself which shows his independence we know this is hard for Silas to do he doesn't know anyone or even know where he is going and he is feeling hurt that the person that he thought he trusted would betray him like that all because he was jealous that Silas was getting married to a beautiful girl. Life is bad for Silas he has nobody, no one will come and talk to him because they think he's weird and that he is like a witch we don't see that it is hurting Silas but surely deep down it hurts him. When he loses his money he truly feels like he has lost everything except something even better comes into his life something just like gold but even better. Eppie changes Silas's life for the better and shows the independence that Silas gains from being a single father in a poor life. Nobody thought he could do it but he managed to raise Eppie into a lovely woman. This really shows how much independence Silas gained through the years.
Similarly in 'King Lear' Edgar also gains independence in a similar situation to Silas. Edgar is blackmailed by his brother. Edmund tells their Father that Edgar is trying to kill him. It is hard for Gloucester to believe because Edgar is such a good son and wouldn't do something like this. However Gloucester takes Edmunds side and disowns Edgar. Edgar could be killed at any moment and runs to the forest where he takes on s new identity as 'poor tom'. This shows his independence because he has decided that he will just start a new life as somebody else hoping that he won't be found out or killed. He is all by himself and he can't tell anyone who he actually is not even his father when he is saving him when Gloucester wants to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff. His own son saves him but he doesn't even know it because he is blind. You could argue that both in 'Silas marner' and 'King Lear' that both Silas and Edgar lose their independence which they do as well but they gain more independence by starting new lives by themselves and growing to become better people and by helping people/loved ones.
In the film 'Pride' the role of independence is shown in a few characters. For example we know that Joe gains his independence when he stands up for himself to his parents and leaves his home/his old life behind and starts a new life. The theme of new life is also similar to Silas and Edgar and their independence as well. Like Joe Gethin has also shown his independence by standing up for himself and leaving his home in Wales years ago. However we see the importance of family when Gethin goes back to his home in Wales that he hasn't been to in years and sees his Mother who finally accepts who he is because after all these years she can't change him but also she can't love him any differently the love doesn't go away. Even though Gethin already had independence by leaving his mother in the first place he still gains independence by going to see her again because he didn't know what the outcome would be, she could've just shut the door in his face and not talk to him but luckily we saw a happy ending for Gethin. because she finally accepts him. Hopefully one day Joe's parents will be able to do that too.
Cordelia gains independence in the first scene. For example when she stands up to her father and refuses to tell him that she loves him. Lear is enraged and disowns Cordelia. People may disagree with my point because it seems as if she looses independence by her father disowning her. However I think she gains independence because she stands up to her Father unlike her other two sisters. She doesn't seem to care about wanting part of the kingdom where as all her two sisters want are power. We know that Cordelia does truly love her for example when she vows to 'love and stay silent' Father but doesn't like what he is doing. Her refusal to take part in the love test shows her independence and suggest a woman disenchanted by thee pomp and the pride that comes with royalty.
Edgar looses his independence in the play. For example when he has to take a new identity as tom because gloucester has disowned him and have sent out people to kill him. Edgar runs away to the forest and decides to take a new identity. Even though it may seem he might gain independence cause he has to depend on himself he has still lost who he was because he has to pretend to be someone else. In Edgar's soliloquy he highlights how poverty can undermine human dignity as he decides "to take the basest and most poorest shape" hides his identity by being poor mad beggar tom .This shows how he has lost his independence because he has to fight for himself, he doesn't have anyone else to help him and he cant show his true identity.
Likewise to Edgar, King Lear is also suffering. He is loosing his independence. For example when his daughters take the kingdom of him and he is left outside in the wilderness with nothing and he looses his mind. He didn't see through his daughters, he thought they loved him and that he would still have power even though he gave all his kingdom and power to them. He didn't see how evil and mean they could actually be. Maybe Goneril And Regan are only mean to him because he was never a good Father to them. They are treating him like he treated them. We never know how Lear treated his three daughters when they were younger but we can only imagine since we know that he has always favoured Cordelia over Regan and Goneril that it was always like that when they were younger. Goneril and Regan never got anything and were always second best to Cordelia so they are taking revenge on their Father now. Lear never thought he would loose Cordelia but now he has and Regan and Goneril don't need him anymore.
Comparative text;
The role of independence is seen in both King Lear and Pride. Both Cordelia and Joe show how they gain independence by being honest with their parent/parents and going against them. In 'Pride' Joe gains independence by leaving his family. After his parents find out that he is gay and his mum trying to blackmail him saying that being gay is just a sad life, Shan gives Joe the courage that he needs to leave his family. There is nothing wrong with being gay but Joe's parents are old fashioned and have different beliefs. Its sad that Joe's parents don't support him especially his Mum since he is the closest with her, the fact she tries to blackmail him into not being gay is horrible. Joe walking out is one of the most memorable moments in the play, it shows how much he has gained courage and independence. We can see by the expression on his face that he is happy walking out of the house we can tell he feels relief because his parents have been holding him back his whole life and now finally he can do what he wants to do. Which shows his independence.
Similarly in 'King Lear' Cordelia gains independence by telling her Father the truth and leaving him just like 'Pride'. Cordelia refuses to tell her Father that she loves him because she thinks it is wrong what he is doing. Lear is enraged and disowns Cordelia. He takes everything from her she is left with nothing however she doesn't seem to care that she doesn't have part of the kingdom she just wants to be happy. Unlike her two other sisters that just want the power where as Cordelia just wants her Father to know that shes upset with him. We know that she does love her Father because she comes back to him at the end unlike Joe in 'Pride' possibly he goes back to his parents in the future when they can accept him but we dont know we can only hope.She just doesn't like what he is doing for example when she vows 'to love and stay silent'. Her refusal to take part in the love test shows her independence and suggests a woman disenchanted by thee pomp and pride that comes with royalty. Being a woman as well shows her independence by sticking up to a man (her Father) who has great power.
Silas marner
The role of independence is seen in Silas Marner a lot. In all texts independence is seen when Silas, Edgar and Joe all leave their normal lives behind and start a new life. In Silas Marner, Silas is blackmailed and accused wrongly of taking the money by his supposedly best friend William Dane. Silas leaves Lantern Yard and decides to start his own life by himself which shows his independence we know this is hard for Silas to do he doesn't know anyone or even know where he is going and he is feeling hurt that the person that he thought he trusted would betray him like that all because he was jealous that Silas was getting married to a beautiful girl. Life is bad for Silas he has nobody, no one will come and talk to him because they think he's weird and that he is like a witch we don't see that it is hurting Silas but surely deep down it hurts him. When he loses his money he truly feels like he has lost everything except something even better comes into his life something just like gold but even better. Eppie changes Silas's life for the better and shows the independence that Silas gains from being a single father in a poor life. Nobody thought he could do it but he managed to raise Eppie into a lovely woman. This really shows how much independence Silas gained through the years.
Similarly in 'King Lear' Edgar also gains independence in a similar situation to Silas. Edgar is blackmailed by his brother. Edmund tells their Father that Edgar is trying to kill him. It is hard for Gloucester to believe because Edgar is such a good son and wouldn't do something like this. However Gloucester takes Edmunds side and disowns Edgar. Edgar could be killed at any moment and runs to the forest where he takes on s new identity as 'poor tom'. This shows his independence because he has decided that he will just start a new life as somebody else hoping that he won't be found out or killed. He is all by himself and he can't tell anyone who he actually is not even his father when he is saving him when Gloucester wants to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff. His own son saves him but he doesn't even know it because he is blind. You could argue that both in 'Silas marner' and 'King Lear' that both Silas and Edgar lose their independence which they do as well but they gain more independence by starting new lives by themselves and growing to become better people and by helping people/loved ones.
In the film 'Pride' the role of independence is shown in a few characters. For example we know that Joe gains his independence when he stands up for himself to his parents and leaves his home/his old life behind and starts a new life. The theme of new life is also similar to Silas and Edgar and their independence as well. Like Joe Gethin has also shown his independence by standing up for himself and leaving his home in Wales years ago. However we see the importance of family when Gethin goes back to his home in Wales that he hasn't been to in years and sees his Mother who finally accepts who he is because after all these years she can't change him but also she can't love him any differently the love doesn't go away. Even though Gethin already had independence by leaving his mother in the first place he still gains independence by going to see her again because he didn't know what the outcome would be, she could've just shut the door in his face and not talk to him but luckily we saw a happy ending for Gethin. because she finally accepts him. Hopefully one day Joe's parents will be able to do that too.
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