King Lear; Loyalty & Betrayal Flashcards
(3 cards)
Discuss Cordelia’s Family Loyalty
When asked at the start of the play to express her love, Cordelia speaks in plain terms about what she understands her relationship with her father to be: “You have begot me, bred me, lov’d me… love you, and most honour you”. This displays a debatably tactless level of loyalty.
Cordelia’s actions following her departure to France are entirely motivated by her love for her father: “No blown ambition doth our afed father’s right”. It is also evident in the way she reacts to his mistreatment from her sisters: “Faith, once or twice she heaved the name of father… Sisters!
When Lear says that she has great reason to hate him. Cordelia’s reply is simple: “No cause, no cause”. This imbittered response from his past actions shows her unyielding loyalty for her Father. It is clear her loyalty is motivated by love.
Discuss Edgar’s Family Loyalty
When Edgar encounters his father, he exhibits his love for his father by escorting him to Dover and staging the fake attempt at suicide. His motivation for doing so is his determination to cure his father’s mind: “Why I do trifle with this despair / Is done to cure it”.
Edgar’s loyatly is also tested time and time again on the battlefield. First when he risks his life to Oswald to protect Gloucester and next when he risks his life to kill Edmund. His generous nature is on show when he displays forgiveness to his brother: “Let’s exchange charity / I am no less in blood then thou art, Edmund”.
Howevver it’s clear while Cordelia acts out of pure love for her father, Edgar is more motivated by a sense of duty. This is best seen in his “The gods are just” speech, where he implies that Gloucester had paid the penalty for his moral transgressions.
Discuss Lear, Regan and Goneril’s Family Betrayal
Lear firmly believes that Goneril and Regan will honours what he later describes as “The office of nature… dues of gratitude”. However Goneril and Regan feel no real ties of affection of loyalty to their father. This is highlighted by their apathy towards him being sent into the storm: “Tis his own blame; hath put himself from rest, / And must needs taste his folly”.
Aswell as not showing loyalty to their father, Goneril and Regan repeatedly betray each other. Their common desire for Edmund seperates them and by the plays climax they have become openly hostile. This abscence of loyalty is made abundantly clear by Goneril’s decision to poison Edmund.
Lear himself commits a great crime against ties of natural loyalty by banishing Cordelia.
