Untitled Essay, Research Paper
In King Lear, a literary masterpiece by the world famousEnglish playwright William Shakespeare, there are severalevident points trying to be made about the proper role of achild to his or her parent. Through the characters ofLear?s daughters, and the Earl of Gloucester?s son and hisbastard son, Shakespeare tries to stress that a child shouldhave love for his or her parent or parents, respect for hisor her parent or parents, and most of all obey his or herparent or parents. Beginning in the first act Shakespeare tries to stressthe point that a child should love his or her parent orparents. Goneril, Lear?s eldest daughter, herself whenspeaking to Lear states, ?Sir, I love you more than wordscan wield the matter, Dearer than eyesight, space, andliberty….? and, ?A love that makes breath poor and speechunable. Beyond all manner of so much I love you.? Also,when Regan, Lear?s second born daughter refers to Goneril?slove for her father, she says, ?…I find she names my verydeed of love; Only she comes too short, that I professmyself an enemy to all other joys…? Cordelia, Lear?syoungest child, says, ?I love Your Majesty…? and also, ?Ireturn those duties back as they are right fit, obey you,love you…? It is obvious then, that Shakespeare feelsthat a child should love his or her parent or parents verymuch. William Shakespeare, or Big Willy, also put muchemphasis on respecting one?s parent or parents as well.Cordelia herself says that she honors her father when shestates, ?…you have begot me, bred me, loved me. I returnthose duties back as they are right fit, Obey you, love you,and most honor you.? Big Willy feels that even if a childdoes not love his or her parent or parents, then they stillmust respect and honor them. Honoring someone and Lovingsomeone are two totally different things. One can honorsomething and not love it, though it would be hard to nothonor something that one truly loves. Take for instancethis fact. I have much respect for the boogey man. I meancome on, this guy has evaded all scientific probes forcenturies, is able to operate outside the laws of physics,like being able to walk into a closet but as soon as thelights come on he?s gone, and has the power to rip you toshreds with his bare hands. It?s a little known fact thatsheets were actually invented as a protective barrier fromhim. Even with all his power, as long as you are under thesafety of the sheets, he his harmless. So it is evident Irespect the Boogey man, but I don?t love him. I?d have tobe some sort of freak to do that. Finally, and most importantly, Big Willy Shakespearefeels that even if a parental/child relationship is ?sans?love or respect, the child still must obey his or her parentor parents. This is evident in the ways that King Lear?sdaughters and Gloucester?s bastard son treats their fathers.In act one scene one, Lear wants his daughters to tell himthat hey love him more than anything else in the world andthen he wants to make out with them for a while. Now evenif you didn?t want to do this, your father told you to, soyou have no choice, as far as I can tell. Cordelia feltdifferently, however. She flat told him how it was. Shewas all like, ?Why have my sisters husbands if they say theylove you all? Haply, when I shall wed, that lord whose handmust take my plight shall carry half my love with him, halfmy care and duty. Sure I shall never marry like my sisters,to love my father all.? Then King Lear was all like, ?HereI disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity, and propertyof blood, and as a stranger to my heart and me hold theefrom this forever.? In other words, he was just madebecause he wanted her to make out with him, because he?s adirty, crazy old man, and when she wouldn?t do it, he gotmad at her and disowned her. Sounds like the story of mylife. In conclusion, King Lear is a play full of chills,thrills, spills, and kills, but amidst all the action, orextremely sufficient lack thereof, it is easy to miss thedeep underlying meaning: there is a proper role for achild. This proper role is for the child to love his or herparent or parents, respect his or her parent or parents, andmost of all to obey his or her parent or parents. There isyet another even deeper conclusion that can be drawn fromthis play too. It was most likely only picked up on by theauthor of this essay, however, but it is this: Shakespearesucks.