Reflection on King Lear

Reflection on King Lear英语142赵文静201402957Reflection on King LearAfter reading this book —King Lear, it seems that I have seen an impressing movie in which I hold my breath lest I miss one scene. No fierce fight, but the plot has haunted in my mind so far.With two main plots involved —one about King Lear and his three daughters, the other concerning Earl of Gloster and his two sons.King Lear wants to divide his realm among his three daughters, and offers the largest share to the one who loves him best. Goneril and Regan both proclaim in fulsome terms, which pleases him. For Cordelia, she speaks honestly but bluntly. Her tactless honesty enrages her father, who gives her nothing, dividing her portion between his other daughters. After the King Lear abdicated, Goneril and Regan forced him to leave his homeland. He became homeless. Cordelia knew the situation and leaded a group of troops to fight against her sisters. But unfortunately, she failed, and at last she was dead. In the end, the King Lear was in deep sorrow and died beside his little daughter. And the subplot, a story of the fortunes of Gloucester, another father suffering from filial ingratitude and from his false judgment of the characters of his children. The main plot and the subplot are interwoven with each other in the play.I would like to explain my thoughts in the following parts. Firstly, I will give priority to language. The play, King Lear, definitely proves the saying that language has its own power. What the characters say reflectstheir inner world, together with their standpoint, and thus present a vivid scene in my mind. From what the characters say, I am able to be furious as King Lear to be when he is abandoned by his two daughters. I can even experience the huge regret and anxiety when Gloucester knows that he is beguiled by his bastard son Edmund to kill his biological son Edgar.Moreover, different language, more accurately, different words represent distinct characters. Therefore, the various portrayals are authorized to have their own lives. They are tridimensional rather than rigid. So, I almost integrate myself into the play, I cry when they weep, I am gloomy when they are filled with sorrow.When Goneril asked King Lear to reduce his knights and banished him who gives her one third of his kingdom where she possessed, King Lear said desperately:“Suspend the purpose, if thou didstintend to make this creature fruitful!Into her womb convey sterility!Dry up in her the organs of increase,And from her derogate body never spring a baby to honor her!If she must teem, create her child of spleen,That it may live and be a thwart disnature’d torment to her!”Such words are full of antipathy, such a malicious curse that no living father shall say to his daughter. From his words the readers areinformed that the king’s heart breaks into pieces.Next, I would like to analyze some characters according to my understanding. There is no doubt that King Lear was a tragic figure. He convinced those wicked hearts under the cloak of sweet words. Therefore, he expelled his beloved daughter—Cordelia and his loyal eral—Kent. Maybe that was the beginning of the tragedy: evils laughed because they got what they dreamt of , however, the kinds were being calumniated. If he had realized what blunder he had made, such a tragedy would be avoided. But, until his two daughters refused to take care of him did he know that he was cheated.He was addicted in the exalting words instead of judging by fact and his own wisdom.Reflecting on King Leat. I remember a philosophical truth, that is: the essence is always hiding behind the phenomenon. Though King Lear’s tragedy, the significant perceptionI get is: Don’t bewitched by those attractive phenomena, judge everything by your own awareness, fairness and righteousness. Those who love you and support you never change their minds as time goes by. So , what you can’t judge or resolve immediately, just leave it to the time.Touched by Kent and Edgar, I can understand humanism which Shakespeare extolled in the period of the English renaissance. It was evident that Kent and Edgar were innocent, they were misunderstood and calumniated. Although they were in such agonizing situation, their loyaltyand love never changed. Kent disguised as a servant to accompany King Lear without complain and dissatisfaction. Edgar pretended to be insane in order to survive. When he came across his father Gloucester whose eyes were put out, he didn’t lose temper to blame him, instead, he comforted his father, supported him and helped him to survive. What he did ascribe to his enduring love to his father.On the one hand, Shakespeare criticizes foolishness and ignorance. On the other hand, he revels the kind and benevolent side of human beings. To some extent, Kent, Edgar and Cordelia stand for moral achievement which Shakespeare calls on in that society. Cordelia said: “O dear father!It is try business that I go about…No blown ambition doth our arms incite,But love, dear love, and our ag’d father’s right.”What she says is the value of humanism: respecting people and pursuing happiness. As Kent says, “to be acknowledg’s, is o’erpaid.”. to Kent, if his loyalty could be understood, that’s his comfort and happiness. Similarly, Cordelia’s happiness lies in loving her father forever.The theme of King Lear is not simply filialingratitude. The play depicts a great social upheaval. The miseries of Lear disclose the essence of a corrupt society; in which each is ready to destroy the other. No images are more frequently met with in the plat than the images ofanimals and beasts, the lion, the bear, the wolf, the fox, the dog, the monkey, the rat and the worm. This is a reflection of the juggle law of the age of primitive accumulation, symbolically presented with poignancy and power in the famous storm scene of the tragedy.Moreover, King Lear also presents Shakes peare’s affirmation of national unity and royal responsibility. The root of Lear’s tragedy lies in his irresponsibly dividing up his kingdom owing to mistaking his two daughters’ insincere flattery for genuine love. Here, Shakespeare seems to point out that the king, however great he might be, should be responsible to the people. If, in one way or another, he betrays the people’s trust, history will condemn him.Usually, people learn more from failure than success. Though the background of the play doesn’t apply to the modern world, the play is a sort of treasure waiting for people to read and take it into deep consideration. Like Francis bacon says, “history makes men wise.”. Besides experiencing by yourself, reading, reflecting together with summarizing provide you with unique and undistorted thoughts towards the world and people.上海世界图书出版公司出版发行2014年1月第1版第1次印刷。