Destruction of the Old Order in King Lear Act I

In the starting line wager of officefulness Lear Shakespeare turns the order of world of the play cover down. By the remove of the maiden act near every characters station in life has been changed significantly. Lear has accustomed past his power, he has destroyed his family by disownment one daughter and angered a nonher, and he has banished his nigh trusted advisor.When the play begins, Lear is King of England. He has capacious ruled and apparently has done so competently. He holds each(prenominal) power in England. Although Lear has advisers, notably Kent and Gloucester, it is displace that Lear is in charge and he keeps his own counsel and makes his own decisions. The play opens with his two advisers, the Earls of Kent and Gloucester being move that Lear no eight-day appears to prefer Gonerils husband the Duke of capital of New York over Regans husband Duke of Cornwall. I thought the King had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall (I.i.1-2).Due to his no nstarter to keep his advisers involved in the decision do process, he at times makes rash decisions such as the disowning of Cordelia (I.i.113-116), the dividing of his farming between Goneril and Regan (I.i.127-138), and the banishing of his surmount and most loyal advisor Kent (I.i.173-178). By the end of Act I Lear seems impotent. He is no thirster the powerful King of England. He is no longer recognized as King.Goneril has instructed her consideration Oswald to put on what weary negligence you please (I.iii.12) toward Lear. When the once powerful Lear asks Oswald Who am I, sir? (I.iv.78) the servant insolently replies My ladys father (I.iv.79) enraging Lear that a servant should treat him not as king, but as the father of the servants lady. His power, status, and social standing have collapsed.As a father Lear doesnt fare much conk out than he did as king. At the plays beginning he is an all-powerful patriarch and expects everyone to completely agree with and render to his every whim. In many ways he is like a spoiled child. He seeks and demands constant, exclusive upkeep. Lear solicits affection from his daughters which of you shall we say doth love us most, (I.i.51). When the attention is positive and according to his wishes he exhibits an almost saucer-eyed happiness.Although it is evident Goneril and Regan are engaging in hyperbole, Lear is lucky and rewards his two elder daughters with one third of England each. When he asks his favorite daughter Cordelia how much she loves him he is thwarted with her answer and throws a tantrum, here I disclaim all my paternal care (I.i.113). By the end of the startle act Lears demands have not changed.When Goneril argues with him and complains about the carriage of his knights, Lear has another fit of anger and runs away from Goneril to Regan as if he were a schoolboy running away from home. He no longer is the proud father of tierce daughters, but has banished Cordelia, angered and run away from Gone ril, and pins his hopes on his middle daughter Regan.When Act I ends Lear is no longer the center of social attention. When he first appears on stage the stage directions indicate that a flourish is sounded and Lear enters with his three daughters, his two sons-in-law and an unspecified sum of attendants. In the final scene his presence is not announced with a flourish. His daughters and sons-in-law are not present. Lears yet attendants are the banished Kent (disguised as Caius) and Lears jester known barely as Fool.Lear is not alone in his erroneous behavior toward his children. Gloucester behaves similarly to Lear. He is used to his power and makes rash, unwise decisions. When the play opens Gloucester appears to be somewhat discredited of his second son, Edmund who is a bastard for he keeps him away from court, he hath been out nine years, and away he shall again (I.i.32-33).Gloucesters older son Edgar is clearly his favorite. that he is quick to believe Edmund when Edmund plots against Gloucester. Edgar clearly mirrors Goneril, as Gloucester is quick to believe the fictive accusations made by Edmund and force Edgar into hiding. Edgar also mirrors Kent in that he returns in Act II dressed as scurvy Tom of Bedlam. As Tom Edgar accompanies his father and helps him salutary as Kent helps Lear.Cordelias status changes greatly in the first act. Initially she was Lears favorite daughter. She went from a highly sought-after(a) after bride-to-be with a large dower to a woman with no dowry who is refused by the Duke Burgundy and accepted, without dowry by the King of France. When she refuses to kowtow to Lear with false praise her status is destroyed. Although she clear loves her father she is banished and strained to leave England.By the end of Act I Lear is no longer the proud, powerful King of England. By his own hand he has destroyed his kingdom and his family. Shakespeare has stripped Lear of his armor and has exposed Lear with all of his vulnerabili ties and foibles.By removing the old order in the first act, Shakespeare provides a vehicle for the readers and members of the audience to explore the real constitution of the characters behind the facades each character displays in earth life when the play begins. Each of the characters will bring on his or her true nature throughout the balance wheel of the play. These revelations provide the tension and the interest of King Lear. whole caboodle CitedThe Tragedy of King Lear. The Riverside Shakespeare. Boston Houghton Mifflin Co. 1974. 1255-1295.