Perhaps the most intricate, unique, and magnificent relationship of all is the one between a parent and a child. Many questions arise about the love and hate relationship between parents and children in the story of King Lear. Although many stories tell the tale of love, turmoil, and reconciliation, King Lear displays one of tyranny and madness. The offspring of the playwright are corrupt in ways that are only imaginable through fiction; this corruption proves that even the most solemn of relationships are taint and evil. Relationships throughout time have caught the eye of readers and audiences alike, but none compare to the reckless story of King Lear.
While Goneril and Regan, the gluttonous and sinister daughters of King Lear, deceive their father to get the goods and the land, Cordelia, the most loving daughter, is truthful in her answer to her father’s doubts of her love for him. Cordelia states, ” Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave/ My heart into my mouth. I love your majesty/ According to my bond; no more nor less” (King Lear, 1.1.38-94). With this, King Lear sees that although Goneril and Regan are treacherous, they love him more than Cordelia ever will. In hopes to win the land, Goneril and Regan do everything they can to place their greed before their true love (if existent).
Gloucester is also swindled into the depths of a child’s attempt at glory and power. His genuine son, Edgar, and he are coaxed into the greed and envy of Gloucester’s bastard child, Edmund. Edmund undermines both his brother and father by causing calamity amongst the blood. It seems that Edmund strives to love, but can only be happy with wealth, fame, and authority. He banishes his brother and completely ruins the relationship between Gloucester and his legitimate son, Edgar. Edmund says, “And my invention thrive, Edmund the base/ Shall top the legitimate. I grow; I prosper/ Now, gods, stand up for bastards” (King Lear, 1.2.20-22). With only intentions to destroy Gloucester’s honor and family, Edmund also succeeds in sullying the relationship between legitimate father and son.
Upon completion of deceiving their father, Goneril, who houses her father, decides that all of their riches are not enough for her; she must eradicate all of her father’s power. King Lear finally realizes that Goneril has betrayed him; though he loves her, he curses her to never bear children. His love for her is not as strong as it once was; it forces King Lear to act in an uncivil manner to retaliate for all of the wrongdoing Goneril has caused him. King Lear, abound in rage, travels to the house of Regan to find comfort in her great love for him. It is at this point that King Lear realizes the colossal mistake he has made in overturning his power to his two least favorite daughters. Learning that neither daughter will house him and his men, King Lear becomes outraged that his daughters have betrayed his love and trust for the sake of fortune and influence.
With an aimless King and lost legitimate son amidst in a brewing storm, the underlying theme of bittersweet love and hate become lucid through pretext. Edmund furthers his attempt to destroy Gloucester by undermining his plans to save King Lear. Both parties fail to the likes of their children and fall to a tragic ending. Gloucester speaks after being blinded saying, “As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods/ They kill us for their sport” (King Lear, 4.1.37-38). Being blinded makes Gloucester finally see that his preference of child was chosen out of an indescribable occurrence driven by treachery. Maybe Gloucester and King Lear finally comprehended the damage that was instigated through the great divide amongst their children, or maybe their fate was predetermined by the fact that they were vulnerable to their already ignorant and naïve lives.
The truth lies in that even family is not to be granted with such great trust and love, and that the reality of relationships will always unfold between loved and hated ones. In most accounts, family is by far the most solemn and treasured piece of sanity left on this planet, but Gloucester and King Lear animated a finale that would live on as one of the most tragic and dismal events that ever occurred between parents and offspring.
