An Analysis on the Humanity of King Lear1.doc

an analysis on the humanity of king lear 第 1 页 共 12 页 浅析李尔王的人性主题浅析李尔王的人性主题 an analysis on the humanity of king lear an analysis on the humanity of king lear 第 2 页 共 12 页 abstract: in king lear, shakespeare adopts the form of play to elaborate the complicated concept human nature. shakespeare creates many characters and the fascinating plots to reveal different implications of human nature. according to the characteristics of human nature, this thesis intends to divide all the characters into three groups. accordingly, the body of this thesis consists of three parts. the first part is devoted to a study of the human nature of lear and gloucester by analyzing the characters and the plots. their human nature is relatively complex because they have the intrinsic kind nature as well as the defects of human nature, which lead to the tragic result. lears perversity and credulity make lear himself, cordelia and kent suffer misfortune. gloucesters credulity makes gloucester himself and edgar suffer from disaster. by suffering, both of them learn their lessons slowly and the suffering seems to have humanized him showing a new human nature, more beautiful than before. the second part discusses the human nature of goneril, regan and edmund, who are a group of characters with cruelty, selfishness and lust. they generate the conflicts with the others in the play and directly cause the tragedy. the third part makes a study of human nature of cordelia, kent and edgar, who are a group characters with unselfishness, sincerity and fidelity, which are advocated by this play and the whole world forever. key words: human nature； king lear； tragedy 摘摘 要要：在李尔王中， 莎士比亚用戏剧形式阐述了“人性”这个既简单又复杂的话 题。具体地说，莎士比亚在这部悲剧里用各种人物形象和情节展现了“人性”这 一概念的不同侧面的多重含义。通过对人物和剧情的分析，本文把剧中人物分为 三类, 因此正文分为三部分。第一部分通过对人物性格特点和剧情的分析，解读 李尔王和辅线中主要人物格罗斯特的人性。这种“人性”是复杂的。本性的“善” 与“人性”的弱点之间的矛盾，往往由于“人性”的弱点诸如李尔的刚愎自用、 昏庸愚蠢；格罗斯特的盲目轻率、草率鲁莽，导致悲剧发生。经过人生痛苦不幸 甚至灾难的历练达到人性的升华。李尔和格劳斯特的命运正说明了这一点。第二 部分阐述了考狄利娅、肯特、爱德伽等人他们身上所体现出的“至真” 、 “至善” 、 “至爱”的人性光辉。这是这部悲剧也是人类社会大力弘扬的人本应具有的美 好人性。第三部分分析了高纳里尔、里根和爱德蒙这一类人自私、虚伪和残忍的 本性。他们是悲剧的直接制造者，最后难以逃脱灭亡的命运。 关键词：关键词：人性；李尔王；悲剧 an analysis on the humanity of king lear 第 3 页 共 12 页 contents i. introduction.1 a. introduction of the author.1 b. introduction of the drama1 ii. an analysis on the humanity.2 a. embodiment of double nature.3 1. king lears nature.3 2. gloucesters nature.6 b. embodiment of kind nature.7 1. human nature in cordelia.7 2. human nature in kent7 3. human nature in edgar.8 c. representatives of evil nature.9 1. human nature in goneril and regan.9 a. women of selfishness9 b. women of lust.9 c. women of cruelty9 2. human nature in edmund.10 a. a man of craft10 b. a man of cruelty10 iii. conclusion10 works cited.12 an analysis on the humanity of king lear 第 4 页 共 12 页 i. introduction a. introduction of the author william shakespeare (1564-1616) was the greatest writer of the english renaissance. his playshistory, comedy, tragedyreach the highest point of world literature. he was born in straford-upon-avon and spent his childhood and youth there. in 1586, he left his hometown and went to london. for a time, he did some odd jobs in a theater and later acted some minor roles in plays. while leading a busy life of an actor, shakespeare began to revise old plays and writes new ones at the rate of about two plays a year. altogether he wrote 37 plays, 154 sonnets and 2 long poems. he died on april 23, the anniversary of his birthday in 1616. with his 37 plays, 154 sonnets and 2 long poems, he has established his giant position in world literature. he has also been given the highest praises by various scholars and critics the world over. in the past four hundred years, books and essays on shakespeare and his works have kept coming out in large quantities. he is not only a master of english language but also a genius of character portrayal and plot construction. ben jonson once wrote a poem eulogizing shakespeare as being “not of an age, but for all time.” shakespeare has been universally acknowledged to be the summit of the english renaissance and the greatest of all dramatists the world over. he has included the world of nature and of men. to study nature in his works is like going into a great city. shakespeares plays are usually divided into four classes: comedies, histories, tragedies and romances. shakespeares plays communicate a profound knowledge of the wellsprings of human behavior, revealed through portrayals of a wide variety of characters. shakespeare has been keen known all over the world and has been translated into many different languages. b. introduction of the book king lear is thematically more universal than hamlet. lear, the aging king of britain, decides to step down from the throne and divide his kingdom evenly among his three daughtersgoneril, regan, and cordelia. and lear gives the shares away according to the protestations of love the girls cook up for him. goneril and regan end up getting the whole of it between them as the youngest princess only says that she loves her father according to her duty. the father is livid with rage, gives her nothing, and, an analysis on the humanity of king lear 第 5 页 共 12 页 marries her off to the king of france. but when they have got what they wanted, the two elder daughters mistreat their father and finally turn him out in a storm. he goes insane. the king of france comes with an army to his rescue but suffers defeat, cordelia is hanged, and lear dies in agony. a parallel subplot runs on the loyalty of kent, gloucester, and gloucesters estranged son edgar, reinforcing the theme of the major plot. in the past 400 years, many famous critics and scholars have studied and analyzed king lear, one of the greatest tragedies written by william shakespeare. it was published in 1606. the literary bias in criticism always regarded king lear as something of retrogression. but many modern critics have paid more and more attention to king lear and have given high praise to it. for instance, samuel, johnson said, “the tragedy of lear is deservedly celebrated among the dramas of shakespeare. there is perhaps no play which keeps the attention so strongly fused; which so much agitates our passions and interests our curiosity.” a.c. bradley, the preeminent shakespeare scholar of the early twentieth century, has given many classic comments on king lear. in his shakespeare tragedy, he shows his opinions that “king lear has again and again been described as shakespeares greatest work, the best of his plays, the tragedy in which he exhibits most fully his multitudinous powers; and if we were doomed to lose all his dramas except one, probably the majority of those who know and appreciate him best would pronounce for keeping king lear. when i am feeling that it is greater than any of these, and the fullest revelation of shakespeares power, i find i am not regarding it simply as a drama, but am grouping it in my mind with works like the prometheus vinctus and the divine comedy, and even the greatest symphonies of beethoven and the status in the medici chapel.” i am so interested in his comments on king lear that i have read his lectures carefully and derived inspiration from his works, which enables me to understand king lear better. ii. an analysis on the humanity in king lear, shakespeare shows demarcation line between what is evil and what is good, and this is mainly reflected in his characterizing. shakespeare divided his characters into two patterns: good and evil. in regard to goneril, regan, cornwall and edmund, he finds himself confronted by wild beasts; against them are ranged the no less “nature” forces of good in cordelia, edgar, the earl of kent, and gonerils an analysis on the humanity of king lear 第 6 页 共 12 页 husband the duke of albany. the conflicts are also the course of lears spiritual pilgrimage from arrogance into humiliation, misery, madness, and finally rebirth into child-like simplicity and humility. yet, it is just at this point, when he seems to have earned an innocent happiness that his tragic suffering culminates, since cordelia meets her death in the very hour of victory. a. embodiment of double nature 1. king lears nature a salient characteristic of lear is his indiscretion. the nature of his word, however, demands that he wield power carefully. lears is a rash king. the final result is compounded by further and more mistakes which reveal that lear is a failure not only as king as father and man. for example, which of you shall we say doth love us most? those we our largest bounty may extend where nature doth with merit challenge?(shakespeare 17) through these lines, we are not difficult to know that lear is self-indulgent, acting the proud father, and showing his love for his daughters with the expectation that they will reciprocate. besides, he is trying to bring some warmth to an official event. by asking statements of love, lear puts the throne ahead of family duty. he begins the sacred connected with his children into a ceremony for the pleasure of the royal court and the self-gratification. kent knows lears stupid, and has quarreled with the authority. he warns that lear should hold his power and his wealth. but lears response is lamentable, and kent is quarreled with lear for this, however, lear draws his sword in fury, a symbol of manhood frustrated and eager to exert itself. his banishment of kent is the final indication of his temper, which we drust never yet-and with straind pride to come between our sentence and our power, which nor our nature nor our place can bear.(shakespeare 26) through these lines lear mentions another word that becomes important in this play, “nature.” in another word, it means “temperament” or “personality.” lears stress is on the inherent power of the throne, a personal version of “might makes right.” no one has the right to question one of his, the kings behaviors. through the tragedies, shakespeare dramatizes the need for a central power in running country. nevertheless an analysis on the humanity of king lear 第 7 页 共 12 页 he expresses that authority must be responsive to the needs of the people. an attractive characteristic of lear is his perversity. as a king owns the title, status, and prerogatives, however he wants to give up the throne. he has determined to divide his kingdom among his three daughters who, with their husbands, will govern their respective areas, under his titular power. in the first scene of the play he facially holds a meeting which the best portion of the kingdom will assign the daughter who loves her best of the three. he has already made his division. but before this, he has decided to give goneril and regan exactly portions, and to give cordelia a portion bigger than these. why should lear ask the daughters to speak of their love before he assigns their portions if he has made his decision already? i think that he wants to confirm in his own mind, or overtly to show as sound, his formerly decision as to the degrees of love for him. however this will hardly do. because when the first daughter has spoken, lear grants her portion before hearing the second; and when the second has spoken, he grants her portions before hearing the third. making his daughters speak of their love is just that he loves to hear praised. he knew that goneril would toady him, and regan would also toady, and he likes their toady. he confirmed that his lovely daughter cordelia would toady him too. this business is already determined. lear inclines to enjoy the summit of the performance he has staged. however, the words which he wants to hear do not come, and he promptly cut the relationship with his daughter cordelia. he is short of self- control. lears perversity doesnt allow kent to open his mouth when kent wants to advice lear and protect cordelia. kent only just says a word; “good my liege-” lear promptly interrupts him, and saying: “peace, kent! come not between the dragon and his wrath” (shakespeare 22). kent rebuts that he is not scared to lose his life, and saying, my life i never held but as a pawn to wage against thine enemies; nor fear to lose it, thy safety being motive.(shakespeare 24) lear frightens kent, he says, “the bow is bent and drawn; make from the shaft” (shakespeare 22).and he continues to cry, “kent, on thy life, no more” (shakespeare 24). from this, it is not difficult to see that lear is so stupid that kents faith can not be comprehended, and he is abandoned by his king lear. an analysis on the humanity of king lear 第 8 页 共 12 页 evidently, the abandonment of cordelia and kent shows lears perversity. his characteristic has been formed when he is a king. “better thou/hadst not been born than not to have pleasd me better” (shakespeare 30). the people who are always around him usually connives him, for this reason led to his self-gratification, and he becomes irritable. in the fist two acts, it is not difficult to see that he is impatient when he is demanding the food, service or attention. lear is the leading role in king lear, he heads not only of a family, but also of a state, and he is every inch a king and every inch human. he decides to give up his power by dividing his kingdom among his three daughters. his decision is utterly human. it is natural that his daughters should love him deeply and must be completely loyal to him. he has a dream of an idyllic state while being spared its responsibilities. instead of owning the kingdom, he will be cared for by his lovely daughters. of course, it is a kind of traditional idea. lear is kind and full of love, but his comprehending of love is wrong. he wants to express his love and kindness by his division. the elderly king feels he is so old that he should retire from his throne and appoint his young daughters to manage the national affairs. he thinks that the division can avoid the conflicts. he also thinks that if his daughters owned his power and wealth, his daughters will have to devote their lives to repaying him. by giving them all, he expects to get all from them in return. his generous will justify his wrong. he seems to want to show that he is a kind, generous and loving father. he is sure that he obtains his daughters gratitude. unfortunately, he is so disappointing to his the most love daughter cordelia in the love test. “i love your majesty. according to my bond; nor more nor less.” she says. as a father, lears love test is obviously wrong; as a king, his division will lead to confusion. moreover, his inherent nature is given further explanation in the storm. lear says, how shall your houseless heads and unfed sides, your loop and windowd raggedness, defend you from seasons such as these? o, i have taen too little care of this! take physic, pomp.(shakespeare 140) lear recognizes that the most “poor naked wretches” lack food, shelter and clothing. he expresses his sympathy for the poor, and it indicates his inherent nature which is very kind. however, through the whole play, we can see that king lear is a story of moral growth. by the end of the play, he cleansed his faults and recognized the reality. an analysis on the humanity of king lear 第 9 页 共 12 页 however, he vary comes too late to retrieve the final result. through this matter, lear learns wisdom. he learns to be more patient. he learns that he is also a man through a king. he learns regret, modest and courteous, and merciful. lears journey starts before the storm. however, it is not until his encounters have arrived to the top of the storm, when he entered the frenzied, we can feel the self- confidence that he is completely going to reach the spiritual goal. for the first time lear gets ready to handle his mistakes, “i am a man / more sinnd against than sinning” (shakespeare 132). he accepts his own faults. this moment also displays a new humanity from lear, when he shelters the fool by bringing him into a cave. from the act iii scene iv, lear expresses his sympathy for the poor. the moment is amazing. a king who has indulged the absolute power finally realizes that his life has been founded on mistaken value 2. gloucesters nature gloucester is light-hearted and careless in his youth and credulous, superstitious and hesitation in his old age. just like lear, he is completely blind to the real nature of man in his early years. as a father, he mistakes his love and trust, it is not until he has his eyes opened that he becomes understanding his folly and reality of the world. his encounters, like lears, dating from his folly and injustice. his encounters, again, like lears, chaste and enlighten him. he even learns equally lesson as lear. finally, gloucester dies the same way as lear. the first scene displays lears shortcoming. scene ii displays gloucesters weakness. when gloucester asks edmund what he is hiding, edmund says, “nothing, my lord” (shakespeare 38). and gloucesters rebut recalls us of lears earlier smug parody. from this, we can see that gloucester is short of insightful. he takes from edmund a letter, it seems written by edgar. the letter seemingly implies that edgar will soon be committed a crime. gloucester curses in rage, “he cannot be such a monster-” (shakespeare 42). through this matter, gloucester tries to accuse outside power for human misjudgment. he senses that his brain is confusion, and he declines to take responsibility on himself. why does he not ask edgar why he turns immediately and without exasperation? why does he not think that edgar would flee after bringing a letter to edmund? an analysis on the humanity of king lear 第 10 页 共