Throughout our lives, we go through many stages where we question our character. We must keep in mind the persona we display for the public as well as the shadow we keep buried deep within ourselves. At some point in our lives, we may or may not reach individuation where we understand who we truly are and our outlook on life is transformed. In King Lear by William Shakespeare, we assess the character of Lear and how he develops through events caused by his bad decisions using the psychoanalytic theory. .
The persona is a mask that is displayed for the public and can change depending on one's surroundings or situation. The persona plays a large role throughout the play as characters are constantly scheming against each other to achieve more power. When looking at Lear's psychological development in connection to the persona, it is easy to see why he crumbled. Firstly, he wants to have the title of king but not take on any responsibilities of a king. After Reegan and Goneril take over the kingdom, he loses that persona which makes him uncomfortable. This causes him to have a very negative self-image where he sees himself as inferior and ugly. Personality theorists say that "underneath all the padding one would find a very pitiable creature " (Guntrip, 104). In this case, Lear's true self is a pitiable creature after he loses the persona of a king. He displays this facade of aggressiveness but in reality he is a very reflective and introverted person. According to social scientists, the "reason behind aggressive behaviour is due to fear of rejection " (Guntrip, 52). When Lear asked Cordelia to say how much she loved him, she replied with "Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave/My heart into my mouth. I love your majesty/According to my bond; no more nor less. "(1.1.90 "92) Lear instantly felt rejected and enraged causing him to banish his daughter form the kingdom. He should not place himself in a situation where he would always have to role play and not be true to himself.
William Shakespeare was a great English playwright, dramatist and poet who lived during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Macbeth and King Lear are two of his tragedies that exemplify one of his themes he used - madness. Shakespeare has many portraits of madness among his character...
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