King lear

            " I am a man more sinned against than sinning," this is Lear's evaluation of himself when he is at his weakest. This quotation is derived from the storm scene in Act 3 Scene 2. Before we accept this we must take into account his condition. His two eldest daughters who earlier expressed a "love that makes breath poor and speech unable" and professed to be, "an enemy to all other joys", have just rejected him. He sees his suffering as being sinned against. Although the statement itself reminds us of "Which of you should we say doth love us most," we see he has improved into at least acknowledging that he has sinned. He also is able to accept the fool's truthful but painful remarks about how foolish he has been; we can compare this with his earlier prejudice in act 1 scene 1 when similar statements from Kent and Cordelia lead to their banishments.
             Of Lear's character arrogance and vanity are his fatal flaws that pave the way for his downfall from grace. Even before his opening scene we hear the words of his subjects, "I thought the king had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall." Here they are discussing Lear's unpredictable nature and rash fickle mind. This prepares us for the forthcoming scene where we hear it from his own mouth deciding the nations fate from three testimonies of his daughters loves, "Which one of should we say doth love us most." He is trying to measure love in a way it should not be measured. Not only this he is constantly trying to quantify love with a biased manner as we see again in Act 2 Scene 4- "Thy fifty yet double five and twenty. And thou art twice her love.".
             The rash and rigid one-dimensional mind of Lear's is fooled many times by Goneril and Regan who combine forces to crush Lear into the ground. "We must do something and it'h' heat.".
             Amongst the abyss of the "gilded butterflies," Lear does not see through the immorality of the truth telling Cordelia as he clearly disowns and disinherits her, "Here I disclaim all my parental care," and, "thy truth can be thy dower.