Whilst the two characters which return to nature, Lear and Edger, realise the seductive corruption or materialism (money, land and luxury) and power, Goneril, Regan and Edmund are eventually destroyed by their selfishness and ambition. However, Edger, and especially Lear, discover compassion by realising the importance of collectivism in nature rather than the individualism of society. The transition of Lear from a materialistic gilded figure to the almost naked bestial object of nature is possibly the most striking change as it is a complete reversal. G. Wilson Knight wrote that, "Lear revolts from man, tries to become a thing f elemental, instinctive life: since rational consciousness has proved unbearable", which captures the essence of Lear's transition perfectly. Although it can be seen as an epiphany ("Poor Naked wrenches, whersoe"er you are" -speech) the change has been budding since the beginning when Lear is most materialistic. He constantly uses "nature" imagery, "Shadowy forests" "Plenteous rivers" and "wide-skirted meads" and later animal, "Dragon and his wrath" "mongrel" and "serpents" as if his mind subconsciously lingers on nature, and it seeps into his speech. It is possibly for this reason that King Lear is such a natural play, as apposed to Macbeth or Hamlet which would be more super-natural. The vast majority of the play is set outside, which give Shakespeare the opportunity to draw his language from the characters" surroundings, which may also explain the extensive use of "nature" and "animal" imagery throughout. Lear constant obsession throughout the play, Justice, is manmade and does not exist in nature (if it does not rain one year, it does not necessarily mean it has to rain the next). This fatal flaw prevents him returning to sanity and completely discarding the structures of society imprinted into his mind. .
One could say that his "human nature" does not allow him to become completely accepted into nature.