has relinquished his power and left himself defenseless against his.
daughters. .
Many characters in the play see the king's misjudgment, yet Lear's ignorance.
and determination to punish Cordelia for humiliating him in front of his.
kingdom and her rejection of his need for glorification stop him from heeding.
any given warnings. Kent is first to try to persuade the King of his.
misjudgment, "I"ll tell thee thou dost evil", only to be exiled with Cordelia. The.
two other daughters see Lear's mistake, but as it benefits them they do not.
express their skepticism to the kingdom. "He always loved our sister most,.
and with what poor judgement he hath now cast her off appears too grossly." .
Even the King of France expresses doubt at King Lear's reasoning. It is only.
the fool who can openly point out the king's absurdity, "this fellow has.
banished two on's daughters, and did the third a blessing against his will." .
He tells Lear that he is the fool but Lear is too conceited to take the fool's.
advice seriously. Lear: "Dost thou call me fool boy?" Fool: "All thy other titles.
thou hast given away".
His inability to see the truth is further demonstrated when Kent returns to aid.
his king and act as a guardian for the decrepit old man. Lear does not.
recognise his life-long servant through a petty disguise, and Kent stays.
Lear's most loyal servant. .
It is only once Goneril and Regan have refused to keep him and his knights,.
claiming his "insolent retinue do hourly carp and quarrel, breaking forth in.
rank and. riots", that Lear starts to see his naivete. He is so dismayed by.
the revelation that his daughter's declarations of love were false, that he,.
after cursing his daughters, "you unnatural hags I shall have such revenges.
on you both.", leaves the castle in his rage, foreshadowing his oncoming.
madness "O Fool, I shall go mad!". He has realised that while Cordelia had.
had the insight to see through her sister's ploy, ("time shall unfold what.