Essay on Biblical Imagery in King Lear - 934 Words

Biblical Imagery in Lear nbsp; Had King Lear been exposed to Christian Scriptures, he may have learned the folly of his prideful demand that his daughters vocally profess their love. The Scriptures clearly state that quot;if any tried to by love with their wealth, contempt is all they would get.quot; (Sg 8:7) Of course, had King Lear read and abided by the Scriptures, we would be wanting of a great work of literature. Lears situation closely fits the passage from the Song of Songs. In applying the passage to his story, we must analyze the argument presented in the passage. We see that the argument follows the Modus Ponens form, containing a premise and a conclusion that logically follows. The argument is†¦show more content†¦Our argument states that if the premise is true, then quot;contempt is all they would get.quot; (Sg 8:7) We see as evidence of contempt towards Lear in the fourfold rejection of the King. First, he is rejected by Goneril, with whom he is staying. She complains about the inconvenience caused by the reveling of Lears knights and declares quot;Ill not endure it.quot; (I,iii, 6) Lear is next rejected by Regan, who departs from her castle to Gloucesters castle rather than receive Lear at home. Regan urges Lear to repent of his indignation and quot;return you to my sister.quot; (II,iv, 178) Lear, enraged, decides to quot;abjure all roofsquot; and spend the night in the storm. (II,iv, 241) Regan then orders the gates barred against his return. The storm represents natures rejection of Lear. The winds have no respect for Lears kingship. Nature gives Lear nothing but contempt. Furthermore, Lears own mind rejects him as he is driven mad by his anger and sorrow. While it is true that he retains the loyalty of Kent, the Fool, Gloucester and Edgar, the general state of affairs shows that Lear gets nothing but contempt. Although he does receive love, it is not from those whose love he tried to purchase. Kent and the Fool, as ants in winter, love Lear unconditionally and forgo payment and comfort - even life for their beloved King. We see that Lears situation does adhere to the passagesShow MoreRelatedKing Lear, By William Shakespeare938 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s tragic play King Lear is a play that occupies a critical place in the great playwright’s cannon. Harold Bloom noted that it, along with Hamlet, can be thought of as a kind of â€Å"secular scripture or mythology†. If we accept Bloom’s reading, then it becomes possible to read the play as a kind of a parable and to read it’s symbolism in terms of the way that those symbols have been teased out in scripture and in mythology. 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