Motifs of King Lear

Three motifs from "King Lear" are: breaking of the heart, no recovery from grief, and human decomposition.

1. Breaking of the heart:

Breaking of the heart is evident when, in act 4 scene 1, Edgar says, "How should this be? Bad is the trade that must play fool to sorry, ang'ring itself and others. Bless thee, master!" Edgar and Gloucester cross paths not long after Gloucester's eyes had been gouged out. Despite the fact that Gloucester had treated Edgar horribly, Edgar's heart broke at the sight of his maimed father.

In act 4 scene 7 Lear awakes with Cordelia at his side. She was the only daughter who still cared for him, and Lear's heart broke when he remembered the hurt he had caused her. "[...] I know you do not love me; for your sisters have, as I remember, done me wrong. You have some cause, they have not."

2. No recovery from grief:

In act 5 scene 3 Edmund kills himself. Originally, Edmund thought that he must act as though he is evil because that is how he was destined to act. However, after Goneril and Regan die, he realizes that he has made some terrible mistakes, and attempts to correct them. Yet, he ends up committing suicide because he realized all the pain and trouble that he had caused.

Cordelia was the only daughter that stood by King Lear; and when she is murdered (act 5 scene 3), Lear never recovers. "[...] Look on her. Look, her lips, look there, look there. [he dies]"

3. Human Decomposition:

In Act 4 scene 6 Lear enters, adorned in flowers, and rants about many things (such as his daughters and adultery) to the disguised Edgar and Gloucester. This is the point when the readers see Lear begin to mentally decompose.

The readers see Goneril morally decompose in act 4 scene 2. As Albany said, "Proper deformity seems not in the fiend so horrid as in a woman." Not only was Goneril sending the English army to attack her sister, Cordelia, and their father, but she was planning to cheat on her husband and have an affair with Edmund.


Well, I suppose it's more than obvious that this play is not a commedy! ;)