ANALYSIS

King Lear (Act V, Scene III) “The British Camp near Dover”

In the last part of this book, we can read a sad and gloomy story because almost all the main characters died tragically killing each other, only for power, ambitious, jealous and remorse.

The wave of death raises many doubts into reader’s feelings, because innocent people died as well as bad people leaving a non-clear sense of justice or if the right ones triumphed over their wrong ones.

At the beginning of this scene, the King Lear and his younger daughter Cordelia were captured by Edmund and both sent to the prison. Before they were sent to the prison, Lear described themselves “we two alone will sing like a birds in the cage regarding the prison” (V. III. line 9). This suggests that Lear, perhaps, just wanted to enjoy his last moment (Perhaps, he would know that his death was close) in prison with his lovely daughter because her sisters were blinded by getting the throne, standing against his father (As the proverb: biting the hand that feeds you).

After that, we can read that Regan, Albany and his wife, Goneril, entered in scene praising Edmund for his achievement. However, they apparently did it for convenience in order to gain power, but Albany was a kind of sympathetic to the Lear’s cause, despite his wife and her sister were against him, because Albany required of them to use them. Edmund refused to give them by lying to him.

King Lear and Cordelia in his arm.

Then, the climax of the scene was the duel between the illegitimate brother, Edmund (bastard) and the legitimate, Edgar (both Gloucester’s son). This was the beginning of a series of disastrous events because after Edmund was defeated, Albany brought out a letter stating the conspiracy against him by his wife and Edmund. Then, Edgar who came undercover revealed his identity and told what he did during a period. Besides, Goneril poisoned her sister, Regan, and then committed suicide. Edmund repented his crimes, that is the reason why he sent Edgar to stop the murder of Cordelia who was in prison, just to be hanged, but he arrived too late. Finally, King Lear, in a mad condition, out of sanity, appeared carrying the dead body of Cordelia and talking to her, finishing the deaths when Lear died. It seemed that he could not bear the death of his daughters as no parent would bear (As the proverb: the blood is thicker than the water, [Everyman]).


In the final part, we can analyze some important statements from the characters:

Albany: “All friends shall taste the wages (salary) of their virtue, and all foes (enemies) the cup of their deserving” (V. III. lines 301-303) meaning that, in some way, justice exists despite the means that would be taken, in this case, dying all antagonists, but moreover, the good characters making it a contradictory statement.

Lear: “Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, and you no breath at all?” (V. III. lines 305-306). He was in desperation and kind of mad due to Cordelia’s death, raising the question if there is justice in the world. Hopeless and the truth that death comes to all, despite if old or young, is the way to answer Lear’s question.

Description of Characters:

King Lear: The old king of Britain and the protagonist of the play. He likes power and being complimented, so his daughters inherit that and he is bad tempered. At the end, he shows himself as a regretful and painful person. Besides, he inspires respect and loyalty since many characters give him honor.

Cordelia: Lear’s youngest daughter, in an attempt to help her father, she is captured with him. She remains loyal to Lear despite his cruelty toward her and forgives him.

Regan: Lear’s middle daughter and the wife of the duke of Cornwall. Regan seems to be as merciless as Goneril, because both were forward to the same goal. She competes jealously for the same man, Edmund.

Goneril: Lear’s merciless oldest daughter and the wife of the duke of Albany. Goneril is jealous, a traitor, and with no sense of moral. She acts like an insensitive girl.

Edmund: Gloucester’s younger, illegitimate son (bastard). He is a successful character in his purposes, but he who is full of hatred because of his childhood causes destruction and ruin to all of the other characters. However, he regrets his act at the end when he is dying suggesting that he, may be, was a coward (because you can not regret to have done such bad things in your latest moments, it is cowardice).

Edgar: Gloucester’s older, legitimate son. Edgar came, in this last chapter, to avenge his brother’ treason and wounded him seriously. Edgar is valiant, decided.

Albany: The husband of Lear’s daughter Goneril. Albany is good, but indecisive because he was supporting his wife’s cause. However, he realizes that she is a evil, and then supporting his mates Edgar and Kent.

Kent: A nobleman of the same rank as Gloucester who is a loyal servant to the King Lear. The King did not recognized Kent or “Caius,” but he is welcome then.