justice in king lear essay

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A Theme of Justice in King Lear by William Shakespeare

• Categories: King Lear Literary Devices William Shakespeare

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Words: 988 |

Published: Feb 8, 2022

Words: 988 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited

• Bloom, H. (Ed.). (2007). King Lear (Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations). Chelsea House Publications.
• Boyce, C. (2000). Shakespeare A to Z: The Essential Reference to His Plays, His Poems, His Life and Times, and More. Delta.
• Brown, J. (2014). Shakespeare and Psychoanalytic Theory. Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare.
• Foakes, R. A. (Ed.). (1997). King Lear (The New Cambridge Shakespeare). Cambridge University Press.
• Garber, M. (2016). Shakespeare and Modern Culture. Anchor.
• Greenblatt, S. (2005). Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Holland, P. (2013). A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare : 1599. Penguin.
• Kastan, D. S. (2009). King Lear: A Norton Critical Edition (3rd ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.
• Maguire, L. (2018). Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello , King Lear, Macbeth (3rd ed.). Routledge.
• Wells, S., & Stanton, S. (Eds.). (2006). The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Stage. Cambridge University Press.

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• Justice in King Lear

In William Shakespeare’s, King Lear­, the concept of justice is a theme that many characters struggle with. There is a prominent emphasis on the question of whether there is moral righteousness in the world which would demand that every crime committed must have an equally appropriate punishment.

However, is justice served when some characters crimes and punishments are in equilibrium, while other characters punishments far surpass their crimes? Justice can be served by the characters being given fair punishments, however, ultimately justice in King Lear is served the best when the punishment surpasses the crime because the knowledge and compassion that the character gains have an everlasting effect on their life and ultimately makes them a better person.

For characters such as Edmund, Cornwall, Regan and Goneril it can be accepted that justice has been served because their punishments completely coincide with their crime. Edmund, the son of Gloucester, commits many crimes throughout King Lear and repeatedly exhibits disloyalty to achieve his goals. Not only is Edmund the underlying reason as to why his brother Edgar is banished, he is also responsible for the death of Lear’s beloved daughter Cordelia.

Edmund’s selfish and destructive actions tear his family apart and result in the innocent murder of Cordelia.  Edmund dies after battling his disguised brother and after all the grief that he causes, his death is highly anticipated.  Edmund dies exactly how many feel he should; he inflicted pain on others and his death can be seen as an appropriate punishment.

Cornwall, who was the husband of Regan, is not a fundamental character however through his actions such as the gouging out of Gloucester’s eyes; he had a major impact on the play. Cornwall’s cruelty and disrespectfulness towards Gloucester is not just, and one of the servants stands up and voices how wrong this act is.

The action of the servant ultimately causes the death of Cornwall which supports the notion that justice is served because Cornwall’s cruelty and inhumanness result in the death he deserves. Regan and Goneril, Lear’s two eldest daughters, are selfish and malicious characters who take advantage of Lear’s vulnerability. Their spiteful ways begin when they lie about their love for their father so that they will inherit more land but when Lear needs them most they banish him from their home.

Once again justice prevails because Regan and Goneril’s death was a direct result of their conniving ways. Goneril poisons Regan out of jealousy and then Goneril stabs herself. Ultimately, all of these characters receive a punishment that is in line with their crime but they do not learn anything from their mistakes and therefore are unable to become better people.

Even though many of the characters in Shakespeare’s tragedy are horrible people who deserve their punishments, there are also characters such as Lear and Gloucester who did not deserve the extent of their punishments. Lear is introduced into the play as being a selfish man who values public displays of affection over honesty and he irrationally banishes Cordelia and Kent.

As a result of his actions, Lear is severely punished by being banished from his home, experiencing madness, and losing everyone that he loves. Lear’s punishment is very severe in comparison to other characters such as Regan and Goneril who commit worse crimes and then die without actually having to acknowledge their actions.

Lear does not feel he deserves his punishments and therefore says, “I am a man/ More sinned against than sinning” (III.ii.58-59). Lear not only endures severe punishments while alive, but his death can be seen as his final punishment. Gloucester is another example of a man whose greatest crime is favoring his non bastard son, Edgar. He is punished for this crime through the gouging out of his eyes. Gloucester’s punishment is not equal and appropriate to his crime.

He blames this unjustness on the gods, “As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods. / They kill us for their sport” (IV.i.36-37). Gloucester’s actions did not deserve the gouging out of his eyes and like Lear, Gloucester realizes this and he blames his punishments on the gods whom he believes can arbitrarily impact the outcomes of people’s lives. However even though in these situations the punishments were unfair the characters were forced to endure them to become better people and to make the natural order of the world better.

Justice is not always about doing the fair thing it is also about moral righteousness which is why justice is ultimately served in King Lear. Most characters in this play excluding Cornwall, Goneril, and Regan in some way become better people by suffering through their punishments. Edmund was remorseful on his death bed and even tried to save Cordelia which is proof that after being a witness to the chaos that unfolded he realizes his mistakes and tries to fix them.

Lear and Gloucester, on the other hand, suffer much more than other characters and even though their punishment surpasses their crime, justice is still served because they become moral and just people. Lear ultimately becomes a just person when he says, “Poor naked wretches, wheresoe’er you are,/ That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm,/ How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides,/ Your looped and windowed raggedness, defend you/ From seasons such as these? O, I have ta’en/ Too little care of this!”(III.iv.28-33). Lear would never realize the wrongs he committed as King if he had not experienced his major downfall from the very top of society, as a King, to the very bottom, as a homeless man. 

If Gloucester’s sight had not been taken from him it can be assumed that he would not realize the mistakes he made. However, he does eventually realize his mistakes and says, “I stumbled when I saw. Full oft’tis seen/ Our means secure us, and our mere defects/ Prove our commodities” (IV.i.19-22). These characters suffer through their punishments and even though they eventually die they die a better person unlike Cornwall, Goneril and Regan.

These three characters did not learn anything from their mistakes because their punishment was death. Although this is the greatest punishment of all, they did not have to work through their mistakes and therefore did not repent nor learn a single thing. Justice can be served by doing the fair thing but wouldn’t be accepting your sins and dying as a good and insightful person even if you had to endure more.

The natural order of the world is eventually re-established from fair to good by the end of King Lear.  This is done through the suffering and punishment that some of the characters endure. Although some characters have to endure more suffering than others, justice is ultimately served by all and for some the restoring of justice brings on a more significant impact on their lives.  In conclusion, justice did prevail in the end and through the service of justice some characters are able to die as good and insightful people.

Work Citied

Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Toronto: Thomson Nelson, 2007.

Related Posts

• Madness in King Lear: Act 4
• Health/Sickness and Lust in King Lear
• Shakespeare’s King Lear: Motifs
• Blindness And Insight In King Lear
• King Lear Summary

Author:  William Anderson (Schoolworkhelper Editorial Team)

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• Justice in King Lear – how to construct an answer…

I’m just digging up notes from a few years back and stumbled upon this – some of you might find it helpful…

“ Justice and corruption are central themes in the play King Lear ”

How do you go about constructing an answer?

• Look at the words in the question.
• Underline the important ones.
• These are the concepts you must respond to and weave throughout your answer – but that does not mean simply repeating the words superficially at the end of each paragraph. You need to demonstrate that you’ve thought about and gotten to grips with the meat and substance of the theme, issue or character you’re discussing.

Ask yourself: WHO do these words apply to in the play? (each person could form the basis for a paragraph) HOW / WHY does this character deal with this issue? Do they CHANGE over the course of the play? Are there any SCENES which deal with this issue specifically? What are our FINAL IMPRESSIONS of this issue?

This is just ONE WAY TO APPROACH formulating an answer to this question – there is no right way to do it, just many different options, but I find this a useful set of questions to ask myself when planning an answer, regardless of the theme I’m exploring.

INTRODUCTION: first you must directly address the question. Use the words from the question but don’t simply repeat them word for word, add your own opinion:

Shakespeare’s “King Lear” dramatically explores the concept of justice & presents a frightening vision of what happens in a society when those who control the justice system are cruel & corrupt.

You may wish to define the words used in the question, but you don’t have to:

The word ‘justice’ refers to the idea that we are fair and reasonable in our dealings with others. As a society we expect those who commit crimes to be punished because we value the idea of justice. In fact, many of our religious beliefs are based on the idea of divine justice – that God will reward good and punish evil.

Continuing your introduction, you must then tell the audience what aspects of the play you intend to discuss:

In this play, first Lear & then Regan & Goneril control the country & therefore the justice system. Their corruption seeps into every crevice of this society through the extreme and arbitrary punishments they mete out to those they feel have wronged them. Edmund also gains power & so he too becomes involved in handing out justice in this play.

Put it all together and here’s what your introduction looks like:

INTRODUCTION:

Shakespeare’s “King Lear” dramatically explores the concept of justice & presents a frightening vision of what happens in a society when those who control the justice system are cruel & corrupt. The word ‘justice’ refers to the idea that we are fair and reasonable in our dealings with others. As a society we expect those who commit crimes to be punished because we value the idea of justice. In fact, many of our religious beliefs are based on the idea of divine justice – that God will reward good and punish evil. In this play, first Lear & then Regan & Goneril control the country & therefore the justice system. Their corruption seeps into every crevice of this society through the extreme and arbitrary punishments they mete out to those they feel have wronged them. Edmund also gains power & so he too becomes involved in handing out justice in this play.

PARAGRAPH 1: Show how this issue is revealed at the beginning of the play. DO NOT TELL THE STORY, you can assume the examiner knows the plot.

Lear, as King, begins the play completely in charge of handing out justice to his citizens. He is tired of this responsibility and intends to “shake all cares and business from our age conferring them on younger strengths”. However he wishes to “retain the name and all the addition to a king”. The very idea seems to challenge our concept of justice and fairness – why should he have the status and privilege of being King if he is not also going to do the hard work?

PARAGRAPH 2: continue discussion of LEAR. DO NOT TELL THE STORY.

In the process of handing over his kingdom to his daughters, a serious miscarriage of justice occurs. Lear banishes his daughter Cordelia because she “cannot heave [her] heart into [her] mouth” and then banishes his loyal servant Kent for daring to challenge the wisdom of this decision (“come not between the dragon and his wrath”). Kent refuses to back down because he can see that their justice system is completely corrupt if a person can be banished (without trial) for speaking the truth. Similarly, Gloucester declares Edgar guilty of plotting to murder him without offering his son a fair hearing and thus a second miscarriage of justice occurs.

PARAGRAPH 3: move on to discuss other characters that personify this issue. DO NOT TELL THE STORY.

Once Goneril & Regan gain power, they destroy any remaining semblance of justice or fairness in this society. They put Kent in the stocks, strip Lear of his knights (“what need one?”) and shut him out in the storm (“lock up your doors”) all because he requested a little luxury in his old age (“allow not nature more than nature needs, man’s life’s as cheap as beasts”). Here we see that they are disregarding one of the most basic concepts of justice – that the punishment should fit the crime. Many of us find our parents annoying at times but we don’t strip them of their final penny & throw them out onto the streets.

Lear himself refers to this idea later in the play when he recognises his mistakes but claims he is “a man more sinned against than sinning”. He later realises and regrets that as King he neglected his duty to provide social justice for the poor in his kingdom “poor naked wretches that bide the pelting of the pitiless storm. Oh I have taken too little care of this”. He also accepts that he has failed to administer justice fairly saying of Cordelia “I did her wrong”. Thus we see his concept of justice maturing and developing over the course of the play and the vanity and corruption which defined him in the early stages of the play giving way to a nobility of character, gained through suffering .

PARAGRAPH 4: Now move onto another character who is significant in discussing this issue. DO NOT TELL THE STORY.

Edmund is also central to any discussion of justice in the play. He feels that the society and the law discriminates against illegitimate children “why brand they us with base? with baseness? Bastardy?” particularly in the area of inheritance. If he does nothing, he will be left with nothing “legitimate Edgar I must have your land” and so he comes up with a plan to get ’justice’ of a kind for himself. Although we feel a certain measure of sympathy and admiration for him we cannot support his version of ’justice’ because it is not true justice – it involves destroying innocent people in order to get what he wants.

PARAGRAPH 5: Is there any particular scene where this issue is explored? DO NOT TELL THE STORY

During the play two key ‘trials’ occur which dramatically explore the theme of justice. Firstly, Lear holds a mock trial of his eldest daughters asking “is there any cause in nature that make these hard hearts?”. He appoints Poor Tom and the Fool as the judges, thus mocking the idea of justice by suggesting that fools and madmen control the justice system. Secondly Gloucester is put on trial after Edmund reveals to Goneril & Regan that his father has been assisting Lear and that a French army led by Cordelia is going to invade in an attempt to restore Lear to power. Enraged, they declare him guilty of consorting with the enemy and as punishment for being a ‘traitor’ they “pluck out his eyes”. At this point it is graphically clear that if those in power are corrupt, they can completely destroy any notion of true justice in a society.

PARAGRAPH 6: What final impression are we left with of this issue? DO NOT TELL THE STORY.

At the end of the play we are left with the sense that justice has completely failed in this society. Lear and Cordelia are captured, imprisoned and then Cordelia is killed on Edmund’s orders. Even though he makes a deathbed attempt to save her (“some good I mean to do in spite of mine own nature”), his gesture comes too late. We do feel it is right and just that Edgar is the one to fatally wound Edmund, but this is revenge not true justice and Edgar must then endure the pain of watching his father die. Goneril and Regan both die, but it is important to note that Goneril kills her sister in a fit of jealousy and then kills herself. Neither is ever brought to justice, to face up to and account for their crimes.

PARAGRAPH 7: Still discussing our final impressions.

Is it possible then to argue that divine justice succeeds where societal justice fails? In the play some of the good characters reveal a belief that God will punish wicked deeds and reward decent ones – Edgar at one point in the play proclaims that “the God’s are just and of our pleasant vices make instruments to plague us, the dark and vicious place where thee he got has cost him his eyes”. He suggests that Gloucester needs to be punished because he committed adultery and fathered an illegitimate child. However, if this were true then we would also expect the good characters to be protected by God and Albany reveals this very belief when he says of Cordelia “the Gods defend her” but almost immediately after he utters these words Lear appears howling with grief, holding the dead Cordelia in his arms. Surely Shakespeare is making a mockery of the idea of a just God. We find ourselves more inclined to side with Gloucester’s view that there is no such thing as divine mercy or justice when he proclaims “as flies to wanton boys are we to the Gods / they kill us for their sport”.

Conclusion: Sum up your main points but try not to repeat the same phrasing.

Thus we see that justice and corruption are central themes in the play King Lear. Sadly those characters who believe in societal and divine justice endure the most suffering and hardship in the play. Although they achieve a measure of redemption, by the time Lear and Gloucester realise the importance of offering a just and fair trial to those accused of wrongdoing, their society is being run by their corrupt and evil children who do not believe in justice.. Despite their religious faith, the Gods do not intervene to save Cordelia and ultimately our final impression is that justice has failed and that we are left with a  “cheerless, dark and deadly” society where pervasive corruption can be tackled but never fully destroyed.

NOTE:Essays are built from paragraphs. Paragraphs are built around concepts and ideas.

It’s possible to sum up the core concepts from which this essay is built very briefly (mostly summed up in the final line of each paragraph) – see below:

Paragraph 1 / Concept 1: Lear is tired of being responsible for ensuring his kingdom is fair and just – but why should Lear have the status and privilege of being King if he is not also going to do the hard work? Surley it’s an injustice if others do the work and you get the rewards?

Paragraph 2 / Concept 2: Early in the play, 2 serious miscarriages of justice occur: Kent is banished for speaking the truth, Edgar is declared guilty of plotting murder with no evidence and no trial.

Paragraph 3 / Concept 3: Goneril & Regan’s punishments are far in excess of the ‘crimes’ committed – once Lear is at the receiving end of such injustice, he begins to realise that he could have been a better King, ensuring social justice for the poor.

Paragraph 4 / Concept 4 : Edmund wants justice for his mistreatment but he doesn’t care who he hurts to get what he wants – this is not justice but the worst kind of Machiavellian scheming.

Paragraph 5 / Concept 5 : 2 trials occur, both mockeries of true justice, both proving that true justice cannot exist in a society as corrupt as this.

Paragraph 6 / Concept 6 : At the end of the play, as all of the corrupt characters die, but it is revenge, not justice, which dominates in these final scenes.

Paragraph 7 / Concept 7: Even divine justice fails – so if we’re waiting around for God to reward the good and punish the wicked, we’ll we waiting a very long time indeed!!!

Whenever you have to build an essay from scratch, ask yourself what core concepts each paragraph will contain – once you’re figured this out, the rest is a whole lot easier.

You can also do this if you’re reading notes or sample essays – extract, and in your own words outline what the core concept at the heart of each paragraph is. Doing this is an intelligent way of studying. Trying to learn off entire essays is plagiarism – it’s a waste of your brain power – it won’t deepen your understanding – and it won’t be rewarded because you have to adapt whatever knowledge you have to answer the question asked.

Hope that all makes sense!

One response to “ Justice in King Lear – how to construct an answer… ”

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5 Sovereignty, Justice, and Political Power: King Lear

• Published: September 2020
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King Lear intertwines two family stories: one of disinheritance and the consequent crisis of sovereignty that follows on the division of territory and political authority; the other of legitimacy, illegitimacy, resentment, and revenge against a father. The political plot of King Lear puts sovereign authority, patriarchal authority, political strategy, and violence into juxtaposition with the claims of social justice. The play puts into question the idea of a ‘sovereign body’, in particular in its treatment of economic and social transformations in attitudes to value and exchange, and in its meditation on the way sovereign power destroys human and social bodies. These themes can be reflected in interpretations of the drama that emphasize loneliness and meaninglessness. The drama also focuses on forms of violence which track social status, and instantiate forms of authority, including sovereignty.

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Essay: King Lear – character flaws and how justice unfolds in the play

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Persuasively, Shakespeare has written various tragedy stories, and “King Lear” is one of them. This play was written when both Protestant and Catholic dominions influenced Elizabethan England. However, his play falls short of the prominent Christian allusions prevalent in his other contents. Despite him applying this pagan setting, the divine justice seems to retain its importance in this play. The play is all about a king by the name Lear who experiences some hardships as a result of his actions. The first passage in Act 3 Scene 2 shows Lear’s madness as he deliberately distresses about his daughter during a deadly storm (Shakespeare 3.2. 3). His behavior is a clear indication of the tragic patterns that a person considers to follow. In this source, the writer criticizes humanities’ flaws via his application of nature imagery, diction, and the secondary character, the fool, to demonstrate the importance of divine justice in the universe. Having presented the overview of the play, I will discuss how justice unfolds in the play, King Lear’s character flaws, whether pride is a flaw while still showing how Cordelia was involved in his downfall.

Although some readers may argue contrary to this statement, it is doubtless that there is no trait of justice in the play. Whether it is Gloucester’s torture, Cordelia’s banishment, or characters in the play, neither Lear’s insanity is guaranteed mercy. More so, maybe this is the main reason why Shakespeare’s contents are referred to as tragedies. Throughout his work as a writer, he has been viewed as a writer who ends his plays with demise, dramatic irony, injustice, and this play is no exception.

Instances of unfairness are notable in this play. For example, injustice starts with the banishment of Cordelia. To gauge how much of his kingdom each of the three daughters should get, Lear inquires each of them to explain the love they have for him. Cordelia flatters her love toward his father; she is unable to bring herself to demonstrate it. In this statement, she indicates, “Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth. I love our majesty according to my bond, no more nor less” (Shakespeare 1.1.90–92). In reply to Cordelia’s behavior as a sycophant toward him, Lear is surprised and disowns her and denies her any portion of his kingdom. Worse still, Lear sells Cordelia to her two suitors. He even disgraces her in front of these suitors because she lacks any dowry to offer her husband to be. He lives to discover that Cordelia is the only daughter that loves him and that both Regan and Goneril are just pretenders and only want to take advantage of the condition. Lear’s view and treatment towards one of his daughters further support the idiom, “Life’s not fair.” This is evident when they throw him out after he divides the kingdom among them.

Another incidence of unfairness is evident through the son of Gloucester, Edmund. This man commits many crimes all through the play and consistently demonstrates disloyalty towards others intending to achieve his objectives. Edmunds views himself as the best person compared with other aristocrats around him as he says, “Edmund the base shall top th’legitmate. I grow, I prosper. Now, gods stand up for bastards!” (Shakespeare 1.2.1–22). He accomplishes whatever he thinks will increase his powers. He goes to the extent of killing anyone who he views as an obstacle to his goals. He is the main cause of the Edgar banish and responsible for the demise of Cordelia. Edmund’s demise comes after battling with his brother Edgar who finds revenge for plotting against him. Notably, these are not only the incidences that show that this play is not a show of justice but a clear indication of poetic injustice.

Although this play is accomplished by most horrible individuals who deserve severe punishment, some of them are subjected to more severe punishment that they do not deserve. For example, King Lear does not deserve the punishment imposed on him. He is portrayed in the story as being a selfish man who considers public displays of love over honest, and he ridiculously banishes both Kent and Cordelia. Due to his actions, King Lear is seriously punished by being banished from his premise. He even experiences madness and loses every person he loves. This punishment is severe compared to other characters such as Goneril and Regan, who accomplishes worse crimes and eventually meets their demise without really having acknowledged their actions.

Lear does not view himself as a person deserving this hefty punishment, and this makes him say, “I am a man/ More sinned against than sinning” (Shakespeare 3.2.2-3) This is because he feels that he has power over others and what he is passing through is not what he deserves. Nonetheless, after reading through the play, it is evident that King Lear is getting the punishment he deserves because he is misjudging others and making them pass through hardship. For example, he banishes his daughter Cordelia because of his pride and cruelty. At the same time, because of his ignorance, he has to face the consequences since each evil deed has its consequences.

It is worthy to note that King Lear is a play full of tragedy, and it discusses a tragic hero whose flaws take control over him, resulting in negative impacts on the kings’ life and that of the society at large. Lear qualifies to be a tragic hero because he is in power as the leader with the highest rank in the land since he is the king. Despite being the king and most powerful person, King Lear experiences some downfalls when he realizes his mistakes. Furthermore, he is arrogant, ignorant, and he misjudges others. This evident when Cordelia issues a speech about how she loves him, but he misjudges her and banishes her from the land. The first flaw in King Lear is arrogance. Due to his arrogance, Lear decides for banishing Cordelia and Kent, thus ending up losing them, although he believes that his favorite and youngest daughter is worthy of his love. His pride becomes a flaw as it makes him believe that Cordelia’s speech is filled with love. Unfortunately, Cordelia relies upon the kings’ inquisition by indicating that she loves her majesty due to the bond they have and nothing less.

As a result of pride and anger, King Lear banishes Cordelia and divides the kingdom into two, where he gives his two evil daughters, Regan and Goneril. During this incidence, pride controls his senses making him not evaluate and establish the truth of the matter before making such a harsh decision. Another incidence of pride being a flaw is when the refuses to reason together with Kent, one of his royal servants (Vikramsinh 6). Kent is pleading with the king to have a look at the issue again and reconsider his decision. The King tells Kent to mind his own business as he feels that Kent is hurting his pride. He as well banishes Kent for trying to interfere with his decision. As a result of the flaw of pride, Lear has initiated the tragedy by reassuring the order in the chain of being, dividing his kingdom into two and banishing his favorite daughter and royal servant.

The downfall King Lear faces is not only hurting him but is affects every person down the chain of being; it affects those he banishes and society at large. If he does not have pride, he would have reasoned before banishing his daughter, and Kent and his other two daughters would not have conspired against him. Because of his pride, his daughters are betrayed by Edmund, who then loses his sight after being charged with treason. His pride makes even the lowest person in society suffer the consequences. The flaw of being arrogant makes him make a harsh decision, which he regrets after he starts to realize what has befallen him. This is evident when he is thrown out on the streets by Goneriel and Regan, and he becomes a beggar on the streets. From the play, it is evident that pride is a flaw. This is because King Lear’s pride results in his downfall. Nonetheless, pride alone is not a flaw because, without arrogance and ignorant, he could have been able to control his pride and understand the truth. Before his pride takes control over his conscious, King Lear is planning to divide his kingdom among his three daughters.

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Injustice in King Lear Chris Hadfield

"Cordelia is about as far from being a Cinderella figure as it is possible to imagine. She is one tough, ruthless cookie, and utterly her father's daughter." Explore and discuss.

Cordelia differs from the traditional 'Cinderella figure' primarily because she does not in any way experience a sense of justice. Unlike in the Cinderella folk-tale, where good is rewarded and evil is punished, King Lear is devoid of all notions of 'fairness' at the hands of the pagan gods that many of the characters fatalistically call upon throughout the play. Lack of 'poetic justice' is seen by some as part of the 'definition' of a tragedy; King Lear takes this to the extreme. The end of the play brings with it a sense of absolute futility: Lear dies in a state of bewilderment, wondering what it has all been for, and bemoaning the injustice of life. He says of Cordelia's death, 'Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, / And thou no breath at all?' (V:iii lines 306-7), and dies before he can find an answer. The mental state of despairing confusion in which Lear dies is more tragic than the death itself, because it amplifies the already huge sense of injustice. This is accentuated even...

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Justice in “King Lear”

Many themes are evident in King Lear, but perhaps one of the most prevalent relates to the theme of justice. Shakespeare has developed a tragedy that allows us to see man’s decent into chaos. Although Lear is perceived as ‘a man more sinned against than sinning’ (p.62), the treatment of the main characters encourages the reader to reflect on the presence or lack of justice in this world. The characters also vary in their inclination to view the world from either a fatalistic or moralistic point of view, depending on their beliefs about the presence or absence of a higher power.

The theme of justice in relation to higher powers can be illustrated from the perspective of King Lear, Gloucester, and Edgar. When reading King Lear, it is helpful to understand the Elizabethan ‘Chain of Being’ in which nature is viewed as order. Rosenblatt (1984) states that there was a belief in an established hierarchy within the universe. Everything had its own relative position beginning with Heaven, the Divine Being, and the stars and planets which are all above.

On earth the king is next, then the nobles, on down to the peasantry. Holding the lowest position were the beggars and lunatics and finally, the animals. Interrupting this order is unnatural.

King Lear’s sin was that he disrupted this chain of being by relinquishing his throne. By allowing his daughters and their husbands to rule the kingdom, the natural order of things was disturbed. His notion that he can still be in control after dividing the kingdom is a delusion. According to Elizabethan philosophy, it would seem that this is the beginning of his mistakes and is also the cause of much of the misfortune that occurs later on in the play. Chaos rules the unnatural. As well, King Lear makes another devastating mistake which affects his relationship with his daughters by asking them to tell him how much they love him in order that he may divide his kingdom according to the strength of their love. Cordelia, the youngest daughter, states that she loves her father ‘according to her bond’ (p.4). She is saying that she loves him as much as any child could love a father. On the other hand, Goneril and Reagan easily speak the words that their father wants to hear, rather than the truth. Because Lear is not satisfied with Cordelia’s response, he turns his back on Cordelia and on her love. By doing this he is destroying the natural family unit and lacks the insight to know this. He unjustly punishes Cordelia by banishing her from the kingdom.

He casts out his daughter in an unfatherly fashion, yet is gravely upset by the ingratitude of his other two daughters, Goneril and Reagan. Once again, due to Lear’s lack of wisdom, he fails to recognize the sincerity of Cordelia’s words. Thus, he puts his relationship with his daughters in jeopardy which results in a constant source of grief for King Lear. King Lear holds firm to his belief that the world is governed by the gods and in justice. Therefore he does not question the will of the gods in letting him suffer from his daughter’s unkindness, but prays If it be you that stirs these daughters’ hearts Against their father, fool me not with so much To bear it tamely; touch me with noble anger (p.50).

Greer (1986) reminds us that Shakespeare uses the word ‘nature’ often, but rarely with the same meaning. For instance, Lear personifies nature when he calls Cordelia ‘a wretch whom Nature is ashamed/Almost to acknowledge hers’ (p.9). Here, it seems as though Lear thinks himself to be particularly special and close to nature because he is presumptuous in believing that he can read Nature’s mind. On the same note, Lear also seems to order his goddess, Nature, as though he is in control. He commands Nature to follow his orders, Hear, Nature, hear! dear goddess, hear! Suspend thy purpose, if thou didst intend To make this creature fruitful (p.29).

Therefore, Lear is once again disturbing the order of things by putting himself above the gods. Lear disturbs the Chain of Being, unjustly punishes Cordelia and misinterprets his role in life by assuming himself to be the lord of creation. For these ‘sins’ he is punished when Goneril and Reagan turn on him and Cordelia dies. Thus, it would seem that justice is served. However, Holloway (1961) suggests that Lear suffers more for his ‘sins’ than seems reasonable. Holloway sums up this concept as follows: ‘the world can be to mankind, and has been to Lear, a rack: a scene of suffering reiterated past all probability or reason’ (p.506). Gloucester plays a parallel role to Lear in the play. He is elderly, gullible and taken in by his children. Again, the natural unit of the family is disturbed for Gloucester has a bastard son who is his downfall. However, unlike Lear, he is not weak and infirm and is more good- natured and brave. Like Lear, Gloucester makes reference to Nature. However, Greer (1986) feels that Gloucester views Nature as neutral and sees it existing only for man’s benefit:

These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us. Though the wisdom of nature can reason it thus and thus, yet nature finds itself scourged by the sequent effects (p.15). Rather than blame Nature, Gloucester is aware that his problems are a result of his own foolishness. He does not feel that the gods are necessary to explain Edmund’s treason or Cornwall’s brutality. However, he does make clear his belief that the gods are not interested in the affairs of men: As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods. They kill us for their sport (p.82). Although it may seem as though he is an atheist, Frye believes otherwise: Gloucester is not atheist: he postulates gods, divine personalities, and if he replaces them with a mechanism of fate or destiny he couldn’t ascribe malice to it. What he feels is that there is some mystery in the horror of what’s happened to him that goes beyond the tangible human causes’ (p.111). It is true that Gloucester has been lustful and has fathered an illegitimate son as the consequences. Since this, too, is an unnatural act, it seems justice must be served to restore order. However, to what degree is Gloucester responsible for Edmund’s evil behaviour? And was it just that Gloucester’s eyes were poked out by Goneril and Reagan? This leaves one wondering whether or not justice was served as Gloucester dies at the end of the play.

The punishment would seem to exceed the crime. Edgar is Gloucester’s legitimate son who is in danger of losing his right to his inheritance. At first, he is the good and dutiful one. At times he is gullible and naive when responding to his illegitimate brother Edmund, who tries to take his birth-right. Edgar is the moralist in this play. When he reflects on his own undeserved troubles and the suffering of others, there is a religious tone. He has faith in the gods and their justice, and is quick to give the ‘higher powers’ the credit for what happens to men. Thus, he says to Gloucester, who believes he has fallen from the edge of a cliff: Think that the clearest gods, who make them honours Of men’s impossibilities, have preserved thee (p.96). And thus he points out the justice of the gods in punishing Gloucester by the hand of Edmund: The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices Make instruments to plague us (p.119). Edgar believes that there is order in nature. He thinks that there is a natural ebb and flow in human fortunes, meaning that even the worst situation can become better (Greer, 1986). He believes in the Wheel of Fortune and if he is at the bottom of the wheel, his fortune will improve as he moves upward: To be the worst, The lowest and most dejected thing of fortune, Stands still in esperance, lives not in fear.

The lamentable change is from the best; The worst returns to laughter. Welcome, then, Thou unsubstantial air that I embrace! (p.81). However, he comes to realize that this belief is not necessarily so. When he finds his father blinded, it becomes obvious that this suffering is renewed: The worst is not So long as we can say ‘This is the worst’ (p.82). Greer (1986) comments that it may seem that nature is indifferent to the fate of any individual. Edgar differs from Gloucester in that he takes a moralistic point of view. Frye suggests that while Gloucester ‘feels that there is some mystery in the horror of what’s happened to him that goes beyond the tangible human causes…Edgar…looks for human causes and assumes that there are powers above who are reacting to events as they should’ (p.111).

In Edgar’s case it seems that he has received his just reward. He does not have an easy time when dealing with his brother, Edmund. Yet, it would seem that justice is served as Edgar regains his proper position in the natural order of things. In King Lear, each of the characters discussed have varying interpretations of the importance of the higher powers affecting their fortunes. As well, justice is handed out in different degrees. In the eyes of the characters, Shakespeare succeeds in illustrating the universal conflict that members of society have always had in understanding their fate in this world.

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