Monday, February 4, 2013

Which two conflicts does Lear face during the storm in King Lear?

It is clear that the storm that dominates in Act III is
symbolic of the turmoil that is engulfing Lear's kingdom and Lear himself. It appears
that the two major conflicts Lear faces in Act III scene 2 are internal and external.
His increasingly unfocused and bizarre comments suggest that he is facing an internal
conflict to maintain hold of his sanity. Lear himself recognises that his "wits begin to
turn" as he rages against his two ungrateful daughters that have cast him
out.


Secondly, Lear obviously faces and comments upon the
external conflict he has with his daughters, which has resulted in his exile status as
he wanders through the countryside seeking shelter. Notice how Lear addresses the storm
in regard to this external conflict:


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Rumble they bellyful! Spit, fire! Spout,
rain!


Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire, are my
daughters.


I tax not you, you elements, with
unkindness;


I never gave you kingdom, called you
children.


You owe me no
subscription.



Because the
storm does not "owe" Lear anything, he encourages it to rage on, in contrast to his "two
pernicious daughters," who owe their father a great deal but have done nothing to help
him, and instead have spurned him, throwing him out of their
houses.

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