Selfhood: The Need for External Acknowledgement in Shakespeare’s King Lear
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Selfhood: The Need for External Acknowledgement in Shakespeare’s King Lear
“The impermanence of power and place. That man had it all, but only for a time.”1
--James Baker
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In William Shakespeare’s King Lear, the dialog in the hovel between Lear and Edgar, disguised as the mad beggar Poor Tom, represents the pivotal moment in Lear’s path to redemption through self-discovery. Lear’s path to self-discovery begins when he experiences a psychological struggle over the loss of his royal sovereign power and the loss of his role as a father. Shakespeare hints at Lear’s brewing identity crisis when Regan clarifies that Lear’s problem is not only his age, but also his self-identity. Regan states: “’Tis the infirmity of his age, yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself” (1.1.294-5). Later Lear questions Kent in disguise as the servant Caius. Lear states: “Dost thou know me, fellow” (1.4.26)?2 Another hint of Lear’s
impending identity crisis comes when Goneril states:
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These dispositions, which of late transport you
From what you rightly are. (1.4.213-4)
The identity crisis becomes clear when later in Act 1, Lear states:
Does any here know me? Why, this is not Lear. …
Who is it that can tell me who I am? (1.4.217-21)
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Friedman, Thomas. “Power is Fleeting, Baker Reflects,” The New York Times, February 2, 1990.
Secretary of State James Baker describes his reaction to seeing a former White House Chief of Staff from a prior administration, walking alone on the street without any of the trappings of power.
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Shakespeare, William. King Lear. in The Arden Shakespeare King Lear, New York: Bloomsbury, 2014.
All future references to the text of the play will refer to this edition by listing the (Act/scene/line numbers).
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As he divides his kingdom and abdicates his throne, Lear tries to maintain a sense of self-identity despite being surrounded by a changing political and social environment. Eventually Lear
!
Selfhood: The Need for External Acknowledgement in Shakespeare’s King Lear
“The impermanence of power and place. That man had it all, but only for a time.”1
--James Baker
!
In William Shakespeare’s King Lear, the dialog in the hovel between Lear and Edgar, disguised as the mad beggar Poor Tom, represents the pivotal moment in Lear’s path to redemption through self-discovery. Lear’s path to self-discovery begins when he experiences a psychological struggle over the loss of his royal sovereign power and the loss of his role as a father. Shakespeare hints at Lear’s brewing identity crisis when Regan clarifies that Lear’s problem is not only his age, but also his self-identity. Regan states: “’Tis the infirmity of his age, yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself” (1.1.294-5). Later Lear questions Kent in disguise as the servant Caius. Lear states: “Dost thou know me, fellow” (1.4.26)?2 Another hint of Lear’s
impending identity crisis comes when Goneril states:
!
These dispositions, which of late transport you
From what you rightly are. (1.4.213-4)
The identity crisis becomes clear when later in Act 1, Lear states:
Does any here know me? Why, this is not Lear. …
Who is it that can tell me who I am? (1.4.217-21)
!1
Friedman, Thomas. “Power is Fleeting, Baker Reflects,” The New York Times, February 2, 1990.
Secretary of State James Baker describes his reaction to seeing a former White House Chief of Staff from a prior administration, walking alone on the street without any of the trappings of power.
!2
Shakespeare, William. King Lear. in The Arden Shakespeare King Lear, New York: Bloomsbury, 2014.
All future references to the text of the play will refer to this edition by listing the (Act/scene/line numbers).
!2
As he divides his kingdom and abdicates his throne, Lear tries to maintain a sense of self-identity despite being surrounded by a changing political and social environment. Eventually Lear
Cited: Flesch, William. Generosity and the Limits of Authority: Shakespeare, Herbert, Milton. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1992 Friedman, Thomas. “Power is Fleeting, Baker Reflects,” The New York Times, February 2, 1990. Fry, Northrop. Fools of Time: Studies in Shakespearean Tragedy. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1967 Shakespeare, William. King Lear. in The Arden Shakespeare King Lear, New York: Bloomsbury, 2014