King Lear Alzheimer's Illness
Final Analysis: King Lear
10 December 2012
King Lear Visits Sigmund Freud The play of King Lear has been the topic of many researchers; many have tried to diagnose the fictional character of King Lear because of his actions. His madness can be the sign of a mental illness rather than being drunk with power, or guilt like some scholars have implied (Daniels). Lear could be suffering from senile dementia, more specifically, Alzheimer’s disease. King Lear suffers from memory loss, dramatic changes in his emotional behavior, impairment of his language as well as judgment, and he is over eighty years old; all are symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is an illness that affects the human brain by killing nerve cells in big …show more content…
An indicator that people are beginning to realize King Lear is getting worse is when his knights leave his side. The Fool explains to Kent that the majority of knights have realized King Lear’s leadership and power is coming to an end; “There’s / no laboring i ' th ' winter. All that follow their noses are led / by their eyes but blind men, and there’s not a nose / among twenty but can smell him that’s stinking” (II.iv.60-62). Lear than has an encounter with Reagan who wishes him gone back to Goneril, this upsets King Lear. This is where King Lear begins to realize he made a mistake by vanishing his beloved Cordelia, according to Anthony Daniels in “Diagnosing Lear”. Lear is aware that his behavior has been unusual, but he believes this is due to his old age. The stress being caused by his daughters, Reagan’s and Goneril’s, as well as their abusive behavior towards Lear can be said to be a reason as to why Lear’s disease got worse so quickly …show more content…
King Lear then begins to once more lose his sanity. In this scene the reads can see how Lear’s judgment and perception are affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Having recovered his sense with the fool and Kent just moments earlier King Lear loses them just as fast as he regain them. Kent advises Lear to go inside the temporary shelter they found to which Lear responds with a speech about how this storm is nothing compared to his emotional pain; “When the mind’s free, / the body’s delicate. The tempest in my mind / doth from my senses take all feeling else. Save what beats there—filial ingratitude” (III.iv.11-14). The reader is now becoming aware that the loss of Cordelia and the reality that his two other daughters do not love him as much as they had said. Someone who suffers from Alzheimer’s are prone to depression, which can be the reason to Lear’s emotional suffering in this scene
10 December 2012
King Lear Visits Sigmund Freud The play of King Lear has been the topic of many researchers; many have tried to diagnose the fictional character of King Lear because of his actions. His madness can be the sign of a mental illness rather than being drunk with power, or guilt like some scholars have implied (Daniels). Lear could be suffering from senile dementia, more specifically, Alzheimer’s disease. King Lear suffers from memory loss, dramatic changes in his emotional behavior, impairment of his language as well as judgment, and he is over eighty years old; all are symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is an illness that affects the human brain by killing nerve cells in big …show more content…
An indicator that people are beginning to realize King Lear is getting worse is when his knights leave his side. The Fool explains to Kent that the majority of knights have realized King Lear’s leadership and power is coming to an end; “There’s / no laboring i ' th ' winter. All that follow their noses are led / by their eyes but blind men, and there’s not a nose / among twenty but can smell him that’s stinking” (II.iv.60-62). Lear than has an encounter with Reagan who wishes him gone back to Goneril, this upsets King Lear. This is where King Lear begins to realize he made a mistake by vanishing his beloved Cordelia, according to Anthony Daniels in “Diagnosing Lear”. Lear is aware that his behavior has been unusual, but he believes this is due to his old age. The stress being caused by his daughters, Reagan’s and Goneril’s, as well as their abusive behavior towards Lear can be said to be a reason as to why Lear’s disease got worse so quickly …show more content…
King Lear then begins to once more lose his sanity. In this scene the reads can see how Lear’s judgment and perception are affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Having recovered his sense with the fool and Kent just moments earlier King Lear loses them just as fast as he regain them. Kent advises Lear to go inside the temporary shelter they found to which Lear responds with a speech about how this storm is nothing compared to his emotional pain; “When the mind’s free, / the body’s delicate. The tempest in my mind / doth from my senses take all feeling else. Save what beats there—filial ingratitude” (III.iv.11-14). The reader is now becoming aware that the loss of Cordelia and the reality that his two other daughters do not love him as much as they had said. Someone who suffers from Alzheimer’s are prone to depression, which can be the reason to Lear’s emotional suffering in this scene