Contrast Between Reason

and Foolishness in ‘King

Lear’
Bilal Ahmad

‘King Lear’ was written by Shakespeare in between 1605-

1606. A number of King Lear’s characters present the gradual
transfiguration from wisdom into foolishness, or from foolishness
into wisdom. Some people have overconfidence, and some have
devilish intentions. Some of the characters after facing adversity
they exercise reason in state of madness, and some face ironical
death. This kind of phenomenon creates a contrast between reason
and madness which can be explained by taking in to account
mental weakness of different characters.

In the start of the play we are made acquainted with folly of the

king Lear. He makes himself happy with oily tongue of his two
elder daughters instead of knowing the impure love in their heart.
But he does not attain such amusement from Cordelia. She has
‘nothing’ to say and she is also warned by her father that ‘nothing
will come out of nothing’. Lear does not listen to her reason and
thinks that she has no love for him in spite of knowing
that Cordelia has platonic love for him. He also becomes angry
with Kent when he tries to convince him that Cordelia is right.
So he banishes Kent and Cordelia and becomes determined not
to meet them again. In this way he has deprived himself from two
persons and divides his kingdom between his two insincere
daughters with all his authority. This is decision in his conscious
state of mind which will bring him to ruin. As he says:

‘With my two daughters’ dowers digest the third;

Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her.

I do invest you jointly with power.’

In opening scenes Kent seems to be a wise man who is trying to

bring a reality before the king by speaking in favour
of Cordelia in a straightforward manner. He advices him that he
should not yield before flattery and should not to divide his
kingdom. He also tries to emphasize that Cordelia loves him but
she is not able to explain her feelings with extravagant words. But
he speaks in outspoken way which adds oil to fire. He remains
only focused his reason in his conversation with the king and does
not take into account the mental condition of Lear. And he thinks
that he can impress Lear with his faithfulness but his advice falls
flat upon the king. In spite of having loyalty for the king he is
considered a traitor because of candidness and overconfidence. So
he exercises foolishness in disguise of reason.
Gloucester is an other character in the play who is loyal to the king
and suffering from the same conflict. His illegitimate
son Edmund makes misuse of his simple mind. He creates
suspicious attitude in his father’s mind against his elder
brother Edger by using a false letter that he is trying to kill his
father. Gloucester believes whatever Edmund say
about Edger as he is already prejudiced against him. He does not
investigate whether his son is plotting against him or not. He also
tells about his secret loyalty for king Lear but Edmund reveals
his secret to Cornwall who blinds Glousecter. So he
considers Edmund his faithful son and remains in dark about his
devilish intentions. As he says:

‘But I have a son, sir by order of law, some year elder

than this, who

yet is no dearer in my account’

Edger also proves to be a fool. In state of fear he believes

in Edmund and thinks that his father is his enemy. He does not
talk with his father to solve the confusion. So he is also responsible
of the conflict which results in his father’s blindness.

Goneril and Ragan are in same condition that they both are

unable to feel the affection of sincere father because of selfish
nature. They have failed to fulfill their claims which they have
explained to show their love for father with extravagant words.
They both are in love with Edmund. Goneril also writes love
letters to Edmund and poisons her sister. She considers herself
secure in the position but her letters are revealed to her
husband Albany by Edger so she commits suicide because her
foolishness has put her in a false position.

Edmund is evil genius person of the play and he has his own axe
to grind. As he is younger son so he misuses simplicity of his elder
brother and father in order to secure wealth and high status. He
considers their honesty their foolishness. As he says:

‘A credulous father, and a noble brother,

Whose nature is so far from doing harms

That he suspects none; on whose foolish honesty

My practices ride easy’

Edmund becomes a cause of his father’s blindness by telling his

secret loyalty to Corwall and he has deceitful attitude
towards Goneril and Ragan. He wants to get rid of both of them
and he is successful to secure himself. But at the end, all his
planning ends in smoke and he faces ironical death in contest
with Edger. This is all because he uses his intelligent mind in
wrong way. He perpetrates the act of foolishness in disguise of
wisdom.
Cordelia is also a miserable character of the play who faces
unjust behaviour from her father. Her father wants that she should
speak about the love which she has for him. But she does not
speak and considers that feelings cannot be explained. As she says:

‘I am sure my love’s

More ponderous than my tongue…’

She seems to be wise in her point. But she does not possess a
smart mind and she unable to fulfill requirements of the
condition. She should have to speak some words according to
demands of her father. And the philosophy which she explains,
rises the anger of her father and he arranges her marriage with the
king of France.

There are two types of characters who present wisdom. First type
includes the characters who experience wisdom after facing
disastrous result of their foolishness. Other type includes the
characters who only have appearance like a fool but their
dialogues reveal their intelligence. The Fool is the most interesting
character of the play. Everyone considers him that he does not
possess proper frame of mind because he speaks to the king in
careless manner and his conversation seems to be full of jests and
jokes. But he proves a window of wisdom for Lear and teaches
him many things in a moderate way. He tells him that he should
not have to divide his kingdom between his two daughters and
should not have to banish Kent and Cordelia. He also advices
him that he should apologize to his daughters to live with them.
He tells him the example of a snail that it has a shell to hide its
head in time of danger. In the stormy night he suggests him to
take care of himself. So he remains wise throughout the play. As he
says:

‘Then they for sudden joy did weep,

And I for sorrow sung,

That such a king should play bo-peep,

And go the fools among.’

Goneril and Ragan both are feeling ill at ease with their father

and they are in habit of finding fault with his life style. Neither of
them is agree to allow him to live in any of the palace. Meanwhile
he realizes that he has done injustice with Cordelia. He faces the
stormy night with the Fool and Kent. His heart is broken after
realizing the treacherous attitude of his daughters and he is out of
his senses. He does not take care of himself. He arranges an
imaginary trial of Goneril and Ragan makes
the Fool and Kent judges, and thinks them that they are corrupt.
He also explains some philosophical remarks. He says that upper
part of a woman is representative of god and lower is
representative of devil. He depicts about people of high places use
to yield before flattery. Such reasonable comments are made by
him in a state of madness. As he says:

‘When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great

stage of fools’

Gloucester is an other character in the play who exercises reason

after facing the result of his foolishness. Edmund proves foe in
disguise of a friend for him. When he comes to know that it
is Edmund who has revealed his secret to Corwall and is the
main reason of his blindness then he realizes that Edger is sincere
to him. Now he is cursing Edmund and himself for his
carelessness. He accepts that his tragedy has revealed the truth.
He says about his foolishness:

‘O my follies! Then Edgar was abus’d.’

Edger later in the play appears in disguise of a fool and names

himself as Tom. He no complete clothes on his body. When
the Fool sees him in the hovel he appears to be a ghost. He
pretends to be bounded by devilish spirits. Lear is impressed of
his and calls him a “philosopher”. He depicts comments which are
full of wisdom. He advices them that they should not impress their
heart just because of physical beauty of a woman and not to take
loans from money lenders. He is also sorry for the king. And try to
take care of the king in the stormy night.
Shakespeare by creating this contrast intends to teach us that
one can be entangled in difficulty just because of avoiding one’s
duty and responsibility. In state of anger people think that their
decisions are right and perfect but these decisions put them in a
false position. Cordelia and Gloucester receive more disastrous
result than their mistakes. After facing tragedy all characters are
bestowed reason which shows that man learns through difficulties
and pains.

For other articles please visit

https://bilaleast.medium.com/contrast-between-reason-and-foolishness-in-king-lear-1bf9895f4f39