Lear's dual role as monarch and head of a family illustrating the Renaissance notion of "the king's two bodies"-has been evaluated by Northrop Frye, Marilyn Gaull, Joyce Carol Oates, and Derek Traversi. Frye points out that when Lear gives up his official title, he effectively destroys his identity. Gaull points out that Lear's abdication of his throne and his banishment of Cordelia are offenses against the concept of universal order, and thus they create the conditions for disorder in his kingdom. Oates contends that Lear is caught in the masculine dilemma of preserving both kingship and fatherhood. His personal self is overwhelmed by his official stature, she argues, and as a result he relinquishes both forms of authority. Traversi contends that Lear's dual role sets his personal tragedy against a universal background, with Lear's willful abdication.....
This is a free excerpt of 135 words. This section contains 9,041 words. This
study guide contains 88,062 words (approx. 294 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Literature Guide with our King Lear Access Pass.
