Deception in Shakespeares King Lear :: King Lear essays

The Deception in King Lear      William Shakespeares play King Lear is a play full of deceit and betrayal. This becomes evident in the first few lines.  We firstlearn of the empty words of Goneril and Regan as well as their hatred for theirfather, King Lear.  This becomes the center of the play and also leads to the ferocity that the king suffers from.      The first words that Goneril speaks are totally empty and are the completeopposite of what she really feels.  She says, Sir, I retire you more than word smoke wield the matter Dearer than eye-sight, space and liberty (I.i.54-55)The reason why there are no words to express her love for her father is that shehas no love for him and it does non exist.  The same goes for her baby, Regan,who is plotting against her father as well.  She says that she feels the sameway as her sister and expresses how Goneril has named her very deed of love.Regan adds a little twist to this an d professes that she loves Lear more thanher sisters and that Gonerils nitty-gritty for her father comes too short.(I.i.71)  By uttering these words, Regan shows that her love is even less truethan that of her sisters.  She goes even farther to say         ...that I profess         Myself an foe to all some other joys         Which the most precious square of sense possesses,         And find I am alone felicitate         In your dear highness love.                                       I.i.71-75 This goes to show that she is more greedy than her sister and her words are alsofalser.  She wants more than her sister and will do anything to attain her goal.Her ambition to get what she wants is evident in the words that she speaks.  Sheclaims herself to be an enemy to all other joys but she is really the enemy toher father.      The next person King Lear calls to speak is his soft-spoken daughter,Cordelia.  Lear does not have much respect for her because she does not flatterhim and put him on the pedestal that he feels that he should be put on.  This isexactly what his other daughters do and he feels very strongly that Cordeliashould do the same.  Because of all the flattery that was given him by his othertwo daughters, he gives them most of his possessions.  The first thing thatCordelia says when the King asks her to speak is nothing.  The king is enragedby this remark and says that, Nothing will come of nothing speak again.