Shakespeares King Lear - Father/Son Conflicts Caused by Inferiority Complex and Power Struggle :: essays research papers

Throughout the play King Lear, by William Shakespeare, a conflict is conveyed through buzz off and son Gloucester and Edmund. Although the cause of this conflict is Gloucesters betrayal by his bastard son, Edmund, there is more to this conflict than a simple power struggle. Through intertwining plots and scandals, Edmund creates a forged letter, destructively written by his half-brother, Edgar, having to do with his made up plans to murder his father, Gloucester. Edmund surpasses this first betrayal and reaches the epitome of evil when he plots against his father by finding ways to cross Gloucester with Regan and Cornwall, further enhancing his potential inheritance and power. In this conflict, Edmund is the ultimate cause and initiator, making his father a victim to the scandal Edmund has brutally created. The conflict between Gloucester and his contriving son contribute to King Lear by becoming a parallel between Lears problems with his own daughters. Lear finds himself in a sym pathetic situation, his two daughters, Regan and Goneril, also scheme to betray their father, with hopes to profit from his loss of power. The resemblance between Lears daughters and Edmund holds a purpose to enhance the readers erudition of what conflicts the hope for more power can create. Only through conveying separate instances of incredible treason between parent and offspring can the content and truth within the plays key theme of betrayal be expressed. Shakespeare creates the character of Edmund to be the perfect villain. Not only does he engagement dirty to gain power, he does it through manipulation and a complete lack of a conscience throughout a majority of the play. Because he is the dickhead child he plans to, if not by birth, have lands by wit. The conflict between him and Gloucester is simply an inevitable effect caused by Edmunds unyielding desire to gain more than his bastard status affords. He basically rips the Earl title away, along with his fathers eyes be cause of his unstoppable ambition. It is precisely this power-hungry vigor that Edmund maintains throughout the play that stirs the conflict with his father, enhancing the main plot of the betrayal of Lear by his duplicitous daughters. Edmund becomes increasingly consumed with the idea of gaining power and losing the bastard status that has been tagged to him since birth.