King Lear Act I - #5

Loyalty is usually inherent personality trait, but it can also be learned. Kent is very loyal to the Lear, which is shown by the fact he comes back to serve Lear after he is banished. Lear doesn’t realize that it’s Kent when he returns as Caius, but because of what Kent says and the way he acts, Lear accepts him because he likes being treated like he’s the most important and that people like him. I think there are many personality types that are likely to be loyal. It could be an insecure person who just needs something to latch onto or something to make them feel their life has purpose. Or it could be a secure, devoted person who really believes in the person or thing they are loyal to. Kent seems to be a secure person, while Lear is a very insecure person who desires loyalty. The same loyalty that existed then is present now, just in different settings. For example, a group of athletes on a sports team are loyal to each other and their coach. They have to be so that they can be successful. Even though Kent is very loyal to Lear, I don’t think Lear realizes how important this is. It may mean something to Lear because it adds to his ego and attempts to take away some of his insecurities, but this is just superficial.

King Lear Act I - #3

Cordelia’s relationship with Lear is very different from Goneril and Regan’s. Lear makes each of his daughters give a speech proclaiming how much she loves him so that he can decide who deserves the largest part of his kingdom. While Goneril and Regan have no problem manipulating their father with excessive flattery and exaggerated terms to express their love for him, Regan doesn’t speak because she is unable to “heave her heart into her mouth.” She says, “I love your majesty according to my bond, no more nor less” meaning she loves her father as much as a daughter should. She questions her sister’s words by asking how they can only love their father and not their husbands and how when she gets married, she will love her husband and father. Cordelia is unable to speak when her survival depends on it because she has morals and virtues, unlike her scheming sisters. She’s honest with her father, which is shown by her response unlike her sisters. Money, power, and prestige are not the most important aspect of her life. She isn’t as superficial and conniving as her sisters. She loves and respects her father and doesn’t make up lies about how much she loves him just to get the largest part of the kingdom. Cordelia is Lear’s favorite daughter and he loves her too. She’s dedicated to him, but when she doesn’t tell him what he wants to hear, he banishes her because she doesn’t flatter him, which is what Lear is really looking for. He can’t hear her truth because of this.
I’ve seen situations similar to this. For example, when I was in boarding school, a lot of people tried to manipulate so that they could go home. They would tell people in authority what they wanted to hear for their own benefit even though it was usually a lie. I have used manipulation to get what I want and at times it was successful, but most of my attempts failed.