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 and through bring and boy Gloucester and Edmund. Although the cause of this conflict is Gloucesters traitorousness by his bastard son, Edmund, there is more to this conflict than a simple indicator 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 disgust when he plots against his father by finding ways to cross Gloucester with Regan and Cornwall, tho enhancing his potential inheritance and force-out. In this conflict, Edmund is the ultimate cause and initiator, making his father a victim to the scandal Edmund has viciously created. The conflict surrounded by Gloucester and his contriving son contribute to King Lear by becoming a parallel between Lears problems with his own daug hters. Lear finds himself in a similar situation, his two daughters, Regan and Goneril, excessively 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 perception of what conflicts the confide for more power can create. Only through conveying expose instances of incredible treason between parent and offspring can the inwardness 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 fight dirty to gain power, he does it through manipulation and a complete lack of a conscience throughout a mass of the play. Because he is the illegitimate child he plans to, if not by birth, consecrate 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 experimental condition affords. He basic ally rips the Earl title away, along with his fathers look because of his unstoppable ambition. It is precisely this power-hungry vigor that Edmund importanttains 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.