Filial Relations in William Shakespeare’s King Lear

Abstract

Purpose: William Shakespeare takes into consideration most types of social relations among which filial relations cannot be exempted. 
Father-daughter relations in King Lear is made prominent in that there a rises particular misunderstanding between him and his daughter Cordelia, and at the same time this kind of relation can be applied to the other daughters of the King that are Goneril and Regan, for a social relation as this is regarded one of the essentials of dramatic works. Methodology: The structure of the play itself stems from Lear’s attempt to distribute his kingdom to his daughters on the grounds of the amount of love they hold for him. Goneril and Regan’s false flattery and love deceive Lear to take a false decision of distributing the kingdom among them both, for Cordelia expresses truthful feelings towards him that are void of false flattery. The foolish King assumes a foolish decision for the favorite daughters have neglected him and let him live a miserable life. It is only that Cordelia who has taken care of him in the end. Findings: The moral lesson to be obtained from Lear’s behavior is that foolish decisions lead nowhere but to destruction and it is only the faithful children who will be truthful to their parents. This research paper revolves around the filial relations between King Lear on the one hand and his three daughters on the other hand. Implications: This study attains the moral lesson that can be summed up in the fact that false flattery and foolishness result in evil conclusions. The play depicts an essential aspect of life in that it examines the good represented by Cordelia and the evil represented by General and Regan. Moreover, the play demonstrates Shakespeare’s awareness of manifestations of good and evil that are inherent in the human nature.