“It’s time to put Dad in a nursing home.”

One of the central themes in King Lear arises from the question of how people should be handled when they become elderly. Most children have to make the decision of what “to do” with parents as they age. I think King Lear, in part, examines the rights and treatment of the elderly. Particularly, this play seems to examine how the elderly, deemed inconvenient, are disposed of by their families and treated as pesky children. In 1.3, Goneril says of her father that he is an “Idle old man” for believing he has any authority to “manage” now that he has “given away” those “authorities” to Goneril and Regan. Importantly, she subsequently states that, “Old fools are babes again, and must be used / With checks and flatteries, when they are seen abused”. Goneril views her father as foolish and infant-like, and treats him as such. Despite her father’s generosity to his daughters, Goneril and Regan “throw out” and dismiss their father, emphasizing the disposed state of elderly persons in society. Moreover, Goneril’s and Regan’s treatment of their father exemplifies the tendency of treating old people as children and dismissing their mental abilities. King Lear is disregarded by his daughters largely on the premise that he, like a child, is not mentally competent. For example, when Lear goes to Regan and explains how Goneril has insulted him, Regan suggests that he, being so old, should be “ruled and led / By some discretion, that discerns your state / Better than yourself”. Thus, Regan believes her father needs to be taken care of because he is not totally in control of himself or aware of his “state”. By describing her father in this way, Regan is likening him to child. Regan then importunes her father to “return” to Goneril and “Say [he has] wronged her”. This prompts Lear to point out the unnaturalness of such a response. Lear speaks a mock dialogue to demonstrate to Regan how such a scenario would be silly because he shouldn’t have to beg his daughter for basic necessities and dignities. However, Regan reprimands him for his “unsightly tricks” and disregards what he says without consideration. At this point in the text it is very apparent that a role reversal has occurred. Whereas Lear used to be the father and Regan and Goneril his daughters, Lear is now positioned much like a child subject to the rules and caprices of his “mothers”. In part, I believe this speaks to the larger thematic idea that Lear is coming into an understanding of what it means to be a “subject” and subject to a ruler, which is gaining him insight and empathy to “common” people. However, this reversal also highlights a tendency of people to treat elderly persons as infantile which, I believe, Shakespeare is suggesting is cruel through his characterizations of Goneril and Regan. As if Lear were a child, Regan tries to teach her father a lesson stating that, “The injuries that they themselves procure / must be their schoolmasters.” Regan is implying that her father is like an unschooled boy, who must be taught the ways of the world by learning from his mistakes. By commanding her servants to “Shut up the doors,” on her father, she metaphorically positions herself as the parent who is the more wise and learned in life than her rebellious child. I think the thematic concept Shakespeare is presenting us with on the treatment of the elderly is still relevant in the context of modern day society. Frequently, elderly people are treated as “second class citizens” and there is general lack of respect and care for the elderly in American society. On the other hand, there is a debate to be had about the appropriate role of older people in society, especially as it pertains to government. For example, should the Supreme Court continue to grant Supreme Court judges life –long terms? Or does there come a point when the elderly should have to step down because they may not be mentally competent enough? This very debate arose in our recent presidential elections, when the age of presidential candidate John McCain became a liability to his campaign. While reading King Lear I was reminded of an episode from Comedy Central’s South Park, “Grey Dawn”, which explores the controversial topic of whether elderly people should be allowed to keep their driver’s licenses. The episode depicts much of the same problematic treatment of elderly people as children that we see in King Lear, while still recognizing the possibility that perhaps there are some activities which may be dangerous for elderly persons to participate in (here is the hyperlink for anyone interested: http://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/103856 ). The show basically concludes with the ‘moral’ that the elderly should not be treated as children but with respect and gratitude for their contributions to society, while also maintaining that the elderly need to recognize when they need to “step down”. This relates to King Lear so well because Lear has essentially “stepped down” and retired although he does wish to maintain some of his power as exemplified by his desire to keep all his knights. However, Lear’s daughters display a lack of gratitude to their father which governs their villainous behavior toward him. Lear personifies ingratitude, saying “Ingratitude, thou marble-hearted fiend, / More hideous when thou show’st thee in a child / Than the sea monster!” Lear also mentions the “bond of childhood” and “dues of gratitude”. I think that Shakespeare is advocating that the elderly deserve to be treated with the utmost respect and gratitude regardless of the debate over the “proper” place of older people in society. After all, don’t children often owe a debt of gratitude to their parents? Thoughts?