There is much discussion in King Lear over the wheel of capricious Fortune, whom brings the high low and the low high on a whim. This certainly happens in the context in the play. Edmund rises from the fall of Edgar and Gloucester (3.3 22), Regan and Goneril benefit from the loss of their father’s authority, Oswald usurps Kent whom beat him mercilessly in the first act, and perhaps most fittingly the Fool becomes the wise man and the King becomes the fool. According to Kent (2.2 149) and Lear (3.2 58) their changes in fortune are the result of outside circumstances such as fate conspiring against them, as though Fortune is just spinning a wheel to victimize them. The fool knows better: “Fortune, that arrant whore/ Ne’er turns the key to the poor” (2.4 50-51) The rises and falls depicted in the play are the results of conscious efforts by actors such as Edmund and the mistakes of fools such as Lear (as the fool repeatedly points out). It seems that the play suggests that fortune and fate are but excuses for those “down on their luck” to absolve themselves of responsibility for being at the bottom of the wheel. Edmund, born a bastard, can be said to have a ‘legitimate’ excuse for his misfortune yet he seizes the day and usurps both his brother and father through his cunning alone. He is unwilling to just accept the cards that fate has dealt him and turns his draw into a winning hand. Regan and Goneril seize the “wheel” from Lear and orchestrate the falls of their father and his followers Kent and
New Paltz Students Blogging about Shakespeare
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Fortune, Fate, and Fools
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2 comments:
Mark,
Great and very interesting post.
With regard to whether we are "merely players on a stage acting out the roles that fate has given us, or are we actors writing our own scripts" I, like you, have to look to Edmund. All those around him do believe that fate is at play in their lives and that fate is driving their fortunes. Edmund, as far as I can tell, is the only character who sees the fallacy in this way of thinking and proceeds to, as you say, "usurp both his brother and father through his cunning alone."
Really enjoyed the post. Thanks!
Wow--I just have to say how great the posts are this week!
Your focus on fortune here calls our attention to a godlessness that is in this play. We get the sense that this world has been abandoned (or has not yet seen) the coming of a merciful godly presence. Fortuna, the goddess who rules over the play, is always depicted in mythology as capricious and unjust. This is a stark contrast if we think back to the comedies, guided as they are (at least in theory) by New Testament theology.
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