King Lear

2 Pages 414 Words

The tempest in Act III influences the character King Lear significantly. The storm is an echo of Lear’s inner turmoil and his growing insanity: the awesome power of the storm is a physical, chaotic natural reflection of Lear’s internal confusion. Although Lear does not recover his good sense, and learn from his mistakes to become a better king, he begins to learn his weakness and insignificance compared to the remarkable forces of the natural world. As result of this Lear begins to become a humble and caring individual.
The storm is a reflection of the crazed mind that Lear possesses. Trying to face down the storm shows despair and the increased loss of his sense of reality. Speaking to the storm, he commands:

Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!
You cataracts and hurrincanoes, spout
Till you have drenched our steeples, drowned the cocks! (King Lear P.105).

The king is powerless to the storm making him realize his own mortality Lear believes his world is coming to an end because his daughters have betrayed him. Also by having his power stripped from him by his daughters, he thinks that the outside world is going to end as well. The chaos that is the storm, is also a reflection of the chaos of Britain without Lears authority.
Along with Lear's growing despair and projection, we also see his understandable obsession with his daughters betrayal:
"Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire, are my daughters: / I tax you not, you elements, with unkindness" (King Lear P.105).

Lear tells the thunder that he does not blame it for attacking him because it does not owe him anything. But he does blame his "two pernicious daughters"(King Lear P.107) for their betrayal. In spite of the clear onset of insanity, Lear exhibits some degree of rational thought he is still able to locate the source of his misfortune.
Lear is realizing that he is going mad, even with this terrifying realization he starts to become compassionate ...