Disguises and Deceits In King Lear

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refuge in a jungle. His youngest daughter tries to save him and in the process gets herself killed and the king meets an unfortunate and calamitous death. The whole tragedy is replete with disgusting intrigues, disguises and deceits.

In the tragedy of "King Lear" William Shakespeare brings the use of disguise into play for camouflaging the real intentions of different characters of the tragedy. Some of the characters use rhetoric for deluding the men in power to submit to their desires, while others conceal their real intent through other means like fake madness, dressing up like beggar, etc

Analysis:

Almost all the major characters of the play conceal themselves or their intentions through disguising themselves in one way or the other. Right from the person of King Lear himself down to his two cunning elder daughters, Edmund and Edgar, the legitimate and illegitimate sons of Gloucester respectively and the kind hearted Kent, a loyal courtier of King Lear, all take refuge ...

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to snatch from the society what he could not get because of illegitimate birth.

Different characters of the play make use of their disguises at the most appropriate time. King Lear's elder daughters, Goneril and Regan use their rhetoric at the time when iron is most hot. The final decision regarding the division of Lear's kingdom is being taken and there can be no appropriate time than this for them to acquire for themselves as much concession from their father as was practically possible.

In order to make Gloucester despise his legitimate son, Edgar, the envious Edmund, selects the most opportune time for forging and showing the fake treasonous letter from Edgar in which he had ...

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