King Lear, Act IV

1. Hemlock: 1 a : any of several poisonous herbs (as a poison hemlock or a water hemlock) of the carrot family having finely cut leaves and small white flowers b : a drug or lethal drink prepared from the poison hemlock
2 : any of a genus (Tsuga) of evergreen coniferous trees of the pine family; also : the soft light splintery wood of a hemlock
-Merriam-Webster Online

Page 82 (Act IV, Scene IV): "Cordelia: Alack, 'tis he: why, he was met even now
As mad as the vexed sea; singing aloud;
Crowned with rank fumiter and furrow-weeds,
With hardocks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers,
Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow
In our sustaining corn. A century send forth;
Search every acre in the high-grown field,
And bring him to our eye."


2. Edgar, disguised as Poor Tom, overhears his father tell Kent that if he could only touch his son (Edgar) again, his blindness would be worth it. Despite this, Edgar decides to remain disguised. Gloucester then asks Edgar to lead him to Dover, particularly to the tallest cliff. Meanwhile, Goneril and Edmund arrive at Goneril's castle. Oswald meets them, telling the pair of Albany's disapproval. Furious, Goneril raises troops to fight the French and hints strongly to Edmund that she is interested in him sexually. He then leaves as Albany enters, and the husband and wife fight. In the midst of the argument a messenger arrives with news of Cornwall's death while cutting out Gloucester's eyes. Goneril is angry because her sister is now free to pursue Edmund, and Albany is livid because of the cruel mistreatment of Gloucester, vowing to revenge him. Kent speaks to a man who recently delivered letters to Cordelia detailing her father's condition. She very much wishes to see her father, but he refuses in shame. Cordelia sends a party to find Lear as Cornwall and Albany's armies are preparing to fight. The story then switches to Regan and Oswald, who are discussing a letter from Goneril to Edmund. Regan tells Oswald that she is also interested in Edmund. While this is happening, Edgar brings Gloucester to a hill in Dover, telling him that it is an enormous cliff. Gloucester, intending to commit suicide, prays and then falls over the "cliff," really just falling forward. Edgar wakes his father, assuming yet another persona. He tells Gloucester that the man fell from a great height and is miraculously still alive. Lear then joins the party, mad as ever. Cordelia's people finally find Lear, who tries to run but is captured. Oswald finds Edgar and Gloucester and intends to kill Gloucester, but Edgar slays him first. Lear and Cordelia are finally reunited in the camp and Cordelia forgives her father.


3. Albany becomes a dynamic character in this section, transitioning from a cruel ally of the eldest sisters to a compassionate, remorseful friend of Gloucester. This bout of redemption seems to coincide with Albany's witnessing of Gloucester's attack, not only in the stabbing out of his eyes, but in the abuse he endured at the hands of Goneril and Regan as well. Because Albany stood beside Goneril throughout the beginning of her abuse of her father, I assume he was not simply a meek "good guy" all along. Instead, he was a "bad guy" who had a change of heart. In doing so, he provides one of the only character changes that occur in this play. Lear is the other transformation, going from sane and selfish to lunatic but compassionate. These two characters both wind up becoming better people as a result of their changes. Interestingly, like Lear, Albany uses animal imagery to describe Goneril. In Scene II, Line 44, Albany asks, "Tigers, not daughters, what have you performed?" Is Albany becoming more like his father-in-law?
Cordelia seems to be venerated in this section. She is described as tears that "as pearls from diamonds dropped" with "smiles and tears" like "sunshine and rain" (Scene 3, Lines 17-21). Her tears are also referred to as "holy water from her heavenly eyes" (Scene 3, Line 33). Especially in light of her contrasting character to that of her sisters, Cordelia appears to be angelic. She is the pure daughter, whereas her sisters are morally corrupted. Even though Cordelia is the only one mistreated by King Lear, she is the only one who stands by him and loves him through it all. While her sisters took advantage of his assets, Cordelia was accepting of her banishment and ultimately forgave her father.
Gloucester's wish for death points to his easily defeatable nature. When things don't go as he wishes, instead of trying to reconcile the situation he simply dismisses life. Granted, when tragedy befalls him, it is in greater amounts than most ever experience. However, Gloucester aiming to fall off of a cliff demonstrates his tendency toward despair and hopelessness.


4. Was Shakespeare intending to set Cordelia up to be worshipped? Is she supposed to be compared to the Virgin Mary? Or is this simply taking the context too far?

Was Shakespeare making a statement by having both Albany and Lear make positive transformations? Is this change in goodness significant?

Will Gloucester end up killing himself, will he find joy in life again, or will he simply live in a state of misery for the rest of the play? He is so apathetic toward everything except sorrow; will this be the ruin of him?