Theme of Justice + Theme of Appearance and Reality

Divine Justice

• Gloucester begs the gods for forgiveness and hopes Edgar prospers: ‘Kind gods forgive me that, and prosper him’

• He sees the gods as cruel and indifferent: ‘flies to wanton boys…they kill us for sport’

• Albany believes the gods have finally acted with justice: ‘This shows you are above, You justicers!’

• But Cordelia’s innocent death undercuts that belief in divine justice.

Human Justice

• Lear’s banishment of Kent and Cordelia is an act of injustice.

• Gloucester’s rejection of Edgar shows how human justice is easily deceived by appearances.

• Cornwall’s brutal blinding of Gloucester is pure cruelty, not justice: ‘Out, vile jelly!’

• Edgar’s duel victory over Edmund represents justice being restored.

• ‘The wheel is come full circle; I am here’ suggests justice catching up with Edmund.

• Cordelia’s death again challenges the idea of justice—she’s innocent, yet suffers, leaving the audience doubting the fairness of justice in the world portrayed by Shakespeare

Social Justice

• Lear admits he neglected the vulnerable: ‘O, I have ta’en / too little care of this!’

• Gloucester’s view of social justice shifts after he’s blinded.

• He sees how the rich ignore the suffering of the poor.

• Both Lear and Gloucester only understand social injustice after losing their power and privilege.

The Deception of Goneril and Regan

• Their flattery is successful because they understand Lear’s ego

• Goneril claims to love Lear ‘more than words can wield the matter’

• Regan declares that she’s ‘an enemy to all other joys’

Gloucester's Mistaken Trust in Edmund

• Edmund manipulates Gloucester by exploiting his inability to see beyond appearances.

• In his soliloquy, Edmund admits he can deceive his family because they’re gullible