Theme Of Love In King Lear
Year 4 Raffles Academy English Literature Higher Curriculum
Research Essay (Individual)
Given that Shakespeare provided great insight into the human condition through his plays, it is imperative that readers study his portrayal of love, a vital human desire that satisfies the third level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs , so as to better understand the human nature and experience.
This paper asserts that characteristics of a reverse Oedipal complex are present in Lear from King Lear, which in turn prompts readers to question the notion of morality, and stereotypically masculine ideas of power and politics in relation to familial love, hence revealing a darker dimension of this type of love. Lear exhibits characteristics of a reverse Oedipal
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“Freud believed these slips are not accidents or coincidences but rather are indications of subconscious feelings or thoughts that accidentally emerge in casual day-to-day conversation.” (Videback 49) Lear commits Freudian slips when he describes his daughters, Goneril and Reagan, whom he perceives as maternal figures in highly sexualized language, making reference to erogenous zones. For example, Lear refers to Goneril’s womb – “Into her womb convey sterility / Dry up in her the organs of increase” (1.4.278-9) – and vagina – “O most small fault” (1.4.266) in his speeches. There is conflict between his id that seeks sexual gratification from his love objects, and his superego that is conscious of the immorality behind sexual desire for one’s daughters. Yet at times his superego is repressed by his id, and his incestuous perception of his daughters as women is revealed through these Freudian …show more content…
Incestuous sexual desire is deemed immoral by the superego, yet the id can successfully repress the superego at times to form the Oedipal or Electra complexes, thereby introducing a darker dimension into the concept of familiar love, and probing readers to question love in relation to morality. The complexes also illustrate the repression of Lear’s masculine power as he loses his superiority in relationships and politics, which contributes to the destructive three-way relationship of love, power and morality. The Shakespearean notion of love is inevitably connected to larger ideas of power and morality, though the existence of each concept may also potentially cause the demise of
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