Genre of King Lear

Reading "King Lear" with the theory of genre in mind, many of Chandler's points are illuminated. The play is supposed to be a tragedy, however, what it meant to Shakespeare and what it means to our society has changed over time. For our society, we see tragedy as more connected to real life and deaths in huge quantities are seen as tragic. We are surrounded by so many things that evoke a feeling of extreme sadness. However, the characters in Shakespeare's plays, especially his tragedies that are defined by the main character dying or falling from a peak. His plays show a transition and stay true to the theory that genre is not fixed and can be defined by society. How we see a piece of literature remains open to interpretation depending on the time period itself, events going on and the individual.

Throughout "King Lear" there are so many ways of reading of it that would cater to all the schools of thought we have discussed in class. One that particularly stands out is the idea of power struggles that are similar to post colonialism. There is an idea of loss of power and those (such as King Lear) who are unfit to hold these positions of power. There is a shift of who holds the power and who gets to decide. For example, act 1 scene 1, during Goneril and Regan's plot, they talk of their father's inability to make rational decisions in his old age. "The best and soundest if his time hath been but rash. Then must we look from his age to receive not alone the imperfections of long-engraffed condition, but therewithal the unruly waywardness that infirm and choleric years bring with them" (lines 341-345). King Lear's daughters are not the only ones that plot to have a shift of power. Edmund, also wants to rule the kingdom to his legitimate brother Edgar and take the power from his father. Both children go through a process of extreme caution and thought in order to plan. These ideas mirror post colonialism because the children are not acting as proper children. They feel that power and using it is wasted among those it belongs to. It is being used unwisely and so must be taken into the hands of those who are better fit.

If King Lear can be seen as a country that has been colonized and has his power ripped away from him, than the feelings he express towards his daughters and his realization that he has no choice but to succumb to them. There is a feeling of hate and a not wanting to be around them or acknowledge them. As with Britain, many of those countries wanted nothing to with them after the effects of colonization. However, similarly with King Lear, there is a feeling of familial ties and a difficulty to let go entirely. In act 2 scene 4, King Lear's thoughts towards Goneril, "We'll no more meet, no more see one another. But yet thou are my flesh, my blood, my daughter, or rather a disease that's in my flesh, which I must needs call mine. Thou art a boil...in my corrupted blood" (254-258). Although it seems a stretch to find post colonial ideas within this play, the idea of power and the constant transfer to inexperienced hands seems to parallel the ideas.