Truth Disguised By Words :: essays research papers

Truth Disguised by Words end-to-end history people have utilise disguises to deceive others to hide their authorized identity. Hiding ones true identity is a predominant theme throughout queer Lear for characters dress up to deceive their friends and family. Another use of disguise in this play is use words to hide ones true emotions and personality. Words have a strong importance to the characters in this play which leads to easy manipulation. Three characters use words that do not reflect their true feelings to deceive and manipulate their friends and family to do things that they would otherwise not do if their true intentions were know. These three characters are Goneril and Regan, the two eldest daughters of King Lear, and Edmund, the illegitimate son of Gloucester. They lie, deceive, fabricate evidence, overpower and betray their father and the other people closest in their lives, including each other. All three of these characters have used their mastery of the English la nguage to portray an intention different from their true feelings and emotions and succeed in fooling the other characters in the play to obey them.     Throughout King Lear cruelty and selfishness is an ongoing theme and sentiment which is mainly generated from Lears two eldest daughters, Goneril and Regan. Though these two sisters are virtually one character during just about of the play they do even turn on each other when need takes over their heart. Goneril and Regan begin the play by professing their deep without end love for their father. These speeches were necessary if they wish to aquire their deserved piece of land and power from their father. In these two speeches Goneril and Regan use such phrases as "A love that makes schnorkel poor and speech un equal"(I, i, 60) and "And find I am alone felicitate / In your dear highness love." (I, i, 75-6) while the daughter with the truest love towards her father refuses to pronounce for she "cannot heave / My heart into my mouth."(I, i, 91-2). The love Cordelia could not express in words her sisters were able to so insincerely, for if their love was true love it would not be able to be expressed in just words because emotion would take over any meaning words had. This is the first time we see them speak in the play and their first words are insincere which is definitely a sign of the lack of respect they give to the meaning of words throughout the continuation of the play.