Aging and Hubris by Jenny Ge, Helen Shen, Jason Zhang, Douglas Zhang (good novels to read in english txt) 📕

As the youngest daughter of King Lear, Cordelia has an interesting role in the world of aging adults around her (notably her father, King Lear) and those so full pride that they will disregard all thoughts for those of their elders (notably Goneril and Regan).

In order to contrast her older sisters, Cordelia is honest, though sometimes this may do her more harm than good, as is revealed in the very opening act of the play where her intentions were unclear to her father when she declared her love for him to be "Nothing." (I.i.89) Lear deems her as " So youngand so untender"(I.i.108) but Cordelia defiantly claims that her youth is what makes her true (to not only others, but herself as well) and honest when she says "So young, my lord, and true." (I.i.109) She prides herself in not partaking in Lear's love test and at the end of the scene she acknowledges to her two sisters that "Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides, / Who covers faults at last with shame derides." "(I.i.282-283) and that only time will tell what treachery they are up to.

Even Kent the most loyal of all of Lear's noblemen knows
that

Answer my life my judgment,
Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least,
Nor are those empty-hearted whose low sound
Reverbs no hollowness." (I.i.156)

Kent even swears it and says that just because Cordelia is quiet, she
doesn't necessarily have to be able to flatter her father as her sisters do to
show that she loves him more.

However, it can be seen that her pride in knowing her moral high ground
above her sisters (that she has the truest love for their father), ultimately
causes her to be banished from their kingdom and disowned by her father as he
says "Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her." (I.i.131) It breaks Lear's old
heart as "[He] loved her most and thought to set [his] rest / On her kind nursery"
(I.i.125-126) so that when he old and cannot be of any use, he will have his most
loving and loved daughter by his side to take care of him.

Cordelia however, lacks more of a selfish nature which arguably led to
her demise. It was her pride and love for her father yes, but in the selfless
acts of bringing the French army to Britain to save her father in Act III, scene
VI, resulted in her death in Act V, scene II. However, it is because of Cordelia
that Lear comes to his senses when he proclaims that
"[He is] a very foolish fond old man." (IV.vii.60)

By having Cordelia as the character that is the youngest and the least
arrogant and full of pride, she is the contrast to all other characters who
either have some degree of aging or hubris. With Cordelia's youth, kindness and
honesty, it shows the sharp contrast between her and other characters, making
characters like Goneril and Regan seem so much more evil with their pride and
arrogance and a King Lear's aging more noticeable.

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Although the term "elder abuse" is loosely defined in today's society, it is without a doubt a recurring theme in Shakespeare's Lear: Lear's authority is completely undermined by Regan and Goneril, and he is forced to flee and wander around during a storm. Gloucester is tricked by his son, and he is later blinded by Regan and Cornwall for being a "traitor." These examples show the older characters in the play being mistreated and ruined by the younger characters, and the imbalance of power and authority between the ages.

In some instances, respect is feigned for the elderly. Act 2 scene 2 sees Kent, disguised as a peasant, provoking Oswald, the chief servant in Goneril's household. Kent draws his sword and insults Oswald, yet Oswald refrains from reciprocating, stating later:

This ancient ruffian, sir, whose life I have spared
at suit of his gray beard,--

Oswald's reason for not fighting with Kent is Kent's old age, indicated by his gray beard. Oswald's reaction to Kent can be seen as good manners--he is concerned that someone of Kent's age should not be engaging in fights, and he does not wish to harm him--however, at the same time, Oswald's reaction can be described as one of condescending nature. Oswald is suggesting that Kent cannot win against him because Kent has become weak with age.

This kind of attitude can be commonly found in our modern society: the elderly are shown to be helpless and unable to fend for themselves; they are often either left alone and ignored, or they are forced to sit back and watch others do everything for them without being able to voice their thoughts. The elderly, in both modern society and the Elizabethan era, are portrayed to be inferior, victims of the younger, stronger generation.

There is now historical evidence that shows there was "never a 'Golden Age' in which the elderly were venerated and lived...Evidence exists, in fact, that the men over 50 were the most frequent murder victims in eighteenth-century France and that most of these murders were committed by family members (Stearns, 1986)." (Pillemer 467) In legends and literature, intergenerational conflict was a predominant theme. Ancient Greek myths had a common plot in which the son would kill his father in order to obtain more power, in the same way Goneril and Regan cast aside Lear in order to gain complete control over the kingdom.

Research shows that as aging people become weaker and more reliant on others, they are more likely to experience abuse as they are more physically vulnerable (Pillemer 468). Aging people also have a diminishing social status (especially in Lear's case, in which he gave up his title as king) which makes them more susceptible to discrimination and abuse. "Society isolates the elderly and no longer seeks their contributions." (Pillemer 468)

Another interesting thing to note is that in the majority of literature that touch on elder abuse show “the abuse of elderly parents by adult children.” (Pillemer 471) However, in a survey conducted in Boston, it was found that 58% of victims of elder abuse were abused by their spouses, compared to only 24% of abuse caused by adult children. So why is much of the focus on children abusing their parents? It is because, perhaps, the visual image of an elderly person being abused by another elderly person “does not convey the same pathos” (Pillemer 471) as an elderly person being hit or neglected by their own child. This portrayal of elder abuse casts the situation in a more compelling light, and is more likely to invoke feelings of sympathy in the audience.

Certainly, in the tragedy of King Lear, the sight of Lear suffering at the hands of his own daughters whom he loves very much, is heart wrenching to behold.


Examples of Elder Abuse in the Real World

-Verbal abuse (including intimidation, humiliation, "scapegoating,")
-Neglect (isolating the elderly from their regular activities, ignoring them)
-Extortion (for money, jewelry, other valuables, etc.)
-Sexual abuse
-More than half of all reported cases of elder abuse involve caretakers failing to properly and appropriately provide care to the elder (helpguide.org)
-Exploitation (misusing an elder's money, forging signatures, stealing)
-Healthcare fraud

Potential Outcomes in the Real World

-Physical outcomes: injuries and disabilities such as broken bones, cuts, bruises, etc.
-Psychological outcomes: lower self-esteems, insomnia, feelings of helplessness, fear, anger, frustration, etc.
-Behavioural outcomes: anti-socialism, reluctance to talk to others, attempts at suicide, etc.

Examples of Elder Abuse in Lear

-Social isolation:

GONERIL I will not speak with him; say I am sick:
If you come slack of former services,
You shall do well; the fault of it I'll answer. (1.3.9-11)

Here, Goneril tells Oswald, chief steward in her household, that Lear’s knights are becoming bothersome and that Lear is a demanding guest. She orders Oswald and the other servants to ignore Lear, isolating him from the rest of the household.

-Emotional/verbal abuse (endless examples can be found in the text; here is one)
After seeing Kent in the stocks, Lear realizes how little respect and love Regan and Goneril truly have for him, and he experiences an overwhelming surge of grief and distress.

LEAR O, how this mother swells up toward my heart!
Hysterica passio, down, thou climbing sorrow,
Thy element's below! (2.2.55-57)

During the renaissance, the term “mother” was sometimes used to refer to a state of sickness, the symptoms of which were strong pains in the abdomen, and feelings of suffocation. In this case, the sickness is used to express Lear’s emotions, as his grief and pain are so great that he feels ill.

-Physical abuse (again, there are many examples, including the scene in which Lear is forced to endure a storm, but here is one)

CORNWALL
See't shalt thou never. Fellows, hold the chair.
Upon these eyes of thine I'll set my foot. (3.7.68-69)

In this scene, Cornwall picks out one of Gloucester’s eyes, throws it on the ground, and steps on it. Gloucester calls out to Edmund for help, but Regan informs him that it is Edmund who is behind all of this. Regan also orders Cornwall to take out the other eye, which he does, ignoring Gloucester’s screams.

-Psychological abuse

In act 1 scene 4, when Lear learns that Goneril wishes to get rid of his knights, Lear questions his own identity (as his knights represented his authority as king).

Lear
Doth any here know me? This is not Lear.
…
Who is it that can