I'd like to share one of my favorite quotes from King Lear. There are many great quotes to be found, and so many speak to me on a human level. But the one that chokes me up unfailingly (I am not singular in this), is what Lear says as he cradles the lifeless body of the only daughter who loved him. These are the final words the mad king speaks before perishing, as his poor heart finally gives out from great sadness.
And my poor fool is hang'd! No, no, no life!
Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life,
And thou no breath at all? Thou'lt come no more,
Never, never, never, never, never!
Pray you, undo this button: thank you, sir.
Do you see this? Look on her, look, her lips,
Look there, look there!
Dies
(Act V, Scene iii, 304-309)
"Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life,/ And thou no breath at all?" is possibly the most poignant example of grief humanity can express. The great "Why" of it all. I once heard a quote along the lines of, "Humans are the only animal to cry, for they alone comprehend the difference between what is, and what might have been." I cannot remember where it came from, but it comes to mind every time I read or hear Lear's final monologue.
Moreover, Cordelia held the purity and great promise of redemption in her. The play could have been righted with her return, but it is not meant to be. Hope dies with her, for Lear. It is more than just the sharp knife of the youthful dead. It's suddenness sends the hopeful momentum the play had been gathering into a downward spiral. For me, the final loss of hope in this scene is what makes King Lear the great tragedy its known to be. The moment never fails to move me.
I also love hearing different actors' interpretation of Lear's five nevers - "Thou'lt come no more,/ Never, never, never, never, never." In such plays of great eloquence, it is, for me, the moments of ineloquence that say so much about the characters. Hamlet has his famous four "O"s before he dies. Othello falls into repetitive ramblings before fainting... The men of great monologues have these delightfully poignant moments where their speech fails them at a critical time. And Lear's five nevers fall like blows of a hammer, sealing Cordelia's fate and Lear's own hopelessness.
Then of course, there's the idea that Lear thinks he sees her breathing as he dies. "Do you see this? Look on her, look her lips,/ Look there, look there!" What a great touch to add - the mad Lear is certainly hallucinating once more, but perhaps his final breath is one filled with hope, rather than despair.
I could go on and on, but my point is probably something like this: the final scene of King Lear is so devoid of joy that hardly any remember what comes after Lear's death. The old king's heart just gives out. That is how this story ends itself - not with murder, but with hopelessness.
In a play filled to the brim with battles, storms and betrayals - described as too large for the stage upon which it must be performed - the end comes not with a bang, but with a whimper.
 |
| Performance in Theatre for a New Audience in Brooklyn. Michael Pennington as Lear, Lilly Englert as Cordelia |
