Kyle Mele, Kyle Footer, Mekail Boyer, Natalie Schuey, Rylie Cappezuto, Cassidy Hand, Joshua Irizarry
Throughout King Lear, background knowledge surrounding concepts such as liquid(ity) and swap(ping) allows for a deeper understanding of the characters and their journeys. To consider the importance of such concepts, we need to understand their definitions, as many words have multiple meanings. Liquid may refer to one of the three states of matter, like water, for example, or could be referred to in a financial sense as “the efficiency or ease with which an asset or security can be converted into ready cash without affecting its market price” as given by Investopedia.com. Additionally, swap(ping) can simply be referred to as an exchange. Investopedia describes swap(ping) as “a derivative contract through which two parties exchange the cash flows or liabilities from two different financial instruments.” Typically, a swap also benefits both parties, something appearing highly inconsistent throughout the play. Together, the ideas of liquid(ity) and swap(ping) contribute to a central theme of expulsion among the characters and ultimately result in their demise.
The concept of liquidity can easily be applied to King Lear’s character as we progress throughout the play. We first see the concept of liquidity appear when Lear’s kingdom is divided amongst his daughters following a confession of their love. Cordelia, unlike her two sisters, stated her true feelings for Lear, stating, “I love your majesty according to my bond no more nor less (pg 13).” Her statement of truth is far from Lear’s expectations, and as a result, she is stripped of her inheritance and banished from the royal family. Cordelia experiences losing the liquid assets of power and land through her profession while her sisters prospered. Although the definition of liquid(ity) does not apply in a literal sense to land nor power as neither can be converted to cash quickly, however, both land and power are assets that have high demand amongst Goneril and Regan, a factor outlined by Investopedia when defining a liquid asset. As readers, we can also analyze how quickly both power and land are given and taken away from the characters, fitting a more literal sense of liquid. Additionally, the transition of power from Lear to his daughters also represents a loss of his power and land and would result in Lear’s character experiencing a dramatic downfall. Following the transition of power, we can see Lear’s character breaking down and we can express the definition of liquid in a more literal sense. We see the effects of the transition following Lear’s expulsion from the homes of Goneril and Regan, which leaves him stranded in a storm. From a broader perspective, the storm represents Lear’s world falling apart; he once had all the power, he had his land, and he had the affection of his daughters, which was found to be insincere. The storm can then be classified as a sense of hopelessness; each raindrop may feel like a tear. “But yet I call you servile ministers, that have with two pernicious daughters join’d your high engender’d battles ‘gainst a head so old and white as this. O! O! ’tis foul!” (Act 3 Scene 2). (The punctuation allows you to envision.. something like that) From Lear’s speech, you can almost hear the pain in his voice; the storm expresses his feelings perfectly and shows how much has changed in his life after distributing his land and power to his daughters.
The liquidation and redistribution of King Lear’s Kingdom introduces the Medieval concept of the “wheel of fortune.” Each person assumes their place along the wheel of fortune, where the fortunate will one day find themselves desolate. The wheel of fortune also intermixes with the concept of fate—regardless of how much a person resists, their position along the wheel is impermanent. As the play progresses, King Lear’s circumstances become increasingly more unfortunate. This trend is alluded to in Act 2, Scene 2, where Kent comforts the disgruntled King—who recently expulsed his daughter, Cordelia—bidding him farewell, saying, “Fortune, good night. Smile once more; turn thy wheel” (page, 95). Although, from this point forward, King Lear did not receive fortune, his wheel did turn. It is perhaps ironic that it is only when King Lear is reunited with Cordelia that he states, “I am bound Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears Do scald like molten lead” (pg. 217). It seems as though King Lear is alluding to his excruciating cycle along the wheel of fortune. An inverse example involves Edmund, the disenfranchised bastard who found himself atop the wheel of fortune and on the precipice of King Lear’s Kingdom. Nevertheless, toward the end of the play, seeing his machinations crumbling before him, Edmund finds himself once more at the bottom of the wheel, “The wheel is come full circle; I am here,” again highlighting the impermanence of fortune (pg. 249).
Following Lear’s misfortune, we see a behavioral swap that follows the swapping of power among his daughters. Most importantly we follow Regan and Goneril, who once obtained the land and power they wanted, revealed their true selves. Did they really love Lear? After being expelled from the homes of Regan and Goneril and watching his life spiral out of control, we can see how quickly their “love and affection” became a burning hunger for power. Following his expulsion, Lear also experiences a major character swap, and we see this within the storm he is caught in as King Lear experiences a change of heart as he begins to recognize the struggles of the lower class and how he had dismissed these and should have been a better king. We see this new Lear following his interaction with poor Tom which we know as Edgar who swaps his identity in light of a manhunt for him. Through their interaction, Lear states “how shall your houseless heads and unfed sides, your looped and windowed raggedness defend you from seasons such as these? O, I have ta’en too little care of this” (pg. 137). It is interesting to note that instances of swapping—whether it be a swapping of fortune or identity—are followed by moments of clarity. At their lowest points along the wheel of fortune, both Edmund and King Lear find clarity—Edmund recognizes his position along the wheel (“The wheel is come full circle; I am here), and King Lear realizes his neglect of the impoverished.
In “King Lear”, liquid(ity), swap(ping), and expulsion all come together to show how chaotic and unstable things become when power and loyalty are constantly shifting. Together, these themes highlight the instability and treachery that come with the pursuit of power and the breakdown of family bonds. In deciphering why these concepts matter concerning the play, many people ask themselves so what? Who cares? When answering this question, it is beneficial to incorporate the benefits of outside information into your thinking in the context of reading. Within King Lear, the definitions of liquid(ity) and swap(ping) all offer a sense of complexity amongst the characters, and we can analyze their journeys in a broader context which allows us, the readers, to interpret scenes in a more meaningful way. Lear, after giving his land to his daughters, lost his power, and eventually, his daughters which then contributed to the lives of those around him changing indefinitely. Each character’s personal experiences speak for themselves, following the transfer of power, we saw many characters swap their identities, with some characters gaining in the short term and all losing in the long term. The story of King Lear emphasizes the importance of applying outside knowledge to the context of our reading. Through the concepts of liquid(ity) and swap(ping) we got to know each character and followed their journeys as the concepts listed before affected the lives and outcomes of the characters within the play.