Looking at the terms liquid(ity) and swap(ping) in the context of King Lear brings literal and metaphorical definitions to the story. King Lear tells the story of an aging king ready to retire his kingdom. He decides to split his kingdom between his three daughters – Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia – based on their professions of love. When Cordelia refuses to exaggerate her love unlike her other sisters, Lear expels her from the inheritance. Shortly after, Goneril and Regan betray Lear and strip him of all power. Parallel to this storyline, the play also follows Gloucester who is betrayed by his illegitimate son, Edmund, and suffers greatly. Throughout the story, Liquid(ity) is present particularly concerning power, loyalty, and the nature of relationships. As we see in the play, The storms in the play serve as a metaphor for emotional and political turmoil. The chaotic weather mirrors the instability of Lear’s reign and his relationships, emphasizing how external forces can disrupt the balance of power and sanity. We also see swap(ping) in the story which can be defined as exchanging, bartering, or trading, one thing for another. After initially professing love for Lear, Goneril and Regan swap their outward displays of affection for ruthless ambition. Their betrayal of Lear highlights the swap from loyalty to treachery. In King Lear, the themes of liquid(ity) and swap(ping) manifest through Lear’s tragic decisions and the fluid nature of power. Lear’s initial control over his kingdom symbolizes financial liquidity; he easily redistributes power based on his daughters’ declarations of love. However, as he descends into madness and loses authority, this liquidity evaporates, illustrating how quickly one can lose power and respect. The act of swapping is evident as Lear trades genuine affection for the illusion of loyalty, leading to betrayal and tragic consequences. Ultimately, the play explores liquidity, expulsion, and the swapping of relationships.
Swapping, liquid, and liquidity are all very different terms with meanings that cover a vast majority of topics. In the play King Lear these terms interact with each other constantly, The idea of liquidity and swapping are both brought up in the action of losing or gaining power. In the play we see Edgar who started out as a favored son turns into a crazy beggar and is removed from the kingdom almost entirely. On the other hand Edmund starts out as the bastard and casted out by the kingdom slowly works his way into the top and gains his power, but in the end his hunt for power ends up getting him expelled from the kingdom. The action of losing or gaining power is the main idea of the interaction between swapping and liquidity not just in this example but throughout the entire play. A wheel of Fortune is a great example that Beth mentioned in class on September 11, 2024. Lear, who started out as the king and ruler of his kingdom, took a spin on the wheel, divided his kingdom to his daughters and in turn gave away his power. We would later see Lear lose his sense of reality and spiral into a deep madness, losing all of his fortune and now with none of the power he once held. This same wheel can be used to describe the journey of many of the characters in the play, some starting with power and losing it as the wheel begins to spin, while others start with none but gradually gain it throughout the play. We also follow Edgar, true son of Gloucester, who is deceived and lied to. Edgar again loses his power and swaps places with his half brother Edmund, both Edgar and Edmund are examples of swapping. Edmund swaps his brother’s trust in him for his personal ambitions and gains, while Edgar is deceived and casted out, forced to change his identity. This example is not only showing swapping but also the liquidity of relationships, where loyalty can quickly change.The bond between Regan and Goneril is marked by a deceptive fluidity. They begin as allies, but their relationship becomes increasingly competitive. As they swap accusations and manipulate each other to gain favor, their sisterhood becomes strained, highlighting the liquidity of familial ties when power is at stake. The action of someone losing power seems to be followed by another gaining said power. Swapping and liquidity are two terms with definitions that seem to interact with each other in almost every aspect of the play, demonstrating this relationship between losing and gaining power.
Pulling out direct dialogue from the text we can begin to paraphrase the most important way King Lear makes connections between liquid(ity) and swap(ping) and how that relates to expulsion. The first example of this is when Lear states, “How, nothing will come of nothing.” – Lear begins the play by asking his daughters to declare how much they love him. His youngest daughter Cordelia has “nothing” to say. This line is Lear’s response. His repetition of the word “nothing” introduces an important theme of the play. Lear will be stripped of his kingdom, his power, and his family, and left with nothing. King Lear asks whether there is anything to be learned or gained by the experience of having nothing, or whether, as Lear says here, nothing comes of nothing. Later in the text, we hear, “O, reason not the need! Our basest beggars are in the poorest thing superfluous; Allow not nature more than nature needs, Man’s life is cheap as beast’s” – The line foreshadows that Lear will soon be living side by side with the “basest beggars.” One of the central themes of King Lear is the question of whether poor and powerless people can live with meaning and dignity, or whether wealth and power are the only things that make life bearable. The next deep connection between the themes of Lear comes from Edmund as he states, “Brother, I advise you to the best. I am no honest man if there is any good meaning toward you. I have told you what I have seen and heard, but faintly, nothing like the image and horror of it. Pray you away.” (Edmund, Act 1 Scene 2). This illustrates the connection between Edmund and the expulsion he casts upon his brother by wishing to be able to pray him away after swapping roles with his brother. “I am a very foolish, fond old man, Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less; And to deal plainly, I fear I am not in my perfect mind.” – Lear begins the play blind to the reality of his position. He believes he will always be a king, even if he gives up his power. Over the course of the play, he discovers his mistake. Finally, he learns to see himself clearly, and in this speech, near the end of the play, he is able to describe himself accurately. In Lear’s realization, “I am a man more sinned against than sinning.” In this moment of clarity, Lear reflects on his loss and the expulsion from his former self. He recognizes the depth of his suffering and the misguided nature of his previous authority. He starts to understand the damage he is doing and how his life is based on wealth and status. After he lost everything and gave up his kingdom and wealth, he realized he didn’t have much meaning to anything or anyone. Clearly, he realized this too late as he went insane and lost his family.
We may relate to the themes of liquidity and swapping in “King Lear” because they mirror our own issues with authority and fraud. We are prompted to reflect on how we handle our own lives by the play’s portrayal of power relations, which are a reflection of real-life interactions. Empathy is sparked by Lear’s journey into insanity, which serves as a reminder of the emotional complexity of personal failings and family relationships. What happens when we lose sight of our principles; such as leaving a friendship you had for years, emotions and drama can come up from that. Considering these topics prompts us to consider crucial issues such as how we manage loyalty and disagreement in our own relationships. What may we infer from Lear’s mistakes? Shakespeare’s creativity is made stronger by these reflections, which also encourage us to think critically about our own decisions and experiences. In conclusion, King Lear powerfully illustrates the fragility of authority and human relationships through the themes of liquidity and swapping. Lear’s initial ability to fluidly distribute power among his daughters represents financial liquidity, but as he descends into madness, this liquidity evaporates, highlighting how quickly trust can be lost. The act of swapping is evident as Lear exchanges genuine love for flattery, leading to betrayal and tragic consequences. Ultimately, the play reveals the dangers of misjudgment and the profound repercussions that arise from trading meaningful connections for superficial gains, leaving a lasting impact on both characters and audiences alike.
Lily Scobbo, Lily Gallagher, Joey Latella, Ava Patelli, Zach Simons, Jayden Prashad