King Lear: sub-text

King Lear: sub-text

Sub-Text in King Lear

Sub-text refers to the underlying or implicit meanings in a dramatic work, often communicated indirectly through characters’ actions, dialogue, and circumstances.

Concealment and Deception

• Concealment and deception form a primary sub-text in King Lear, seen prominently in the initial love-test where Goneril and Regan’s deceitful flattery contrasts with Cordelia’s sincere love.
• The subplot involving Gloucester’s sons, Edgar and Edmund, further emphasise concealment – with Edgar hiding his identity as Poor Tom, and Edmund’s deception to attain inheritance.

Love and Betrayal

• Love and betrayal serve as the emotional sub-text, as we see familial bonds broken and reformed. Lear’s unacknowledged love for Cordelia creates the crisis and his subsequent recognition of this love serves as a tragic enlightenment.
• Betrayal forms a significant sub-text, evident in Regan and Goneril’s betrayal of their father after inheriting the kingdom and Edmund’s treachery against his brother and father.

Power and Authority

• Themes of power and authority pervade the play. Lear’s hasty abdication and division of his kingdom serve as catalysts for the ensuing chaos and tragedy.
• The sub-text of erratic, absolute rule is contrasted with the sub-text of responsible governance, exemplified by Cordelia and, finally, Albany.

Role of Nature

• The role of nature as a sub-text is visible when Lear is reduced to a state of ‘unaccommodated man,’ subject to the wrath of the elements. This reflects the concept of humanity’s insignificance against the face of nature’s might.
• The ‘natural order’ is a prevalent sub-text, disturbed by Lear’s abdication and his daughters’ usurpation, which needs to be restored.

Manipulation of Sub-text

• Shakespeare’s handling of sub-text is vital in delivering the complexity of characters and the depth of their experiences. Such understanding is crucial for performers and directors alike.
• Each character’s hidden motivations, struggles, and transformations are revealed through the sub-text, providing a rich exploratory ground for performance interpretation and direction.

Interpretation of Sub-text

• Sub-text interpretation becomes a central task in staging and performing King Lear. From an actor’s viewpoint, knowing and conveying the sub-textual layers would aid in bringing out the psychological depth of characters.
• Likewise, a director’s understanding of sub-text might guide the overall thematic representation and mise-en-scène of a performance.