King Lear, Myself, and Nature

            Throughout much of the turmoil of Act III, the weather plays a very important role. Goneril and Regan have refused to let their father stay with them, let alone him and fifty of his knights. Lear is losing everyone around him from his daughters to his servants and virtually has nothing left to his name. After he curses his daughters, he walks into a violent storm and refuses to retreat back to the palace or take shelter. As his daughters shut and lock the doors, Lear is alone in the storm. The storm symbolizes cruelty and madness that are common themes throughout the play. A storm in nature is uncontrollable and destructive, much like Lear’s state of being. He shouts at the storm saying irrational demands such as “all-shaking thunder, strike flat the thick rotundity o’ the world/that make ingrateful man!” (III. ii. 6-8). He wants the storm to challenge him in the most disparaging ways possible. He also feels at ease with the nature because even though thunder, fire, hurricanes, whirlpools etc are all violent forces of nature, none of them are as vengeful and terrible as his daughters. King Lear beckons to the fool, “I tax not you, you elements, with unkindness. I never gave you kingdom, called you children, you owe me no subscription.” (III. ii. 16-18). Part of the king’s outbursts and yelling can stem from madness and anger, but when he succumbs through the storm and makes comments such these and being more acceptable than his children, shows that his relationship with nature is a way for him to seek refuge and let go of feelings.

            Even though King Lear can be seen as irrational and somewhat mad throughout most of the play, I felt genuinely empathetic towards him as he began his trek through the storm. Most people find that rainy days or days that have more gloomy or dismal weather as days that are unproductive or unsatisfying. I completely disagree, perhaps I am just the opposite but I find myself much calmer and somewhat happier on those days. I think the forces of nature have ways of influencing how we feel. I am not saying that people are always happy when the sun is out and sad when it is raining. I am saying that it has a way of making us feel like the universe is somehow understanding how we feel. This may be too deep or pretentious, which is not what I am trying to do, but I find that when I am outside or looking outside there is an emotion or sentiment that is evoked in me. Maybe it is because we all come from nature or maybe it is because I am too emotional about this, but I think King Lear is on to something when he walks through the storm, and I think I would have done the same thing.