Appearance Versus Reality in Acts I and II of King Lear

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Appearance Versus Reality in Acts I and II of King Lear
King Lear, as it is popularly known to the readers, is one of the famous tragedies
which was written by popular author and playwright William Shakespeare. The tragedy tells
the readers about the story of King Lear, who grants all his land and his power to two of his
three daughters for the love that they show him. What happens next is what the tragedy is all
about. The tragedy is well known for its use of the themes of the appearance and reality in the
play itself. This theme is noticed by the readers in Act I itself in the flattery of Goneril and
Reagan when they flatter the King promising him of their love. This flattery is taken seriously
by the King without seeing the fake personality of his daughters. Moreover, this false
perception of his daughters makes him misjudge his youngest daughter Cordelia. Many
readers in the play might blame Cordelia to be ungrateful towards her father unlike her other
sisters (Roberts: 106). Both Regan and Goneril trick their father with their words of false
love. However, King Lear fails to realize the reality of Cordelia’s actions. He fails to realize
the fact that Cordelia is true to his father, which ultimately turns out to be a tragedy for him.
Moreover, the appearance versus reality is also shown in the way in which Lear makes his
poor choices throughout the rest if the tragedy itself (Roberts:106)
In Act II of the play itself, the theme of the appearance versus reality is portrayed in
the tragedy in the evidence of the forged letter written by Gloucester’s deceitful son Edmond,