withstand the harsh elements,as he is focusing on the tempest within his mind. The repetition further emphasizes that hehas been ultimately disowned by his daughters and left without shelter. In addition, hewas cast out into horrible conditions, and Lear fears he will soon go mad based upon hisdaughter’s ungrateful nature. Lear concludes with: “O Regan, Goneril, Your old kindfather, whose frank heart gave all--O, that way madness lies; let me shun that! No more ofthat” (lines 19-22). The reader is able to see now the complete effect that Lear’sdaughters have had upon his mind and sanity. He has given them everything, and theyhave not given anything in return. Therefore, Lear is allowed to suffer and to essentiallygo mad.Many of the elements which lay the foundations for Lear’s speech in Act 3, scene 4are contrasted through previous speeches in Acts 1 and 2. For instance, Lear’s speech inAct 1, scene 1, lines 108-119, is almost opposite in content and style of his later speech. His Act 1 speech concerns the fact that his daughter, Cordelia cannot profess her love forLear through words. This speech is driven by anger, as more exclamation points are used,and Lear actually curses his daughter: “The barbarous Scythian, Or he that makes hisgeneration messes to gorge his appetite, shall to my bosom Be as well neighbored, pitied,and relieved As thou my sometime daughter” (lines 116-119). However, in his laterspeech, Lear is more in disbelief that his daughters whom he gave all his land to could beso ungrateful. He is more obsessed with his inner being and feels he will go mad, and hedoesn’t express such volatile anger as he did in Act 1. The rhetorical questions in Act 3developed Lear’s highly unstable and insecure character. In Act 1, however, Lear is moreegotistical and self-assured, thus posing less of these questions. Furthermore, Lear’sspeech is definitely less ...
