Marianna D. R.

King Lear and the struggle between parents and children

"How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child"

This is a quote taken from the tragedy of King Lear, written by William Shakespeare in 1605-1606, and it is particularly meaningful because it reminds us of one of the main and topical issues of the tragedy.

This quote highlights the difficulties of generation conflicts between parents and children, which are omnipresent even in our times and these are still reflected in the news, literary works, cinema, and much more. This is the most natural relationship that the individuals know, but in this case also the most complex and tormented.

In fact, King Lear complains that his daughter, Cordelia, has not found a way to say that she loves him dearly, unlike Goneril and Regan, the older sisters, so he thinks this proves that Cordelia does not love him and that she does not show proper gratitude to dear old dad. This hurts his feelings like a snake bite hurts his body, or worse.

King Lear shows an aristocratic dimention in which the king becomes a real institution to which to submit. Natural father-son love is no longer of any interest, so the search for a more real relationship results in an inevitable exile.

I decided to dig deep into the King Lear tragedy because I found this issue extremely engaging and thought-provoking, because it shows us an aspect of everyday life that is still relevant today.

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