Act II blog 1

If we remember from back in Act I, Goneril and Regan were not the favored daughters of King Lear. They were the first ones to be married off, while he kept Cordelia at home. We can assume, therefore, that he did not treat Goneril and Regan as fairly or lovingly as he would have treated Cordelia. When he exiled Cordelia, he turned rather heavily to rely on his two less-loved daughters, as if they had been his favorites, or are now to be treated as his favorites. And this all because of his untimely, unjust expulsion of Cordelia? They were at first irritated with him because they envied his relationship with Cordelia. However, their irritation turned to cruelty because of King Lear’s ridiculous assumption that he would retain his title of King and his power as King and his escort of 100 knights as King although he had already given up all of his land and belongings to Goneril and Regan. The irritation and anger (which eventually embodied itself in their cruelty) came from jealously and neglect and the feeling of being less important than their other sister. Parents can be controlling, powerful, degrading, and critical all in the name of love. These are all forms of negative reinforcement when the parent attempts to mold their child. However, many psychological studies have shown that negative parental reinforcement does little to change a child’s behavior, and much to instill a mixed feeling of hatred and love in the child. This is the behavior displayed by Generil and Regan. They are trying to force their father into submission, to realize that the tides of power and control have changed, and that they now lie in the hands of King Lear’s daughters.