In this video summary and analysis of King Lear, the digital user tries to explain the themes in the play in the most comical way possible. They use silly visuals and a hilarious voiceover to explain their analysis of Shakespeare’s tragedy. I think the digital user found the hidden messages and metaphors most appealing. Below are their three main themes they chose to discuss and my opinions on them:
They first explain that the main reason for King Lear’s downfall was hubris, or excessive pride. Lear is so caught up in the idea of people loving him that he doesn’t realize his daughters Regan and Goneril are only pretending to love him so that they can get the kingdom. Even when he realizes their true intentions, he’s passive in his reaction. I don’t agree with the digital user in this analysis. I believe King Lear’s greatest flaw wasn’t hubris, but naivety. I don’t think he was worried about whether or not other people loved him or not. I think he simply didn’t see what Regan and Goneril’s true intentions were. Since he couldn’t understand Cordelia, he believed Regan and Goneril’s simpler answers to his questions must have been the most truthful and wholesome. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for him.
They continue by talking about the imagery of storms throughout the play. According to the user, the storms represent the chaos and unclarity in King Lear’s mind that keep him from seeing what is actually happening right in front of him. I found this interesting because while reading the play, I understood the storms to be a metaphor for King Lear’s anxiety. I never thought of it like that, but I kind of like their analysis better.
Lastly, they talk about sight and its importance in this play. The digital user starts by saying that King Lear has physical sight but is morally “Stevie Wonder” (for reference, Stevie Wonder is a blind musician). They also discuss the irony in Gloucester’s sight. They point out that it’s only when his eyes are ripped out that he can “see” the truth. I felt that was self-explanatory throughout the play and that Shakespeare ment his sight analogies to be obvious.