Justice

• 'You heavens, give me that patience, patience I need!' - Lear (2.4)


  • sympathy for Lear, has been betrayed by daughters
  • breaks down under his grief
  • sense of helplessness
  • believes universe controlled by Gods - belief in divine justice - however actions so far have been controlled by his action to divide kingdom & by R & G's deception - appealing to Gods pointless?
• 'Let the great gods' punish those 'unwhipped by justice' - Lear (3.2) (in storm)


  • calling on Gods to bring some divine justice to the world & crush its enemies who are unpunished by justice
  • has to call upon Gods for justice as he can no longer do it himself - monarch is supposed to be source of all justice yet Lear doesn't have this power anymore - can't be King anymore - suffering in storm w nothing- loss of power/identity
  • ironic Lear talks about justice when he has done unjust actions - reason he has to call upon Gods in storm is because he is suffering from the injustice he has caused
• 'That thou must shake the superflux to them and show heavens more just' - Lear (3.4)


  • realises suffering of others & injustice in world - leads him to doubt divine justice
  • the world needs to be more just - questioning heavens justness
  • BUT still relying on heavens when humans should be taking action
• 'I will arraign them straight' - Lear (3.6)


  
  

  • mock trial - need for mock trial criticises divine/ earthly justice
  • monarch who is mad trying people who aren't actually there - not actually able to try them yet still using legal language
  • mad judges/ absent daughters - disorder of way justice works
  • monarch is meant to be source of justice yet his madness & inability to see straight makes justice impossible
  • L searching for motive/ reason for daughter's actions - attempting to gain grasp of truth to restore sanity but ultimately still blind to true source: his mistakes
• 'As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods, they kill us for their sport' - Gloucester (4.1)


  • presents gods like destructive children who kill flies in sport
  • humans are like flies to the gods - insignificant
  • Gl recognises the lack of divine justice - earlier he believed Gods control everything but in reality humans are causing cruelty - play is about humanity & Gl finally learns gods won't serve justice
• 'The arbitrement is likely to be bloody' - Gentleman (4.7)


  • despite joy of reconciliation in this scene, end of scene reminds us play is not over - more suffering is to come
  • reminder of battle is an ominous counteraction to harmony
  • will not be justice for good characters of Lear & Cordelia
  • wisdom has come too late & the consequences of our actions are inescapable
• 'I pant for life. Some good I mean to do' - Edmund (5.3)


  • Edm's injury in combat w Edg triggers change of heart - he acknowledges the justice of his fate & feels desire to do good before he dies
  • reveals plot - Albany & Edg send help to L & C - sense of hope for Cordelia as she is a good character that has done no wrong - however help comes too late - no sense of divine justice
• 'Enter Lear with Cordelia in his arms' - (3.5)


  • now there are all 3 dead sisters on stage - first time been together since 1.1 - reminder of opening scene - consequences of L's original error of judgement - can't escape consequences
  • Q about role of divine justice - deaths of evil characters lull audience into believing gods would restore order
  • Cordelia is good & pure (has not made errors like Lear & Gl, whose deaths are acceptable) - false hope created for her makes death especially painful