Question: Discuss the dramatic significance of the storm scene in the play King Lear.
Introduction
King Lear was an old king of Britain and the protagonist of the Tragedy “King Lear” written by the literary shining star William Shakespeare (1564-1616). In act III, we have noticed a terrible storm. This storm scene has a great significance to the development of the action of the drama.
Forwarding the upcoming plot
In King Lear, the scene of the storm is seen in the third act, when the old king aroused him to the cruelty of his two daughters, the violent storm began. King Lear, Fool, and Kent are among the storms. In the third act, in the scene, King Lear seeks to get out of the strong winds and rain after the storm because he is not satisfied with the storm’s destruction. At that moment he was so very much frustrated and wanted to stop the storm. He has acted like a madman. Thus the storm has broadened the plot of the drama.
The process of Lear’s regeneration
At first King Lear wants to destroy the world because most ungrateful people like his two daughters were born here. He invites the elements to soak him in water and burn him in the fire of lightning and do all the terrible things that work on him. But later on he is able to realize his fault and then he is a regenerated person.
Symbolic value
The storm in Act 3 has a great symbolic value. The storm echoes Lear’s inner turmoil and mounting madness. It is a physical turbulent nature reflection of Lear’s internal confusion. At the same time the storm embodies the awesome power of nature. The storm also symbolizes some kind of divine Justice.
Mingling Lear’s internal and external turmoil
So the scene is extremely important because it coincides with Lear’s internal turmoil and sets the process for his moral rebirth through suffering. So it is the storm that ignites the truth of Lear and the misery caused by that storm that remains in his heart. Sorrow and pain open his eyes and he sees the truth. Thus the scene of the storm coincides with the internal turmoil of his moral rebirth through suffering.
The Resemblances of Lear’s calamity
In the open surroundings, the elderly and sick king has personally felt the onslaught of this storm and very naturally remembers the catastrophe of his heart and the heart struck by his two daughters. But the king thinks that if the storm hurts him in the most unbearable way, there is nothing wrong or unnatural about it, because the elements of the storm are not his children and he never handed over their kingdom to them.
Conclusion
In fine, we can say that the storm appears as natural destruction of Lear’s arrogant attitude and cruelty and at the same time it is the spiritual regeneration of King Lear.
