King Lear's and My Relationship with Nature

                King Lear’s life is falling apart. Once he gives away his powers to his two daughter, Regan and Goneril, they strip the king of everything he has including his knights. Lear believes that having his knights helps separate himself with the animals in nature: “Allow not nature more than nature needs,/ Man’s life is cheap as beast’s” (2.4.307-308). Lear understands that a man without anything superfluous is no different than a beast. He wants to be more than just an animal in nature.

                After Goneril and Regan continue to refuse King Lear a place to stay with his nights, he gets trapped in a dreadful storm. Lear believes that this storm is caused by his daughter’s ungratefulness. He thinks that nature will punish those who sinned. He says that nature should “Find out their enemies now” (3.2.54). He wants Goneril and Regan to be punished by nature. Lear knows he has been sinned against more than he has sinned so he is confused as the why nature is taking its wrath out on him. He also believes that nature makes man fearful: “”The wrathful skies/ Gallow the very wanderers of the dark/ And make them keep their caves” (3.2.45-47). He believes that nature not only terrifies man, but it also punishes sinners.

                I personally have an ambiguous relationship with nature. I love taking walks outside and hiking, but I am fearful of some parts of nature including bugs, animals and other elements. I love the beauty in nature but I do not embrace all parts of nature. Since I do believe in the idea of karma, I can relate to Lear’s theory that nature punishes those who have sinned. Yet, I do not agree because this idea does not hold true in reality. Sinners are not punished by nature. Also, I definitely agree that nature scares man forcing him into shelter. The elements such as rain, lightning and animals are not friends for humans.