KING LEAR Film - Act 2 Scene 2 Scene 3
Stream on Amazon Prime - Episode 5There is tension and anticipation throughout the country as
the makings of civil war continue to fester underneath the surface of civility.
In this scene, there is much fighting, physically and verbally, as the younger
generation postures for control of the kingdom. The boundaries of the social
structure are tested in anticipation of their outright deterioration following Lear’s
arrival.
Cornwall’s callous treatment of Kent is his first act of defiance against Lear, and the old order. Cornwall finds pleasure in being aggressive, commanding, and cruel to the King’s servant. He acts not out of mere distaste for Kent’s behavior as Caius, but because he finds pleasure in disregarding the social hierarchy and claiming a more powerful role for himself. As always Regan continues to try to trump Cornwall in severity, demanding further cruelty when Cornwall orders Kent put in the stocks. The competitiveness within their marriage exacerbates the underlying tension in the constant struggle for control that pervades this scene.
