What do you REALLY think?

Okay, so last night I was sitting there trying to write my discussion questions for the final scene of King Lear, and I became fixated on Edgar's final lines, mainly, "Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say." (p.261). This is a recurring theme in King Lear, but I wanted to try to assess the validity of this line for our modern-day lives. For me, it seems that so many times we are forced to act how society expects us to act, rather than to act how we truly want to. I remember how Mr. Heidkamp introduced this theme of AP College English at the beginning of the year by climbing out the window, and we have seen it come up in many of the books that we have previously read. It is pretty interesting that, although a few centuries separate us, Shakespeare still had many of the ideas that we have today/ Mr. Heidkamp is constantly telling us to think outside of the box, which seems to be what Edgar is telling us to do as well. Edgar tells us to be free to express the emotions we are feeling, rather than respond to everything how we think we should act. Although easily stated, and an excellent ideal to try to live up to, this is not so easy in practice as it is in theory. My question is, how has society limited you? What would you do if no one were watching? Who would you be if no one knew you?

Comments

[Colin Michael P.]

Those are good questions you posted there at the end. I'm sure most people could think of some things they would do or think if society wasn't closely watching. But for me, I can't really think of what I'd be like. Although I may have turned out different if society didn't have so much influence over people in our culture, I am who I am because of society. My wishes, likes, dislikes, are all results of my personality growing in the societal realm. For that reason, I don't think it's possible for me to think of what I'd be otherwise because the only me that I've experienced and that I know is the me that has matured in our society.

[JulianB.]

Edgar's lines are very impact near the end of the book. Regarding the question about society, I feel I would be a very angry person and of much ignorance. Society has many rules for race and genders today. If I could be me with no bounds, I would show much emotion because I simply have the power to do so.

[Rachel M.]

I definitly think that Edgar's lines at the end are very relavant. It relates back to the opening scene of the play, when Lear asks his daughters how much they love him, and Cordelia is the only one who answers truthfully. Those are really interesting questions, but it's impossible for me to know what I would be like if it weren't for society or other people. But,I think I'd be pretty boring and unintelligent if there was no one around for me to impress or learn from or give me any reason not to just sit around lazily all day.