A failed attempt to rule An analysis of why monarchy is an inadequate form of government as seen in King Lear Throughout history, civilizations they debated ways to govern people. Rulers have attempted monarchy, democracy, communism, socialism, fascism and dictatorships. Through trial and error, most people in society slowly learned that democracy was one of the most effective ways to keep the majority of people satisfied. Written in 1609 by William Shakespeare, King Lear teaches us that monarchy is one of the most ineffective methods of government. The show shows us that as monarchy centralizes most of the power in one individual, competition will break out within families and individuals will turn to their own blood to gain more power. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the first scene of the play, King Lear not only directs a conversation, but also openly tells others what he wants to hear. Lear asks “which of you [his daughters] shall we say loves us best? May we extend our greatest generosity” (1.1 50-51). His daughters, Goneril and Regan, obey because of their hunger for power. Both are aware that if they please their father now, they will eventually gain the power they desire. Throughout the text we see that the moment these two daughters gain power, they immediately become cruel. Both will commit horrible crimes against their father, Cordelia, and against themselves. According to Robert Matz of George Mason University, torture and political authority go hand in hand. With power centralized in one person, it is inevitable that both will inflict and experience pain. They will experience it both when they have power and when they lose it. Lear is a great example of this. When he holds power, he feels pain when Cordelia refuses to play his games. When Lear tells Cordelia that she is "more opulent than [her] sisters" (1.1 86), Cordelia responds that she "cannot throw [her] heart into [her] mouth" (1.1 91-92). King Lear does not experience any physical pain, but rather a kind of emotional torture. Here he has his favorite daughter who he believes loves him the most, refusing to be manipulated by him. You might not understand how tortuous this all is. However, when compared to the way Lear is used to being treated, we begin to understand how unprecedented Cordelia's response was and how painful or disturbing it was for King Lear to hear it. When he loses power, King Lear is wounded once again by his own flesh and blood. The daughters he had mistakenly come to believe loved him most, Goneril and Regan, betray him. Lear has lost his power and suffers because of it. He begs his daughters "not to drive [him] mad, [he] will not bother them" (2.4 216-217). He degrades himself and begs his daughter to take him in. All these problems and wounds are rooted in the centralization of power. Through King Lear we understand that monarchy which requires a centralization of power is very ineffective both for those who hold power and for those who lose it. Goneril and Regan both become cold and hard, and do no good to the subjects they rule over. When a nation is ruled by a monarchy, the people pledge allegiance to both a king and a country. When a king is ousted in a coup, citizens are left confused about who to pledge allegiance to. Some sympathize with the former king who was overthrown. However, others pledge allegiance to the new self-proclaimed king. In this way, they not only swear allegiance to a new king, but also maintain loyalty.