Loyalty and Betrayal in King Lear

Loyalty and betrayal play a huge part in 'King Lear'. Betrayal is particularly important as it is the trust with which characters such as Lear place in characters such as his daughters Goneril and Regan, and their consequential betrayal of  which spark the tragic sequence of events in the play. It is made clear from the outset of the play that there is a divide between characters - those who value their own loyalty, remain staunch in sed loyalty despite unnameable circumstances which are in constant occurrence throughout the play ,and put simply, those who don't. Betrayal is inevitable in the second bracket of those without loyalty. What is notably interesting is that in their respective groupings, characters share similar traits outside of loyalty or betrayal. These traits will be further explored throughout the essay, although what is in stark evidence is that these traits appear to come as a consequence of a character's loyalty, or their ability to betray. This, in my opinion, contributes to the extremely questionable morality of the play.

The best way to explore the effects and uses of loyalty and betrayal in King Lear is to voyage through the character which best represent these ever evident themes. In this way, it is an necessity that the first character put under inspection is Kent, the ultimate upholder of loyalty in the play. Kent is unusual when reviewed in terms of loyalty as he displays unwaveringly clear vision throughout the play. From Act1;Scene1, when Kent's passion, his want of the best for King Lear, gets the better of his more tactful senses  and he berates him with his most famous of lines "see better Lear", to his risky disguise in order to watch over and protect Lear, to his remaining with Lear during the storm in Act3, Kent displays his ever-loyal nature, but what most be observed is the returns he receives for his perfect loyalty - Suffering. It is through his loyalty and truth to Lear in the opening scene that results in his banishment, it is through his loyalty to Lear that he ends up suffering a period in the stocks at the hands Oswald who is, as a servant his opposite in near every way. Suffering appears to be a classic example of the traits which accompany those characters bracketed as being loyal and provides            a prime example of the worrying morality Shakespeare portrays in the play.                    

If Kent is the ultimate upholder of loyalty in the play, then Edmund is the ultimate beacon through which betrayal acts, Having said this in a measure of levels of betrayal Edmund is very closely followed by Lear's daughters Goneril and Regan. Edmund's betrayals are constant, his lust for power insatiable and growing with every step he takes up the monarchal ladder. His first major betrayal comes in Act1:Scene2 when he executes a self-made plan and has his father Gloucester read a letter he has forged in his brother Edmund's name. The letter details a plot of Edgar's to overthrow his father. Gloucester doesn't question the veracity of the letter precisely and its coming to light results in Edgar's having to take on the disguised role of Poor Tom. Edmund's betrayals continue and result in the gruesome torture of his father by Cornwall and Regan. When observing the betrayals of Edmund the morality displayed in the play again comes into question. Edmund is, one could argue, the most clear sighted character in the play. He disregards the seemingly non existent pagan gods and
manipulates those who rely upon them throughout the play. There is no scheme to which Edmund is unaware, no occurrences to which he is blind, and this clarity of vision is a trait all characters who
betray those who have them in their trust seem to share. Goneril and Regan for example are completely clear sighted in the face of Lear's blindness and their betrayal of him comes out of this consequence. It would appear that in the world of 'King Lear', loyalty is a form of blindness. It is in this way that characters willing to betray those who are loyal see constant success in the play as they are able to scheme past characters blinded by the unrealistic assumption of their unwavering loyalty. Edmund rises from an illegitimate child to a King, Goneril and Regan rise from daughters of a King to Queens. It is only the inevitable force of Shakespearian tragedy that stops their progress and results in their deaths.

Loyalty and betrayal can be perfectly contrasted through the actions of two very minor characters- the nameless servant of Act3:scene7 and Oswald through his actions in toward Kent in Act2:Scene2. In the case of the servant, he displays incredible loyalty to Gloucester as he is being tortured by Cornwall, and attacks Cornwall, killing him. The result of this loyalty, this greatest example of bravery in the play, is the death of the servant. He receives no thanks, nor even a name to go by in the play. In contrast Oswald's slander and consequential punishment of Kent, an official representative of Lear in his disguised form,  is a great betrayal of Lear who , despite not being King at sed present moment, is still of royal blood and worthy of respect.This betrayal of Lear however receives no justification and he instead receives reward for his actions from Regan,completing the contrast between loyalty and betrayal in the play.