"If that the heavens do not their visible spirits send quickly down to tame these vilde offences,
It will come
Humanity must perforce prey on itself,
Like monsters of the deep"
[Act 4, Scene 2]
The monstrosity of Goneril and Regan's character is core to the play King Lear. It becomes, as prophesized by other characters, the catalyst for the protagonists tragic downfall and ultimately, also their own. Both sisters typify what is wrong with humanity.
The vehemence of Albany's claims against Goneril's nature is somewhat surprising and unexpected of his character since previously, he had only expressed a mere remonstration to his wife concerning the savage way in which she treated the king- “How far your eyes may pierce I cannot tell; striving to better, oft we mar what’s well”. Now however, he is greatly incensed by his wife’s brutality and this abrupt change in his view of Goneril is significant of the sheer cruelty of her nature; Albany is now willing to see beyond the bond of their marital relationship- a fact that has formerly restrained his better judgment- and openly express his derogatory opinion. Albany uses the analogy of inhumanity- “monsters”- to emphasize the deformity and brutality of Goneril’s nature and this image is also built upon by another instance in the play. One of the Duke of Cornwall’s servants professes his disgust for Regan and her involvement in Gloucester’s savage blinding by saying:
“If she live long
And in th end meet the old course of death
Women will all turn monsters”
Thus, by suggesting, as did Albany, that is no visible means of divine retribution appears to punish evil, then all of humanity will be encouraged to imitate her “monstrous” ways. The tragedy of both these prophecies is that they are suggestive of a state where there will be no external agent directly punishing the evil deeds of Goneril and Regan. This lack of divine intervention seems to be core to Shakespeare’s intention in writing King Lear, throwing the beast-like characters of Goneril and Regan into greater relief, because then evil goes unrestrained. Albany’s statement of “that the heavens do not their visible spirits send quickly” underlines this aspect, and the image is further built upon by King lear himself. In his state of despair and antagonization by the betrayal of his daughters, Lear constructs a make-believe “trial” of Goneril and Regan, condemning them with charges of treachery. But he imagines that Goneril and Regan manage to escape unscathed and unpunished of their horrible acts: “False Justicer, why hast thou let her’scape?” It is unnerving how the ‘false justicer’ is imagined by Lear to be unmoved by the treacherous deeds of humans and this further heightens the brutal natures of Goneril and Regan.
Albany anticipates that in the case of no heavenly retribution, a means of punishment will instead be humans devouring each other. This image of cannibalism is disturbing, but it adds to Goneril and Regan’s ruthlessness. Basically this suggests that self destruction will be the punishment; as if evil has inherently the seeds of its own downfall. In the instance of their malicious behavior towards their father, Lear deems them “unnatural hags” and it is a mark of their nature how they remain absolutely unaffected by his accusation. Even Albany proclaims that he “fears [Goneril’s] disposition” and names his wife “most barbarous, most degenerate”, Goneril appears indifferent and merely repeats her charges of cowardice to her husband. This indicates a state of evil so deeply rooted that it is beyond redemption of any kind and the constant comparison of Gineril and Regan to wild beasts- “wicked creature, boarish fangs”- is again indicative of their savage characters.
Albany’s use of the word “deep” is repeated by Gloucester when, in his blinded and helpless state, he plans to commit suicide by the edge of a cliff: “looks fearfully in the confined deep”. This image of underground, which is commonly believed by mythology to breed creatures of death and darkness, occurs twice in the play in simultaneous scenes. This could be suggestive of Goneril and Regan being inhuman, deformed creatures that dwell in the darkness and are associated with images of beasts and spirits.
The prophecy made by Albany ultimately becomes fulfilled as Goneril and Regan do indeed become agents of their own destruction. Formerly united with their common greed and hostility against the King, it is their own insatiable lust for worldly pleasures which turns them against each other. The death of her husband brings Regan no grief; on the contrary, she sees it as a clearer path to obtaining what she desires. As prophesized however, this monstrous greed was what contained the seeds of its own destruction and the prediction materializes in the form of Goneril poising Regan and then ultimately taking her own life as well.
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