King Lear | Act 2, Scene 3 | Summary

Summary

Edgar takes the stage by himself. He's been declared an outlaw and is on the run. He's going to disguise himself by dirtying his face, mussing his hair, and stripping down to almost nothing. His plan is to pretend to be crazy.

Analysis

This is the second instance in King Lear in which a good and innocent character chooses to disguise himself in order to stay in the kingdom. Whereas Kent becomes a serving man to blend in with others in Lear's service, Edgar becomes something wilder: Poor Tom. The scene ends with the line, "'Edgar' I nothing am," which shows the fragility of characters' identities in the play. One good trick by his brother and Edgar's entire life and identity have been stripped away. This reflects strongly on the theme of loyalty, as deception is at odds with it. And yet, they have been woven together here in a way that is fascinating to watch. It also indicates that loyalty and deception need each other in some way to exist, creating a balance from which normalcy is determined.