1. King Lear
Madness

2. The play contains many forms of madness:
Political Insanity- Lear’s actions in Act I Scene 1
Goneril, Regan and Cornwall’s bloodlust is an abhorrent kind of madness
The Fool’s professional madness
Edgar’s fake madness and Gloucester’s half-crazed pity
Question-Does Lear’s madness cure his moral blindness?

3. Lear’s Madness
Lear compares his madness to the torments of hell and struggles frantically to retain his wits:
“O let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven!”
The other characters try desperately to keep him sane.

4. Act III
The storm- which reflects Lear’s madness- is appallingly destructive, almost too much for men to endure.
It is difficult to see Lear’s madness as beneficial in Act V Scene 3. Having regained his wits and judgement, Lear is tormented again when Cordelia dies. In his final moments he is deluded once more, believing that his daughter still breathes.