King Lear: Division of Country, Destruction of Family At the beginning of Shakespeare's book, King Lear, political conditions in Britain are precarious. Lear is an elderly king, "four points and above", with three daughters and no male heir. Sooner or later power will have to be transferred. Through no one's fault, people with extremely evil tendencies were placed very close to power. This situation is an outward expression of the conditions of the country's social consciousness. Until now, Britain has been ruled by a powerful monarch who has kept the country united by his strength. There is no one with equal power to replace him. The solution that naturally presents itself is a division into three parts, each governed by a daughter and her husband and national unity maintained by family ties. Change is made necessary by circumstances, but this circumstance reflects an irresistible internal necessity. Something in the social consciousness is trying to evolve beyond the limits of absolute power given to a king. This evolution is what follows Lear's renunciation of power. All the resistance it encounters, all the destruction it causes is a preparation of consciousness and an elaboration of what is opposed to social progress. As king, Lear represents in himself the conditions of the country which identifies with him as he identifies himself with it. He is a man of great life force, a commander of men, not only by virtue of his position, but by his very nature. He is generous, open and trusting, although too choleric, vain, stubborn, passionate and domineering to be called simply "good". Under his vital personality of power lies an emotional... middle of paper... is the plan of national life, so the intensity of the consequences is very great. Likewise, Lear's curse on Cordelia for refusing to flatter him is an unforgivable offense to the conscience of family, of human relationships, of the bonds between father and daughter. His curse and Cordelia's rejection erase all family ties, all effective protection and nourishment; since, to be effective, such bonds require reciprocity. Once he undoes them, Cordelia becomes unable to support him despite her deep desire to do so. Lear repeats the same mistake in the curse of Goneril which later becomes the main instrument of his suffering. Likewise Kent's rejection is a rejection of the bonds of devoted service. Kent continues to serve but his loyalty no longer has the power to save.