The presence of Tom also influences the madness of Lear immensely. Because Lear is going through the process of realizing all the suffering in the world that up until that point he had been to ‘blind’ to see (“Poor naked wretches…heavens more just”), the arrival of Tom brings him to a completely different way of thinking. Here he sees a man who represents all that mankind is really (“is man nothing more than this?”)-Nothing more than an animal (“unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor, bare forked animal as thou art”). In the extract provided, Lear also refers to Tom as being a great philosopher making reference to such men as ‘Theban’ (ancient Greek philosopher). Tom is very important in this scene, as it is at this point that Lear has almost completely lost his mind, therefore showing how the madness of one character can impact on that of another.

There is also another key figure present in the play that contributes to the theme of madness to a rather large extent. Lear’s fool who, like many other characters in the play, APPEARS to be mad, but his madness is strictly based on profession. Arguably, he is probably the wisest character in the play with a very strong connection to the King. Many of his speeches, though full of wit do contain a lot of logic and sense-also creating a sense of mockery towards Lear and his actions (Act I scene 4 “that lord that counselled thee to give away thy land…the other found out there”). It is through the presence of the fool, however, that the audience is able to learn more about the situations thrown before them. He appears to somehow be the rational side to Lear, though still upholding the image of insanity and foolishness.

The storm is, in many ways, symbolic. Not only is it used to represent the inner conflict going on inside Lear’s head, but also is a reflection of what will happen when the king is wronged and his authority taken from him. This all has a lot to do with the common belief of the Elizabethan time, that all Monarchs attained ‘divine right’ and were connected to nature and to God somehow. In Act III, scene 2, Lear is calling to the gods (“blow winds, crack your cheeks….”), beckoning them to wreck havoc on the world and punish humanity for their cruelty. It is also ironic how the storm hits simultaneously with Lear storming off after his daughter’s strip him of his retinue of 100 knights and, in many ways, of his power as King. All of this is what drives Lear to the brink

Some topics in this essay:
Act III, Goneril Regan, Lear Cordelia, Tom Edgar, King Lear, Edmund Lear, Tom Lear, Edgar Lear, Elizabethan Monarchs, act iii, Act IV, theme madness, sane insane, 2 daughters, madness lear, poor tom, scene 4, iii scene, tom lear, act iii scene, iii scene 4, portrayal madness, poor tom lear, fool poor tom,