A recurring theme in William Shakespeare's King Lear is the perpetual struggle between order and chaos, played out in the arena of human existence. As characters such as Lear, Cordelia, Albany and Edgar seek to impose their sense of divine and moral order on the confusing world around them, the insubordination of Goneril, Regan and Edmund serves to undermine these attempts, leading inexorably towards a catastrophic climax in the history. final scene of the play. Interestingly, the work does not follow a direct downward path from order to chaos; rather, it behaves a bit like a roller coaster, taking a fall when Goneril, Regan, and Edmund usurp the throne, then a slow rise when all three die in the final scene, and finally a sharp fall after the central moment of the text: Cordelia's death. death. As a playwright, Shakespeare knew that his play needed to be performed and this structure allows for the most emotional response from the audience. Instead of a gradual decline in order, which would have given the audience time to prepare for the coming chaos, Shakespeare gives us a growing sense of hope that suddenly crumbles into despair. Therefore, the very structure of the work reflects the disorder that governs the lives of its characters. Over the course of Act V, Scene iii, towards the end of which Cordelia dies, we witness the increasing success of Albany and Edgar in their attempts to re-establish the orders of law and divine judgment; however, when the virtuous Cordelia is killed, these concepts become incompatible with reality and King Lear descends into chaos. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay At the beginning of Act V, Scene iii, chaos has gripped the kingdom; the monarchy, as well as other positions, are in disarray. Lear, believing that his doom is to live out his days in prison with Cordelia, attempts to distance himself from the turmoil of the kingdom and establish a new order in prison. He says:[We] will hear the poor scoundrels Talk of court news; and we will also talk to them, who loses and who wins; who is inside and who is outside; and face the mystery of things, as if we were spies of God; and we will wear out, In a walled prison, packs and sects of the great, Who ebb and flow near the moon. (V,iii, 13-19) In prison, says Lear, he and his daughter will maintain some connection with the progress of the court, whose confusion he underlines with his ease "who loses and who wins; who is inside " , and who is outside." By so lightly discussing the constant state of flux of the monarchy, Lear emphasizes not only that turmoil, but also the senselessness of it all; for Lear it does not matter "who is in," because sooner or later will become "who is without." Having recognized this uselessness, Lear goes on to separate himself and Cordelia from the chaos that has taken over, claiming that they can "take upon themselves the mystery of things, / As if [they] were spies of God." ", external observers of said chaos from an orderly and celestial realm, and as such the only people capable of understanding the chaotic world. Next, saying, "we will consume, / In a walled prison, packs and sects of great ones", Lear postulates that a life within the "walled prison" of order will necessarily outlast the warring groups that have created chaos in his kingdom; the very chaos produced by the power-hungry factions serves to destroy any chance of their eventual survival. Thus, at the beginning of the final scene, we see a recognition and conscious retreat from the dangers of political and moral chaos, shortly followed by Albany and Edgar's attempt to eliminate the chaotic forces. Later in the scene, in the midst of the internal conflict arguing between theconspirators, the Duke of Albany seeks to regain the lost order of law. After learning of the extramarital affair between his wife and Edmund, Albany angrily says: Still remains; listen to reason.Edmund, I arrest you for capital treason; and, in your attempt, this golden serpent [pointing to Goneril]. Your claims, beautiful sister, I exclude in the interest of my wife; she is subcontracted to this gentleman, and I, her husband, contradict your misfortunes. (V,iii,83-88)This speech indicates Albany's desire to erase the crimes of his wife and his party, to return to the days before Cordelia's exile. In the first line, he implores Edmund to "hear reason," despite the necessary exclusion of reason from the villains' mutiny against the traditional order of monarchy. Albany then "arrests" Edmund, once again appearing to ignore the utter lack of a legal system in the chaotic kingdom that has emerged. Finally, referring to Goneril's desire to marry Edmund, Albany calls her "subcontracted"; however, Goneril clearly did not fulfill the filial contract with her father, so Albany has no reason to believe that she will obey the marriage contract with him. In essence, Albany is trying to superimpose the old set of legal rules onto a world in which the rule of law is irrelevant. At this point in the play, therefore, his attempt seems childish and self-deluded; later, however, the audience realizes that the villains' preferred existence cannot survive and Albany's sense of order begins to prevail. This scene represents the turning of the knob to open the door for the law to return to the kingdom. Soon after, Edgar states that the divine order of right and wrong still exists even in the midst of political chaos; the deaths of all three conspirators appear to support this claim. The legitimate heir of Gloucester, Edgar appears on the scene to confront his illegitimate brother, Edmund. After having struck down his opponent, Edgar warns him: "The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices / Create instruments to torment us" (V,iii,170-171). In this way, like Albany before him, Edgar seeks to impose a system of order where it is not yet evident. If the gods had truly been just, Cordelia would never have been banished from the kingdom, Gloucester would still have his eyes, and Lear his throne. As the scene develops, however, the audience begins to witness more and more evidence that Edgar's thesis is the truth. First, Edgar defeats Edmund, leaving the earldom of Gloucester to its rightful owner. Second, in a struggle for Edmund's love, the two conspiring sisters, Goneril and Regan, kill each other. This not only supports Edgar's assertion of divine justice through the creation of self-destructive vices, but also Lear's earlier assertion that order would necessarily survive chaos, which is too unstable to survive. To the public, therefore, as the tension increases, it seems that the forces of order and morality are capable of defeating those of chaos and evil. Immediately before the show's crucial moment, the audience is offered one final hint that order will prevail. The dying Edmund consciously abandons his evil ways and cancels Cordelia's execution in prison. He says: I intend to do good, despite my nature. Send quickly, be short, to the castle; for my writings concern the life of Lear and Cordelia: Nay, send me in time. (V,iii,243-247)Edmund reinforces the ordered rules of conscience, disdaining his previous chaotic and amoral vision in favor of doing "some good". Furthermore, with his instructions to "be brief" and "send in time", Edmund shows that his concern for Cordelia and Lear is great, which in his.