“Unlikable” is an adjective that is commonly used on women in politics–Hilary Clinton, Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren have all been called “unlikable” at one point or another. In this blog, I will be treating the adjective “likability” when it comes to a women in politics as synonymous with submissive and friendly.
It is interesting how the likability of the three most prominent female charectors in the story of King Lear–Regan, Goneril, and Cordelia–‘s likability fluctuates throughout the play, and how their political standing in the eyes of their father and the kingdom corresponds.
In the first scene of the play, Regan and Goneril attempt to be seen as extremely likable, especially towards their father. They use over-the-top language to convince their father of how friendly and willing to follow him they are. Goneril proclaimes, “Sir, I love you more than word can wield the matter” and Regan, “I am alone felicitate/In your dear Highness’ love” (I.i.11).
Cordelia is stands out as she casts aside the goal to be likable in the eyes of her father: “I love your Majesty/According to my bond, no more nor less” (I.i.13).
Initially, Lear gives the two daughters that strove to be likable power in the form of money and land, while he casts out Cordelia. This action alone could portray the message to the audience that likability is what gets a women power in politics, but very quickly Shakespeare pivots.
Not being submissive to her father is what prompts France to fall in love with Cordelia; indirectly, Shakespeare awarded Cordelia more power than her sisters for being an unlikable rebel.
For the majority of Acts II and III, Regan and Goneril act towards their father in ways that would prompt anyone to dislike them. I found their cunning teaming against their father as one of the most amusing moments of the play, but it was clear to me that they were not meant to be likable. Throughout Acts II and III, Goneril and Regan utilize their power in ways that hurt their father. They have their servants go behind their fathers back and essentially force him to be homeless. During this stage of the play, Regan and Goneril are simultaneously at their most powerful and their most unlikable.
In Acts IV and V, as Regan and Goneril act in defiance of their husbands and therefore leave the realm of being “likable” women once more, Shakespeare once again strips them from their power. Just after Goneril says, for example, “My fool usurps my body,” both Goneril and Regan are die as a result of foolish decisions they made on account of their lust for Edmund. As both Regan and Goneril end up dead as an indirect result of disrespecting their husbands, the storyline of Regan and Goneril’s lust for Edmund within King Lear does not portray likable women as powerful (IV.ii.179).
As the likability of women and the power of women throughout the play does not seem to correlate, King Lear’s ultimate message about whether women should have power is complicated; it is still unclear to me whether he meant to endorse powerful women or does not believe they deserve power.
Alara R
I really like your connection between King Lear and the way women in politics are judged today. I think it’s interesting how these same topics still are represented in the modern day. Women in politics today are being accused as ‘sleeping their way’ to a powerful position, and seeing how Regan and Goneril’s downfall is due to their infidelity and lust is another really good parallel.
Zoie S
This is so important to acknowledge! I agree that women in power are viewed with a very different lens than men. As power increases, likability decreases.
Margaret D
You make some really good points and I appreciate how you review different parts of the timeline to demonstrate some of the different messages Shakespeare presents to the audience. Because Cordelia, Regan, AND Goneril meet anticlimactic and non-powerful ends at the end of the play, it seems to me as though the ideology of the play stands firm in the belief that no woman should be or stay in power, likable or not. Your blog was a wonderful read.
Sonja
I was also confused by what Shakespeare’s message was throughout the play. It’s weird that Cordelia was initially valued for her morals and nonconformity, but was later valued for her loyalty and typical femininity. However, she ends up dying just like Regan and Goneril, so he’s also sending the message that there’s no value to how she behaved at all because she ended up as collateral damage.