In the beginning of the play, King Lear has developed all the same symptoms of an only child. He has been spoiled beyond belief materialistically as well as egotistically. As King he has never been denied anything he desires or wants and has the full respect of all of his followers. It is no wonder then that he does not see the danger in giving up his estate as King. He has come to trust those (Regan and Goneril) who have entertained his need for superfluous praise and failed to appreciate the simplicity of his daughter Cordelia’s affection for him. King Lear’s pride, his ego, and his power are the things that he holds most dear, not unlike many men. It could seem that when King Lear disowns Cordelia that it is because he is sensitive to his daughter’s remarks as a father. In actuality, his pride and ego are hurt as a king and as a man, which is something he is unaccustomed to and not willing to tolerate. It is because of this that I tend to believe that King Lear views his roles as King and as father as one and the same, at least in the beginning of the play. He has not learned to differentiate between those who are milking him for all he is worth and those who truly respect and love him as a person.
After seeing and living life as a truly poor man, King Lear begins to experience emotions such as empathy, sympathy, understanding and humility (possibly for the first time in his life). In turn, his pride and ego seem to fade away. I find it interesting, especially since this play is from a time when women had little importance in society that he needs to feel as a woman might have frequently in the society of that day: undermined, disrespected, and humiliated before he can find the strength to reveal his more emotional self and in turn further empower himself as a person and as a father. It is unknown where the mother of his three daughters is but none-the-less she is absent. This leaves King Lear with the responsibility of acting not only as father but as mother as well. He has not acted as such or even realized this necessity on his part to fulfill these two roles until he feels the same emotions that a mother might feel in his situation. He begins to go into a state of hysteria that he refers to as “the mother” where he feels remorse for banning his daughter Cordelia, feels betrayed by his other two daughters, and feels exposed for this first time in his life. He begins to not only feel, but admit to what he feels, which is a big step for a man of such high standing and power.