Sacred radiance, Hecate, and the operation of the orbs (1.1.109-117)

KING LEAR

Let it be so; thy truth, then, be thy dower: For, by the sacred radiance of the sun, The mysteries of Hecate, and the night; By all the operation of the orbs From whom we do exist, and cease to be; Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity and property of blood, And as a stranger to my heart and me Hold thee, from this, for ever.

Lear has stopped giving Cordelia chances, he responds “let it be so”, but he cannot “let it be so”, rather he disowns her for her rebellion. This contradiction displays a certain madness and delusion in Lear. He tells her that her “truth” will be her “dower”, meaning that the only reward she will acquire will be her own honesty. But whilst Lear only sees this as bad, this honesty brings out the dishonesty in Burgundy - who only cares for Cordelia when she has monetary worth - whilst displaying the truthfulness of France. Lear says that he will give up his fatherly duties for her by the “sacred radiance of the sun”. An ironic image as after Cordelia’s disownment, only bad weather accompanies Lear. In a way, Cordelia is the very sun that he is calling upon to banish. The sibilance of this makes it feel slightly sinister as well as making this chant-like, leading perfectly into the mention of “Hecate” - the goddess of witchcraft, magic, and ghosts, and her “mysteries”. By calling on a goddess that has links to the underworld, Lear seems undivine. Furthermore, Hecate is a Greek goddess, so when Lear calls on her - he is in a sense betraying Christianity and his Kingly rights. The “orbs” seem to be planets, making further reference to Roman and Greek gods, since the planets were named after them. This seems to imply further betrayal of the Christian god. Assonance of “o” accompanies the “operation of the orbs”, this emphasises his betrayal whilst building up to the reveal that he will disown her. Lear goes on to “disclaim all [his] paternal care”, displaying a need of his to evade responsibility. You would think that it would be a much lesser punishment for not flattering, and instead explaining a logical love. But Lear’s decision is so ridiculously disproportionate to Cordelia’s crime, that he comes across as overdramatic and rash. His tone becomes harsh with the plosive consonance and rule of three of “paternal”,”propinquity”, and “property”. His bond that Cordelia loves him by has been cut, and yet, she still loves him hereafter. Perhaps this shows that Lear cannot truly sever their bond as it is part of the natural order, or maybe it could show that Cordelia’s love isn’t as rational as she explains it to be. If this is the case, then she is breaking the natural order by helping Lear through his deserved hell. This could explain her death as a result of the chaos, because therefore she, Lear, Goneril, and Regan would be committing the same crime by breaking the natural order in their actions or ways of love. Lear says that his “heart and me” will see her as a stranger and hold her from him “for ever”. This line spells out their separation, but we know that Lear is incorrect as Cordelia comes back later. Therefore, we have good reason to doubt his other claims: Lear will not view her as a stranger, and over the course of the play he will stop holding her from him. In fact - in Act 5, Scene 3 - Lear says “Have I caught thee?” essentially asking if he has embraced her. These statements establish points of growth for Lear throughout the play.