Shakespeare; The Conspiracy.
Nakedness and dress in Shakespeare'sKing Lear, represented the status of a
character. Many scenes use clothing to show one characters dominance over another.
The more opulent the clothing, the higher the status, or the lack of clothing, the lower the
status. A few characters go through many wardrobes. Lear and Edgar, both start the
beginning of the play wearing expensive, luxurious clothing, but each at different times
wear less glorious clothing or even no clothing at all.
Lear who is the most powerful and authoritive character in the beginning of the
play, is also the best outfitted. Lear during the play, soils his clothing in storms, heaths,
battles, and other harsh elements. At the same time that his garments are lessening in
value, so is his level of power and status. Lear finds the bottom of the abyss he enters
when he, a fool, a beggar, and a madman have taken shelter in a hut from a storm.
"King Lear and the Fool in the Storm" by William D...
18th-century depiction of King Lear mourning over ...
English: Title page of Shakespeare's King Lear (16...For
Lear to be in the company such as this, his status is near nothing. In order to show this
degeneration from high to low, Lear strips off all his clothing, showing he is now at the
very bottom of the social order. To have some clothes is to be someone, to have none is
to be nobody.
Edgar, legitimate son to the Earl of Gloucester, is well dressed, not as much as
Lear, but still above commoners. Edgar is believed to be plotting to annihilate his own
father. So every one is after someone named 'Edgar', who is a well dressed noble. In
order to protect himself, Edgar becomes no one. He becomes nobody by shedding his
noble garments, and disguises himself by, 'My face I'll grime with filth,/ Blanket my
loins, elf all my hair...