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Thesis statement：Through the behaviours and destinies of King Lear and his surrounding characters, King Lear profoundly reveals the complexity and contradictions of human nature, especially the conflicts and transformations in the desires for power, affectionate relationships, and moral choices, and shows the true face of human nature in extreme situations.

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Thesis statement：Through the behaviours and destinies of King Lear and his surrounding characters, King Lear profoundly reveals the complexity and contradictions of human nature, especially the conflicts and transformations in the desires for power, affectionate relationships, and moral choices, and shows the true face of human nature in extreme situations.

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“Sir, I love you more than word can wield the

matter,

Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty,

Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare,

No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honor;

65 As much as child e’er loved, or father found;

A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable.

Beyond all manner of so much I love you.”（I.i.60-67）

This quote is GONERIL's heartfelt confession to King Lear, in which she expresses her love for her father in the most magnificent terms, claiming that this love transcends the limits of what words can express, is more precious than sight, space, or liberty, and cannot be measured in terms of value, being comparable even to life, grace, health, beauty, and honour. She further emphasises that this love is as deep as the love of a child for its father, or of a father for his child, so much so that it makes breath barren and words inexpressible. However, these words of hers, though apparently full of love, are in reality elaborate lies that she weaves in order to gain power and property. Her real purpose is not motivated by her love for King Lear, but by her greedy desire for his wealth and status. This passage profoundly embodies the distortion of human nature's desire for power over affectionate relationships, as well as the hypocrisy and contradiction in moral choices.In this picture, a young man is talking to an old man on the phone, the young man is using sweet words to coax the old man, the old man's heart is full of touching and satisfied, however, this surface of the sweetness often hides a deeper trap. The young man's face of the hypocritical smile and the behavior he reached out to get the old man's trouser pockets of the banknotes are reflected in the sweet words are just a disguise, just as the GONERIL in order to get the king of Lear as GONERIL flatters King Lear in order to obtain his wealth.

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“I’ll do ’t before I speak—that you make known

It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness,

No unchaste action or dishonored step

That hath deprived me of your grace and favor,

But even for want of that for which I am richer:

A still-soliciting eye and such a tongue

That I am

glad I have not, though not to have it Hath lost me in your liking.”（I.i.261-268）

Cordelia's line in King Lear is a profound reflection of her qualities as a representative of truth and goodness, as well as her adherence to moral principles. She refuses to cajole her father, King Lear, with flamboyant rhetoric, choosing instead to express her position and feelings directly and sincerely. Although Cordelia loses favour by refusing to cater to her father, she maintains her truth and dignity as a result. This contrasts sharply with the behaviour of many characters in the play who lose themselves and betray their families in the pursuit of power, demonstrating the fragility and truthfulness of human nature in the face of the desire for power. Through the image of Cordelia, Shakespeare further emphasises the importance of sincerity, morality and dignity in human nature, as well as the resilience and indomitability of these qualities in the face of the desire for power and the test of affection. And in this image, there is a strong-looking woman sitting in a glass enclosure, her posture resembling meditation in Buddhism, in which she is isolated from the outside world, and in which spring blossoms in her world. It is as if Cordelia always stays true to her heart, undisturbed by the clamour and confusion of the outside world, and in her, the light of humanity shines.

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“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 forever. The barbarous

Scythian,

Or he that makes his generation messes

To gorge his appetite, shall to my bosom

Be as well neighbored, pitied, and relieved

As thou my sometime daughter.”（I.i.125-133）

King Lear chooses to listen to his daughters' expressions of love for him as the basis for deciding how to distribute his wealth. However, when his youngest daughter, Cordelia, does not speak sweetly as he expects, he feels offended and decides to deprive her of her right to inherit the property. King Lear's passage is filled with anger and disappointment towards Cordelia, and he declares that he will sever all paternal and blood ties with her. This extreme reaction demonstrates his distorted understanding of kinship relationships, valuing his daughters' words more than their true feelings. This conflicting emotional choice reveals the complexity and ambivalence of human nature in kinship relationships, especially when driven by the desire for power, which often takes a back seat. King Lear's moral choices have shifted when he decides to drive Cordelia away. He has changed from a seemingly wise king to a blind man blinded by his desire for power. He no longer considers his daughters' true feelings, but focuses only on their ability to fulfil his own expectations and vanity. This transformation shows the conflicting moral choices and the true nature of human nature in extreme situations such as those driven by the lust for power. In this picture of a man with his ears covered, King Lear, like a man with his ears covered, is only willing to listen to words that meet his expectations and vanity, while choosing to ignore or reject the voices that are true but unwelcome. This pattern of behaviour puts him in a self-imposed and distorted world where he is unable to truly understand and perceive the true feelings and needs of those around him.

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“I never gave you kingdom, called you children;

You owe me no subscription. Then let fall

Your horrible pleasure. Here I stand your slave,

A poor, infirm, weak, and despised old man.”（III.ii.19-22)

At the very beginning, King Lear is an extremely egotistical man who is obsessed with power and believes that his authority is supreme, even asking his daughters to cajole him with words to prove their love, which reflects his extreme desire for power and blind confidence. When his power is stripped away, he undergoes a transformation from blind confidence to despair. In the midst of the storm, he realises that he has never really given his daughters the kingdom or regarded them as equal individuals, but rather as his subordinates. His reflections and cries still reflect the complexity and contradiction of human nature in the relationship of affection. This picture is a broken mirror. Mirrors themselves have the function of reflection and mirroring, and a broken mirror signifies the loss or distortion of this function, which is similar to King Lear's experience in the play. King Lear's blind confidence at the beginning of the play and his belief in the supremacy of his authority prevents him from truly reflecting and understanding his daughters. This is like an intact mirror that reflects the outer image but fails to truly reveal the inner reality. King Lear's reflection during the storm is like a broken mirror that begins to reflect a distorted reflection. This reflection, though no longer perfect, is more real and profound, reflecting King Lear's inner conflicts and struggles.

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“Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed

And my invention thrive, Edmund the base

Shall ⌜top⌝ th’ legitimate. I grow, I prosper.

Now, gods, stand up for bastards!”(I.ii.20-23)

Edmund makes his desire for power clear in this passage. He wishes to take Edgar's land and position by forging letters to frame his brother Edgar. This quest for power exemplifies the human desire for power and demonstrates how the desire for power can cause conflict in kinship relationships. Despite their blood relationship, Edmund chooses to betray and frame Edgar because of his illegitimacy and his pursuit of power. This conflicting emotional choice demonstrates the complexity and conflict of human nature in the kinship relationship. Edmund's forged letter and framing behaviour also demonstrates a shift in his moral choices. He changes from a man who may have normal moral values to a man who will do anything for power. This transformation demonstrates the true nature of human nature in extreme situations, where people may make choices that go against their morals and ethics when driven by the desire for power. In this image there is a man climbing to the top of a mountain with a sword and a trophy, Edmund is like this man, he desires to reach the pinnacle of power and is determined to climb to the top to get the title no matter how hard the path is and who is in front of him. He goes out of his way to frame his brother Edgar, even at the expense of his own sense of kinship and morality. This firm determination makes him climb the mountain of power like a warrior with his sword raised. His desire for power, the conflict of his kinship ties, and the transformation of his moral choices exemplify how the desire for power can cause conflict and transformation in human nature.

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“Give me your hand. You are now within a foot

Of th’ extreme verge. For all beneath the moon

Would I not leap upright.”(IV.vi.31-33)

After the betrayal of his brother Edmund and his banishment from his father's wrath, Edgar maintains his deep affection for his father. When he encounters his father in the wilderness who is trying to commit suicide, he does not hesitate to lend a hand and enlighten him. This behaviour of holding on to his affection despite extreme hardship demonstrates the kind and loyal side of human nature, as well as the complexity and ambivalence of affectionate relationships. Despite the fact that his father had treated him unjustly, he still chose to forgive and rescue him, a choice that highlights the forgiveness and resilience of human nature in the face of affection. This picture depicts an image of the sun breaking through the clouds; the sun perseveres to shine no matter how much cloud cover it encounters. Similarly, Edgar shows resilience in the face of adversity and setbacks. Instead of being crushed by his brother's betrayal and his father's anger, he chose to face and overcome it with strength. Like the sun, Edgar illuminates the world around him with his kindness and justice. His actions not only saved his father's life, but also warmed his heart. His presence made the people around him feel the beauty and goodness of humanity.

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Shakespeare, William, King Lear. New York,

Ny, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2015

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