No matter how angry my dad would ever get at me, I wonder whether he would ever even consider cursing me to not be able to have children. Is that not an extremely impactful and hurtful thing to say to anyone, let alone your own daughter? I can hardly think of any worse curse.
KING LEAR
It may be so, my lord.
Hear, nature, hear; dear goddess, hear!
Suspend thy purpose, if thou didst intend
To make this creature fruitful!
Into her womb convey sterility!
Dry up in her the organs of increase;
And from her derogate body never spring
A babe to honour her! If she must teem,
Create her child of spleen; that it may live,
And be a thwart disnatured torment to her!
Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth;
With cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks;
Turn all her mother's pains and benefits
To laughter and contempt; that she may feel
How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is
To have a thankless child! Away, away!
It may be so, my lord.
Hear, nature, hear; dear goddess, hear!
Suspend thy purpose, if thou didst intend
To make this creature fruitful!
Into her womb convey sterility!
Dry up in her the organs of increase;
And from her derogate body never spring
A babe to honour her! If she must teem,
Create her child of spleen; that it may live,
And be a thwart disnatured torment to her!
Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth;
With cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks;
Turn all her mother's pains and benefits
To laughter and contempt; that she may feel
How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is
To have a thankless child! Away, away!
This passage uses such harsh words and descriptions from a father to his daughter - about the very thing that most women might say is their greatness happiness and pleasure, the birth of their child. Lear does not even refer to his daughter as a human being but a 'creature'!
In this time and place, religion would have been much more closely connected to them as the church played a big role in their daily lives. The fact that Lear is directing this plea to the heavens, makes this speech a little more terrifying. They are not just idle words, the King wants the God's to punish his daughter and literally make her barren.
That is really good analysis of what is going on in this speech by King Lear. Absolutely true, this curse is the worst curse, it is damning someone. Do you think this is a sign of the developing theme of old age because he is not thinking straight? Like a child, he is kind of ranting and raving to curse his "legal guardians."
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