Societal? ?values? ?regarded? ?as? ?important,? ?such? ?as? ?trust? ?and? ?moral? ?principles,? ?are? ?in? ?place? ?to create? ?an? ?orderly? ?society? ?in? ?which? ?individuals? ?can? ?live? ?together? ?amiably.? ?Yet,? ?the? ?universal instinct? ?to? ?succeed? ?also? ?drives? ?human? ?actions? ?and? ?ambitions.

? ?But? ?when? ?the? ?need? ?to? ?follow societal? ?values? ?is? ?juxtaposed? ?with? ?the? ?innate? ?instinct? ?to? ?succeed,? ?an? ?individual? ?has? ?a? ?choice? ?to pursue? ?either? ?one? ?of? ?these? ?paths.? ?In? ?Shakespeare’s? ?play? ??King? ? Lear? ,? ?the? ?inherent? ?struggle? ?between the? ?two? ?brothers,? ?Edmund? ?and? ?Edgar,? ?each? ?with? ?their? ?own? ?perceptions? ?about? ?the? ?natural? ?state? ?of humans? ?and? ?the? ?world,? ?illustrates? ?the? ?difference? ?in? ?how? ?one? ?may? ?choose? ?his? ?or? ?her? ?own? ?path. Edmund,? ?the? ?illegitimate? ?son,? ?is? ?an? ?opportunist—? ?he? ?holds? ?the? ?belief? ?that? ?nature? ?allows? ?those with? ?self-seeking? ?ambitions? ?to? ?prevail? ?and? ?succeed.? ?This? ?view,? ?however,? ?conflicts? ?with? ?the societal? ?values? ?of? ?faith? ?and? ?trust.? ?Edgar,? ?on? ?the? ?other? ?hand,? ?adheres? ?to? ?societal? ?values? ?by revealing? ?an? ?accepting? ?attitude? ?as? ?he? ?places? ?trust? ?in? ?nature’s? ?order? ?and? ?embraces? ?his? ?own misfortunes.

? ?In? ??King? ? Lear? ,? ?Shakespeare? ?uses? ?various? ?language? ?devices? ?to? ?demonstrate? ?Edgar? ?and Edmund’s? ?contrasting? ?views? ?of? ?ordered? ?nature? ?to? ?illustrate? ?that? ?when? ?individuals? ?reject? ?instilled societal? ?values? ?and? ?rules,? ?they? ?present? ?themselves? ?vulnerable? ?to? ?the? ?ever? ?changing? ?whims? ?of nature. In? ?the? ?first? ?passage,? ?Shakespeare? ?uses? ?diction? ?to? ?reveal? ?Edmund’s? ?rejection? ?of? ?societal values? ?and? ?rules,? ?as? ?well? ?as? ?his? ?belief? ?of? ?nature? ?as? ?favoring? ?those? ?naturally? ?ambitious? ?and? ?superior Pan? ?2 cunning.? ?As? ?Edmund? ?begins? ?his? ?speech,? ?he? ?reveals? ?an? ?evident? ?sense? ?of? ?disregard? ?for? ?societal rules? ?as? ?he? ?claims? ?it? ?is? ?the? ?”the? ?plague? ?of? ?custom”? ?that? ?grants? ?him? ?an? ?unfavorable? ?status? ?as? ?his father’s? ?illegitimate? ?son? ?(I,ii,3).? ?The? ?word? ?”custom”? ?refers? ?to? ?social? ?beliefs? ?and? ?conventions? ?that have? ?been? ?established? ?for? ?a? ?long? ?period? ?of? ?time,? ?which? ?also? ?form? ?the? ?foundation? ?of? ?a? ?society.? ?Yet by? ?labelling? ?this? ?critical? ?element? ?of? ?society? ?as? ?relating? ?to? ?”plague,”? ?a? ?word? ?which? ?connotes? ?pain and? ?wrongdoing,? ?Edmund? ?evidently? ?expresses? ?repulsion? ?towards? ?such? ?customs? ?and? ?the? ?societal values? ?these? ?customs? ?symbolize,? ?including? ?faith? ?and? ?trust.

? ?Furthermore,? ?Edmund? ?reiterates? ?his distaste? ?for? ?societal? ?conventions? ?when? ?he? ?asks? ?rhetorically,? ?”Why? ?bastard?? ?Wherefore? ?base?”? ?in the? ?latter? ?half? ?of? ?the? ?soliloquy? ?(I,ii,7).? ?The? ?words? ?”bastard”? ?and? ?”base”? ?serve? ?the? ?purpose? ?to degrade? ?Edmund? ?for? ?his? ?status? ?as? ?the? ?bastard? ?son;? ?these? ?descriptions? ?also? ?align? ?with? ?societal conventions? ?of? ?viewing? ?the? ?illegitimate? ?child? ?as? ?inept? ?and? ?undeserving.? ?By? ?consecutively questioning? ?the? ?labels? ?society? ?designates? ?him,? ?Edmond? ?underlines? ?his? ?contempt? ?at? ?societal conventions? ?and? ?repudiates? ?such? ?societal? ?boundaries.

? ?Aside? ?from? ?simply? ?rejecting? ?the? ?notion? ?of societal? ?rules,? ?Edmond? ?asserts? ?that? ?by? ?”the? ?lusty? ?stealth? ?of? ?nature,”? ?he? ?is? ?the? ?utmost? ?”legitimate” because? ?he? ?takes? ?”more? ?composition”? ?than? ?those? ?conceived? ?in? ?a? ?passionless,? ?matrimonial? ?bed? ?(I, ii,? ?11-13).? ?By? ?expressing? ?”lusty,”? ?a? ?primitive? ?human? ?quality? ?not? ?relating? ?to? ?faith? ?or? ?trust,? ?as? ?the justification? ?for? ?his? ?self-determined? ?superiority? ?over? ?others,? ?Edmond? ?reveals? ?his? ?belief? ?that legitimacy? ?and? ?superiority? ?are? ?attained? ?through? ?primitive? ?and? ?selfish? ?measures,? ?not? ?attained through? ?following? ?rooted? ?societal? ?conventions? ?and? ?norms.? ?Thus,? ?Edmond? ?sees? ?no? ?value? ?in? ?a faithful? ?and? ?matrimonial? ?relationship,? ?or? ?any? ?other? ?element? ?in? ?society? ?that? ?relates? ?to? ?traditional norms.? ?Through? ?the? ?end? ?of? ?the? ?passage,? ?as? ?Edmund? ?boastfully? ?declares? ?his? ?ambitions? ?to? ?earn? ?his right? ?to? ?legitimacy,? ?he? ?declares? ?that? ?”nature”? ?allows? ?? ?him? ?to? ?”grow”? ?and? ?”prosper”? ?(I,ii,21).? ?The Pan? ?3 words? ?”grow”? ?and? ?”prosper”? ?connote? ?success? ?and? ?strength,? ?which? ?implies? ?Edmund’s? ?adamant belief? ?that? ?despite? ?his? ?total? ?rejection? ?of? ?societal? ?rules? ?and? ?breach? ?of? ?moral? ?codes? ?through? ?his devious? ?actions? ?to? ?gain? ?unfair? ?advantage,? ?his? ?view? ?of? ?”nature”? ?and? ?the? ?natural? ?order? ?ultimately rewards? ?those? ?ambitious? ?and? ?cunning. In? ?passage? ?two,? ?Shakespeare? ?further? ?uses? ?diction? ?to? ?contrast? ?Edgar? ?annd? ?Edmund’s? ?views of? ?nature? ?to? ?emphasize? ?Edgar’s? ?embodiment? ?of? ?societal? ?values—he? ?places? ?trust? ?in? ?nature,? ?or? ?the universe’s? ?order? ?and? ?willingly? ?accepts? ?the? ?unsought? ?setbacks? ?in? ?his? ?life.

? ?Contrary? ?to? ?Edmond’s mere? ?contempt? ?at? ?society’s? ?values? ?and? ?view? ?of? ?nature? ?as? ?favoring? ?those? ?inherently? ?ambitious? ?in the? ?world,? ?Edgar? ?refers? ?to? ?the? ?world? ?around? ?him? ?as? ?an? ?”unsubstantial? ?air”? ?that? ?he? ?”embraces” (IV,? ?i,7).? ?The? ?use? ?of? ?the? ?word? ?”unsubstantial”? ?reveals? ?his? ?belief? ?that? ?nature? ?is? ?an? ?unstable? ?force, changing? ?invariably? ?and? ?is? ?often? ?insensitive? ?to? ?a? ?man’s? ?ambitions? ?or? ?struggles,? ?a? ?notion? ?that Edmund? ?rejects.? ?Yet? ?by? ?”embracing”? ?the? ?invariability? ?of? ?nature,? ?Edgar? ?reveals? ?himself? ?as? ?a? ?man near? ?opposite? ?of? ?his? ?brother? ?—he? ?recognizes? ?that? ?individuals? ?could? ?only? ?do? ?so? ?much? ?to? ?resist change? ?brought? ?upon? ?by? ?nature,? ?favorable? ?or? ?not.? ?? ?Moreover,? ?although? ?Edgar? ?claims? ?that? ?changes in? ?the? ?world? ?may? ?at? ?times? ?be? ?”lamentable,”? ?or? ?miserable,? ?he? ?nevertheless? ?lives? ?”in? ?esperance”? ?and believes? ?”the? ?worst? ?returns? ?to? ?laughter”? ?(IV,? ?i,? ?4-5).? ?By? ?living? ?in? ?such? ?”esperance,”? ?a? ?word? ?of French? ?origin? ?that? ?connotes? ?hope,? ?Edgar? ?demonstrates? ?his? ?trust? ?in? ?nature’s? ?ability? ?to? ?restore balance? ?between? ?the? ?good? ?and? ?bad? ?changes? ?in? ?his? ?life;? ?thus,? ?he? ?embraces? ?the? ?current? ?severity? ?of his? ?own? ?circumstance? ?while? ?exemplifying? ?hope? ?for? ?his? ?future.

? ?Furthermore,? ?the? ?use? ?of? ?phrase “returns? ?to? ?laughter”? ?connotes? ?positive? ?and? ?light-hearted? ?sentiments,? ?which? ?further? ?conveys Edgar’s? ?positive? ?outlook? ?on? ?his? ?unfavorable? ?circumstance.? ?Thus,? ?unlike? ?Edmund? ?who? ?believes nature? ?favors? ?those? ?who? ?take? ?matters? ?into? ?their? ?own? ?hands,? ?Edgar’s? ?rather? ?accepting? ?attitude Pan? ?4 highlights? ?his? ?belief? ?that? ?nature? ?is? ?ever-changing,? ?and? ?individuals? ?must? ?accept? ?their? ?fortunes? ?and embrace? ?their? ?misfortunes.? ?Yet,? ?despite? ?his? ?belief? ?in? ?the? ?unpredictability? ?of? ?nature,? ?Edgar? ?also holds? ?societal? ?values? ?such? ?as? ?faith? ?and? ?hope? ?dear? ?to? ?his? ?heart? ?by? ?placing? ?trust? ?in? ?nature’s? ?eventual ability? ?to? ?restore? ?balance.