So when Lear says that we wawl and cry, we have a Job-like moment in which Lear deems it better to have never been born at all. He is once again "every inch a king" who realizes that "cares and business" make like a hassle. Better to have never been born at all. What's so great about being great?
There is a parallel here between Lear's "shake all cares and business from our age" and Hamlet's "shuffle off this mortal coil." By diving his kingdom in three, conferring them upon younger strengths, Lear was trying to shuffle off his mortal coil, "shake the superflux (3.4)," and die peacefully. One could call this a selfish move; Lear's only worried about his health. One could call this a selfless move; Lear, concerned about his health, is also concerned about the health of his kingdom--if he is no longer fit, then he is no longer fit to rule; time to pass the torch. However, if ignorance is the mother of all tragedy, then the problem is that Lear doesn't really seem to know his daughters and how they will respond to his act, whether it be selfish or selfless. Good initiative, bad judgment? There are a number of possible explanations, not really the point right now....
The other point of interest in these words to Gloucester is the implication of his sons-in-law. Lear has already put his daughters on trial. He doesn't know that Cornwall is the one responsible for gouging out his loyal statesman's eyes, but seeing blind Gloucester triggers Lear to basically say that he's not going to let his sons-in-law off scot-free either. And, once again, horse imagery. "Darkness and devils! Saddle my horses....(1.4)" Just as for King Macbeth and King Richard III, the horse appears on Lear's way to dusty death. On their way to riding out into the sunset....
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