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How does the theme of nature develop in Shakespeare's play King Lear?

In Shakespeare’s classic tragedy King Lear, the theme of nature is developed in several different and complex ways.

In the early scenes, though the word “nature” is not used, Cordelia essentially claims that she loves Lear as she should—according to their bond, which is a natural one. Knowing the proper role of nature is mark of Cordelia’s goodness. If you can accurately read the  natural order, that’s a good thing.


When Edmund starts planning his actions against his father and brother, he says, “Thou, nature, art my goddess…” (Act I, Scene 2). Here he is saying he’ll follow nature, rather than law or custom, which serves him because it opposes the social stigma of bastardy (and justifies his actions). This misreading of nature marks him as a bad character.


Later, once Regan and Goneril start mistreating Lear, he finds their actions unnatural.  They are not acting as daughters, or as women in some cases, and that lack of nature defines their actions as evil.


Finally, throughout Lear’s madness and suffering, nature is an active threat in itself. The great storm in Act III, Scene 2 is technically natural…but Lear should not be out in it.

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