Free English Literature Dissertations - Choron Considers That Death Is Immanent In Life And Is Intertwined To Life
Choron considers that death is immanent in life and is intertwined to life from the moment one is born13. The philosopher points at the fact that only human beings have the ability to realise their death, but many of them avoid any thoughts of death, hoping that such a denial will help them overcome their death. According to Jacques Choron, no one really believes in his own death14, in view of this claim, Lear’s denial of Cordelia’s death is understandable, because if a person rejects religious dogmas in relation to death and simultaneously suppresses any thoughts of death, he/she turns to the denial of death as such. Moreover, this denial signifies that Lear values the life of his daughter more than his own life; thus, by the end of the play Lear manages to reject his selfish nature and realise some universal values. Although Shakespeare’s King Lear makes constant attempts to suppress his thoughts of death, he nevertheless does not deny death. As Lear states at the beginning of the play,
Give me the map there. Know that we have
divided
In three our kingdom, and ‘tis our fast intent
To shake all cares and business from our age,
Conferring them on younger strengths while we
Unberdened crawl to death15
Such an attitude of the dramatist towards death reveals that in Elizabethan society death was not denied; on the contrary, various images of death were maintained by the existing social system. In his work The Last Four Things Thomas More expresses the notion that every person should think of death while he/she is healthy and prepare himself/herself for death, because it is at the time of death when Satan may be especially dangerous for a person’s soul. More considers that as a person knows little about death, he/she makes attempts to avoid it, but as it is impossible to avoid death, it is better for a person to adjust to the idea of a peaceful death. In this regard, More relies on some concepts of Christian religion towards death. As Houlbrooke claims,
Christianity offered the most comprehensive and coherent body of available
guidance as to what to believe and do about death during the latter Middle
Ages and early modern times. It provided rites both for the dying and for
survivors, explained death, pain and bereavement in terms of God’s purpose
for mankind, predicted with absolute certainty a life after death, and set out
very clearly the chief duties of the individual both towards the dead and in
preparing for his or her own death16.
However, Thomas More opposes certain dogmas of Christianity by rejecting sins and by providing every person with a chance to rescue his/her soul before death. Shakespeare’s King Lear has several chances to save his soul throughout the play, but he gradually looses these chances, as he makes irreparable mistakes and turns to madness.
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