In Act 3, scene 4, Shakespeare utilizes the ominous storm pounding down upon the suffering Lear in order to elucidate the storm which actually affects Lear the greatest--the internal storm caused by the ingratitude shown by his daughters Regan and Goneril. Priorto Lear’s speech, Kent urges the King to enter a nearby hovel for the purpose ofprotecting himself from the seemingly unbearable storm. The tempest in Lear’s mind,however, is revealed as a greater concern than the storm on the outside. Lear is so fixatedon his daughters’ ingratitude that he scarcely feels the effects of the harsh environmentalelements crashing down upon him. He then gives a metaphorical speech to Kent, and hedeclines to enter the hovel while urging both Kent and the fool inside. The speech givenby Lear before he implores Kent to enter the hovel is a major component in thedevelopment of the scene, as a whole, as it cleverly exhibits, through various poeticdevices, both the mental situation of Lear and the progression of the play’s plot.A particular rhetorical device Shakespeare uses to manipulate Lear’s speech is syntax and rhythmic deviation. Lear commences his speech using an almost naturalrhythm in which he speaks in long, smooth sentences: “Thou think’st ‘tis much that this contentious storm Invades us to the skin....” ( lines 6-7)However, it becomes quite evident to the reader when Lear begins focusing more andmore on the tempest inside his mind--the storm that he feels the greatest effects of. Hisspeech thus becomes marked by heavy separations. His sentences become increasinglychoppy, as they are marked by intense punctuation: “Save what beats here. Filialingratitude!” (line 14). This syntax and deviation of rhythm is indicative of Lear’s attitudethat his internal tempest is of much greater concern than the harsh storm on the outside. While he scarcely feels the latter, he c...
