「리어왕」에 나타나는 노인문제

Abstract

The majority of King Lear criticism has focused on the religious message of the play, considering King Lear as a scapegoat in a religiously depraved society. On the other hand, many others pointed out that the play describes the conflict between the decaying aristocracy and the rising bourgeois, or the strife between the traditional feudalism and the upcoming individualism. The main purpose of this essay is to return to the basic story line of the play, to trace the relationship between King Lear and the two daughters within the paradigm of the elderly and the caregiver, and finally to add another perspective in understanding the play. The number of elderly people has been rapidly increased throughout the world, due to the improvement of living condition including medical technology and sciences. Naturally, the phenomenon has been connected to the issue of elder care because more often than not elderly people should get support from their families and relatives. On the contrary, the caregivers’ sense of responsibility to the elderly has been sharply diminished, due to the tough living conditions and radical change of culture and tradition. As a result, the issue of inadequate care of the elderly becomes a critical social issue of modern society. It is interesting that the world of King Lear exactly delineates the issue in the Renaissance version. If one reads King Lear within the issue of elder care, King Lear is considered as an elder person who needs help from his daughters, and the daughters as caregivers who abuse and neglect their father out of the heavy stress of caregiving. In the process, the theory of social exchange helps understanding the problematic relationship in King Lear’s family.