The state of “age” in King Lear

        In William Shakespeare’s King Lear, the titular character’s tragic flaw seems to be his construed view of the reality that surrounds him.  Indeed, betrayal and misunderstanding appear to drive much of the play’s drama.  It is important to take this into account when examining the two accepted versions of the play, from the 1608 Quarto and 1623 First Folio, respectively.   A notable difference between the two versions arises in Lear’s first major speech of the play, which precedes the division of his kingdom among his daughters.  Particularly, this difference lies in the boldened text below, as it is printed in both the 1623 Folio, and the Pelican text from which I read:

…Know that we have divided
In three our kingdom; and ‘tis our fast intent
To shake all cares and business from our age (I.i.37-39)

        By contrast, the Quarto reads “…To shake all cares and business off our state.” Were I editing a contemporary version of the play, I would include the version from the Folio, as the Pelican version does. Primarily, this decision arises from my view that the word “age” works as a more effective pun than does the word “state.” “State” works as a pun in describing both Britain and Lear’s emotional and/or physical “state,” as well as the national “state” of Britain. While this does well to illustrate Lear’s desire to rid both himself and his country of their troubles (or perhaps, too, responsibility?), it downplays the self-importance he maintains in spite of his abdication, a major motif of the play. Indeed, “age” serves this purpose more effectively. While it ostensibly can refer to Lear’s old age, according to the OED, it can also indicate “the physical effects or qualities themselves; oldness, senility (OED, 2nd Edition, s.v. “age,” 7),” foreshadowing Lear’s future insanity. Furthermore, and more importantly, age can also refer to “Any great period or portion of human history distinguished by certain characters real or mythical, as the Golden Age, the Patriarchal Age, the Bronze Age, the Age of the Reformation, the Middle Ages, the Prehistoric Age (OED, 2nd Edition, s.v. “age,” 11).” This sense of the word bodes particular significance here, as Lear, by abdicating, is ending his reign, or what he sees as an important historical epoch. In refusing to accept Cordelia’s modest proposal of love, demanding veneration, and maintaining a “kingly” manner of speech after he no longer holds any true power, i.e. after abdicating, such delusion of grandeur as this becomes Lear most prominent characteristic, and ultimately, his most tragic and fatal flaw. Moreover, the word “age” makes it more likely that the “our” which precedes it is used in the royal sense, referring to Lear and Lear alone. If at all, the usage of the word “state” does not relate the line to these principal elements of the play nearly as effectively as does “age.”