Age in Lear: From Infancy to Madness

          The striking difference between the Quarto and Folio editions of one of Lear’s first lines foreshadows the importance of age in King Lear and establishes the beginning of a duality of age.  The earlier Quarto edition renders the opening scene: “To shake all cares and business off our state,/ Confirming them on younger years” (I.i.44-45).  The later Folio edition reads: “To shake all cares and business from our age,/ Conferring them on younger strengths…”  The Quarto’s rendition emphasizes a concern for the state of England, and creates the impression that Lear is handing down the business of the state to the next generation of leaders who possess the youthful zeal necessary to tackle it.  The Folio’s differing language, however, highlights Lear’s advanced age and paints a picture of him as a tired old king who is ready to pass the crown to leaders with greater strength. 

          Age is a symbol of both power and weakness in Lear.  In the first scene, Lear’s advanced age becomes synonymous with his authority over England when he emphasizes this age at the same time that he makes his declaration about splitting the land in three.  According to the OED, age carried connotations of achievement and qualification, much as it does today – Lear’s age is thus initially presented as a symbol of authority and power. 

          The idea of age-as-power is quickly challenged, however, when Lear continues: “Conferring [the cares of the state] on younger strengths, while we/ Unburthen’d crawl toward death” (I.i.45-46).  Lear’s language in these lines simultaneously evokes imagery of an old man by emphasizing the handing down of power to the next generation and the removing of burdens; and suggests the helplessness of childhood through the image of crawling.  This language imbues old age with the sense of a circular return to the helplessness of childhood.  Lear wields his power – which is derived from his age – in dividing England, but at the same time concedes that his advanced age is returning him to a dependent, childlike state. 

          Goneril’s observation that Lear’s change in attitude toward Cordelia is sudden, unnatural and brought on by age introduces this duality of age: “You see how full of changes his age is… with what poor judgment he hath now cast [Cordelia] off appears too grossly” (I.i.292-295).  Goneril draws a contrast between a younger, level-headed Lear and the older, rash Lear.  She thus previews Lear’s downfall into madness – a result of his old age – which is simultaneously a return to the helplessness of childhood.  When talking to Cordelia late in the play, Lear confesses: “I am a very foolish fond old man… And, to deal plainly,/ I fear I am not in my perfect mind” (IV.vii.61-64).  Thus, the language of age present in the first scene of Lear emphasizes the duality of age which exists in the play.  Age is introduced as a symbol of power and qualification, but as Lear increases in age and descends into madness, age comes to symbolize weakness, which is paralleled by the image of a return to crawling infancy. 

          Based on these observations hidden behind the word age in Lear, I would recommend a conflation of the Quarto and Folio texts: “To shake all cares and business from our age,/ Conferring them on younger years, while we/ Unburthen’d crawl toward death” (I.i.44-46).   The combination of the powerful word age with the similarly evocative word years creates a strong impression of the importance of age early in the play.  The juxtaposition of age, years and the image of crawling emphasizes the duality of age, setting the reader up for the importance that this duality plays later on as Lear descends into madness.