irst he loses his golden crown, then his rich clothing and finally, in the depths of his madness he becomes totally naked. As Lear begins to identify the ways in which he has been a cruel king and a selfish father he loses more of his clothing until finally, naked, he is able to obtain a grasp on the truth and to strive for redemption for himself. King Lear becomes trapped in a situation when dealing with his daughters cruelty and abandoning his one loyal child. Lear comes face to face with reality and comes to grips with his real identity by getting rid of his former self by stripping down to his bare essentials.
             Although it is difficult if not impossible to know the costumes and staging of the play as Shakespeare's company produced it, it is intriguing to postulate how the play might have been performed, capitalizing on the extravagant costumes available to the King's Men at the time. At the beginning of the play we see a regal and powerful King Lear, perhaps swathed in royal colors and rich fabrics. He has decided to relieve himself of his kingly "burthen" and enjoy the remainder of his life in decadent comfort (I.i.41). In this opening scene, Lear is haughty, proud and foolish, speaking in the royal "we" throughout and demanding professions of love from his daughters. He seems utterly infatuated with his own rank and power and becomes wrathful when Cordelia refuses to sate his appetite for praise. In fact, her blunt refusal to appease him shocks him out of the use of "we" and into his first expression of "I." Many productions of this play present Goneril and Regan dressed in exsquist clothes, such as furs and jewels, while Cordelia is presented wearing just a simple dress to represent her loyalty in refusing the overwhelming need of power and wealth.
             Once Lear has divided and given away his kingdom then exiled his one faithful daughter, then the Fool, being a decept...