William Shakespeare's King Lear is a tragedy about a King who hands power over his two eldest daughters, Regan and Goneril, as a result of flattery. His youngest daughter, Cordelia, is disowned by Lear because she is unable to put into words how much she loves him. In Act I, scene ii, lines 133-156, the Earl of Kent is trying to convince Lear that handing power over to Regan and Goneril, and disowning Cordelia, was a grave mistake.
             From the beginning of this passage it is evident that Lear doesn't want Kent to attempt to alter his decision on the banishing of his youngest daughter, Cordelia. This becomes obvious when Lear tells Kent that "The bow is bent and drawn; make from the shaft" (line 137). Thus, meaning that Lear's decision to banish Cordelia is final and Kent should leave it be or else he, too, may have to suffer consequences. This line is full of imagery, as is the response to it "Let it fall rather, though the fork invade/ The region of my heart:" (line 138-139). Although the bent bow and shaft is used as a metaphor to warn off Kent, if taken in the literal sense it still holds the same meaning. Lear is literally telling Kent to avoid the shaft. Therefore, warning him that if he digs too much into Lear's decision to banish Cordelia, he too will be banished. As a result of the hurt Kent feels in his heart from Lear's decision to banish Cordelia, he feels as though, regardless of the consequences, he must warn Lear of the dangers of his decision.
             Throughout the play the themes of duty and power are brought up regularly. In this particular passage Kent says to Lear "Think'st thou that duty shall have dread to speak/When power to flattery bows?" (lines 141-142). Once again, Kent is warning Lear that his duty as King and as a Father will be of little importance to anyone once the flattery that he receives from his daughters is no more. As a King and as a Father, Ki...