Curse and consequence: King Lear's destructive narcissism

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Literary Criticism
• Psychoanalytic Theory

Background:

• Audience responses to King Lear's abuse of Cordelia often include shock and antipathy.
• The play's rapid shift in focus can lead to repression of these initial negative feelings.
• This dynamic influences audience identification with Lear's later suffering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the psychological mechanisms behind audience responses to King Lear.
• To explore how the play's structure facilitates repression and identification.
• To draw parallels between theatrical dynamics and psychoanalytic processes.

Main Methods:

• Literary analysis of King Lear, focusing on dramatic structure and audience reception.
• Application of psychoanalytic concepts, including repression, transference, and narcissism.
• Comparative study of audience identification with characters and patient-analyst dynamics.

Main Results:

• The play's structure acts as a 'seduction' to repress negative emotions towards Lear.
• This repression enables sympathetic identification with Lear's subsequent downfall.
• Lear's fate serves as a tragic consequence of his actions, mirroring narcissistic decompensation.

Conclusions:

• The play's design manipulates audience emotions, fostering a complex tragic experience.
• Audience identification with Lear's violence can evoke unconscious guilt and anxiety.
• This process may facilitate a move away from destructive narcissistic patterns.