The symbol of Clothing and Costumes in King Lear from LitCharts | The creators of SparkNotes
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King Lear
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Act 1, scene 1 Act 1, scene 2 Act 1, scene 3 Act 1, scene 4 Act 1, scene 5 Act 2, scene 1 Act 2, scene 2 Act 2, scene 3 Act 2, scene 4 Act 3, scene 1 Act 3, scene 2 Act 3, scene 3 Act 3, scene 4 Act 3, scene 5 Act 3, scene 6 Act 3, scene 7 Act 4, scene 1 Act 4, scene 2 Act 4, scene 3 Act 4, scene 4 Act 4, scene 5 Act 4, scene 6 Act 4, scene 7 Act 5, scene 1 Act 5, scene 2 Act 5, scene 3
Themes
All Themes Fathers, Children, and Siblings Authority and Order Disintegration, Chaos, Nothingness Old Age Fooling and Madness Blindness and Insight
Quotes
Characters
All Characters King Lear Cordelia Goneril Edmund Edgar Kent Fool Albany France
Symbols
All Symbols The Stars, Heavens, and the Gods Animals Clothing and Costumes
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King Lear

Clothing and Costumes Symbol Analysis

Read our modern English translation.
Clothing and Costumes Symbol Icon
Complementing the many references to animals throughout the play are mentions of clothing and instances of disguise. Kent, banished by Lear, disguises himself as the commoner Caius. Edgar, fleeing Gloucester's mistaken wrath, transforms himself the mad beggar, Poor Tom. As the honorable characters of the play must take off their fine clothes and put on disguises to remain loyal, and Lear associates Goneril and Regan's fine clothing with their duplicity, clothing becomes a symbol of the desire for power and status that corrupts characters like Goneril, Regan, Edmund, and Cornwall. On Dover beach Lear remarks to Gloucester: "Through tattered clothes small vices do appear./ Robes and furred gowns hide all" [4.6.181-2].

Clothing and Costumes Quotes in King Lear

The King Lear quotes below all refer to the symbol of Clothing and Costumes. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Fathers, Children, and Siblings Theme Icon
). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Simon & Schuster edition of King Lear published in 2004.
Act 2, scene 3 Quotes
"I will preserve myself, and am bethought
To take the basest and most poorest shape
That ever penury in contempt of man
Brought near to beast."
Ie quote placeholder white box
Related Characters: Edgar (speaker)
Related Symbols: Animals, Clothing and Costumes
Disintegration, Chaos, Nothingness Theme Icon
Page Number: 2.3.6-9
Explanation and Analysis:

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut a

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

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