Lear is relevant as it demonstrates that societies lead by corrupt individuals cannot survive without rule of law to hold them accountable and regulate their actions.
Rule of Law:
Impacts of a corrupt leader in Lear:
Distrust in leadership
Selfish and poor actions
Division of people
In king Lear, his actions are often centered around his own needs. Such as dividing his kingdom so he didn't have to be king anymore, but still wanted to have knights to control.
Quotation:
In three our kingdom: and 'tis our fast intent
To shake all cares and business from our age;
Conferring them on younger strengths, while we
Unburthen'd crawl toward death. (1.1.40-43)
The characters in King lear begin to distrust him because of his actions and this leads to him losing the support of many people. He is no longer seen as powerful but rather an insane old man.
Quotation:
When majesty stoops to folly. Reverse thy doom;
And, in thy best consideration, cheque
This hideous rashness: answer my life my judgment,
Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least;
Nor are those empty-hearted whose low sound
Reverbs no hollowness. (1.1.160-167)
This is spoken by Lear to his daughters and subjects. He is stating that he is dividing the kingdom among them so he can be free to do what he wants in his old age.
This is spoken by Kent to Lear when he wants to banish Cordelia, warning him it is a bad idea. He tells Lear he is making a bad choice and no one is going to agree with his choice.
Corrupt Leadership Real world
Venezuela Crisis Leadership
Selfish and poor actions
Division of people
Distrust in Leadership
The current leader of Venezuela has made the government system increasingly autocratic. While in power he has stripped the national assembly of most of its power and given himself almost complete power and decision making control. This has lead to the people having little trust in their leader and do not think he is fit for his job.
The venezuelian government is corrupt when it comes to leadership and half of the government officials have been charged with fraud and embezzlement. They have stolen money from the country for personal uses while the citizens are left to survive in a crumbling economy with little jobs or food.
"In 2017, more than fifty employees associated with the national oil industry had been arrested on charges of corruption and embezzlement."
"According to a February 2018 survey by Caracas pollster Venebarometro, more than 60 percent of Venezuelans consider neither Falcon nor Maduro a desirable presidential candidate."
The people in Venezuela are dying because of lack of medical care and access to food. There are also millions of unemployed who are no longer able to support their families. As a result, millions are leaving the country and walking as far as Brazil or across other boarders to hopefully build a better life. The people are divided, some are choosing to stay while many are choosing to leave.
"In 2016, the Venezuelan Pharmaceutical Federation estimated that 85 percent of basic medicines were unavailable or difficult to obtain. Hospitals lack supplies like antibiotics, gauze, and soap. Infant mortality in 2016 increased 30 percent and maternal mortality 65 percent over two years prior, according to government figures. Diseases like diphtheria and malaria, previously eliminated from the country, have reemerged."
What is rule of Law?
Benefits of Rule of Law
What does Rule of Law do in society?
Rule of law is the idea that all laws and legal practices should apply equally to all people, regardless of social status. This ensures that leaders are held to the same standard as all citizens. This applies in court cases as well, where decisions and punishment are made without consideration of power or wealth.
"In general, the rule of law implies that the creation of laws, their enforcement, and the relationships among legal rules are themselves legally regulated so that no one—including the most highly placed official—is above the law."
The role of rule of law in society is to prevent the arbitrary use of power. Leaders should not be placed above the law, they should have to follow each law just as citizens. They are also not exempt from punishment or investigation per their actions.
"In addition, the application and adjudication of legal rules by various governing officials are to be impartial and consistent across equivalent cases, made blindly without taking into consideration the class, status, or relative power among disputants. In order for those ideas to have any real purchase, moreover, there should be in place some legal apparatus for compelling officials to submit to the law."
"Thus, a closely related notion is the idea of equality before the law, which holds that no “legal” person shall enjoy privileges that are not extended to all and that no person shall be immune from legal sanctions."
Leads to the creation of laws that are very generalized, can be universally implemented, and easily apply to everyone
laws are made to lead people and guide them to be an active part of society without constricting freedom of speech and other human rights
"Law should be relatively stable and comprise determinate requirements that people can consult before acting, and legal obligations should not be retroactively established. Furthermore, the law should remain internally consistent and, failing that, should provide for legal ways to resolve contradictions that can be expected to arise."
Example: The Trump-Mueller investigation, in a society without rule of law trump could simply stop the investigation but in this case he is not able to because the law still applies to him even in his position of power
Connections:
King Lear:
The people are divided after lear steps down from power. Some stay loyal to him and others, including his own daughters, no longer care what he has to say. This leads to conflict between the characters and many deaths at the end of the play
Quotation:
Put on what weary negligence you please,
You and your fellows; I'll have it come to question:
If he dislike it, let him to our sister,
Whose mind and mine, I know, in that are one,
Not to be over-ruled. Idle old man,
That still would manage those authorities
That he hath given away!
This quote is spoken by Goneril about lear, and how because he gave up his power he cannot expect her to treat him the same. She intends to mistreat him so he will leave her home with his knights
Venezuela
If rule of law was applied better in this country than the leader would not be able to take power away from the courts. He would also not be able to stay in power for as long as he has and cause problems during elections in order to keep his position.
The police would also not be able to be as brutal during protests, hundreds are dying each time because of police brutality and the officers are facing no kind of persecution for harming the citizens
If rule of law was applied in King Lear he would not have been able to split his kingdom in three, especially based on who loves him the most.
Lear would also not have been able to exile Kent and Cordelia as well, for in societies with rule of law leaders are not allowed to persecute citizens without fair trial
Bibliography
"Venezuela Is In The Midst Of An Unprecedented Crisis". 2018. Council On Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/venezuela-crisis.
Britannica School, s.v. "Rule of law," accessed December 12, 2018, https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/rule-of-law/603027.
"UN Agency Issues Refugee Protection Guidance For Thousands Of Venezuelans Fleeing Crisis-Torn Country". 2018. UN News. https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/03/1004812.
Britannica School, s.v. "Libertarianism," accessed December 12, 2018, https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/libertarianism/97651.
"King Lear: Entire Play". 2018. Shakespeare.Mit.Edu. http://shakespeare.mit.edu/lear/full.html.