In Shakespeare's King Lear, the characters face internal struggles and a scapegoat of nature and astrology. Edmund, unhappy with his inherited rank, plots against his legitimate brother by turning their father against him. He blames his villainous character on his fate and the chance of his birth. The storm symbolizes Lear's anger and frustration, as he struggles with the unraveling of his family and mental state.
The storm roars on when Lear is suffering from pain and sorrow, and when he is vulnerable in the torrential rain, he curses his daughters for their disloyalty. Lear attempts to explain the actions of his daughters but is lost in confusion. He realizes that while the storm punishes him, the behaviors of Regan and Goneril punish him even more deeply because he has loved, fathered, and sacrificed his power for them.
The internal conflicts of the characters in King Lear are identified and realized by the characters themselves through the contemplation of nature. In the pre-Christian world of King Lear, these forces of nature are all-powerful and determine fate. While nature sometimes rationalizes these conflicts, it also serves as the incitement for them. The themes of nature and astrology emerge when the characters are facing internal struggles and the consequences of their actions.