King Lear's Relationship with Nature

King Lear’s relationship with nature is bizarre. He interacts with nature at night, in harsh conditions, not typical of when people normally indulge themselves in the outdoors.  The crazy weather mirrors Lear’s temperament, mood and thought process; he is losing it! He sees nature differently, for he thinks that, like his daughters, it is going against him. Like his ever increasing age, he cannot control the weather. This lack of control is what drives Lear crazy.  

                It can be argued that his ultimate enemy is nature, for that is what makes him old. He has no power over it; one of few things Lear cannot control. He is unaccustomed to this lack of control and does not like how age is affecting him. Age, which can also be considered nature, has taken his sanity, his kingdom, and ultimately his daughters. By blaming nature, he does not have to blame himself. In a sense, this blame makes nature a scapegoat for Lear, which is not surprising considering his large ego.

                Rain means change, yet Lear has had no change of heart. This could foreshadow an action to come in which Lear might take action against his daughters. The fact that he finds protection in this storm is strange, for most people seek protection from storms, quite the opposite of how Lear feels about the storm.

                Personally, I enjoy nature especially during the summer, when it is bright, warm, and gorgeous weather. I wouldn't dare go out in a storm as bad as the one King Lear faced.  The mere act of him braving the storm suggests how he is trying to prove himself as an able body, capable of fighting off the toughest of storms.  This may be foreshadowing a future event.