The Unavoidability of Love. Stanley Cavell, King Lear and accidie

Abstract:

The rejection of the genuine love of his daughter Cordelia and the preference for an inappropriate love of himself, explain the surprising behavior of King Lear at the beginning of the great Shakespearean play and the subsequent tragedy. This hermeneutical approach is based on the reflections of Stanley Cavell and the consideration by Thomas Aquinas of accidie (at the base of which there is an unbalanced love of oneself) as a vice opposed to charity (love of friendship with God).

Key words:

Preferential love, personal identity, accidie, good life.