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Quote 14 I am a king, my masters, know you that? (IV.vi) Meaning- Cordelia’s soldiers find Lear on the beach, raving mad. We know from Cordelia’s earlier description of him that Lear is in disarray, with weeds in his hair. Nevertheless, when confronted by the soldiers, Lear claims his status as king. We are tempted to laugh at this ragged madman calling himself a king, but of course in fact Lear is a king, if only in name. This moment points to a central theme of King Lear: “king” is only a word, and without the power to enforce it, kingship is a laughable thing. This point is reinforced in the next lines when Lear attempts to run away from the soldiers.