Lear's feminine fear

In the first passage, Kahn is absolutely right about masculine identity depending on repressing characteristics that are deemed "feminine". A great example of this is the example Kahn uses. "O, how this mother swells up toward my heart! Hysterio passio down thou climbing sorrow." The footnotes at the bottom of the page says that this "mother" is the chief symptom of a choking sensation in the throat. When we cry, we also feel that sensation in the throat. We often try to hold back those tears, which causes it to get stuck in the throat. I guess you can say that Lear was "choked up". This is clearly an example of trying to suppress those feminine charateristics such as crying.

The passage from Act 4 Scene 7 shows maturity. Lear begins to realize that his childish demand of love from his daughters has placed him in his unfortunate predicament. However, I think he realizes the dependency of his daughters a lot sooner. In Act 2 Scene 4 Lear says "Dear Daughter, I confess that I am old; Age is unnecessary: on my knees I beg That you'll vouchsafte me raiment, bed and food" Here he is on his knees begging his daughter for assurance. There isn't a greater sign of dependency than this. At this point he is in total submission to the will of his daughters.