Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout Till you have drenched our teeples, drowned the cocks! You sulphurour and thought-executing fires, Vaunt-couriers to oak-cleaving thunderbolts, Singe my white head! And thou, all-shaking thunder, Strike flat the thick rotundity o' the world! Crack nature's molds, all germens spill at once That make ingrateful man!
In this powerful excerpt from "King Lear," the speaker calls upon nature's fiercest elements to unleash their full fury. The dramatic imagery of raging winds, torrential rains, and destructive fires alludes to a deep sense of turmoil and despair. The speaker seems to be challenging the chaotic forces of nature to wreak havoc and reflect the inner chaos they feel, suggesting a desire for catharsis through destruction. This yearning for nature's immense power emphasizes the speaker's emotional state, revealing a profound connection between human suffering and the natural world.
The invocation of natural disasters serves as a metaphor for the speaker's inner turmoil and the chaos of human existence. By urging the elements to "crack nature's molds," the speaker expresses a wish to dismantle the very foundations of humanity that have led to suffering and ingratitude. This call to action highlights the struggle against the forces that perpetuate pain and injustice, embodying a revolutionary spirit. Shakespeare's vivid language captures the intensity of such feelings, illustrating the urgency of confronting and dismantling the sources of human misery.