When King Lear first enters the play, he is shown amongst his daughters and their attendants; his authority as a father is conveyed as well as his power as king. Therefore, before he even speaks, he is presented as an influential character. This reality is also conveyed by the fact that the first characters we meet are ones talking about King Lear; not the King himself. His entrance is thus more anticipated and more importance is portrayed regarding his character.
As Lear announces that he will be diving the kingdom into three parts, his power as king is, again, illustrated; however, the end of his authority is also foreshadowed. A reason he gives for the division of the kingdom is so that he may "unburdened crawl towards death" (Shakespeare 1:1:43). He understands that his reign will eventually come to an end due to his old age and impending death, so he is taking precautions in the present moment to prepare for the inescapable reality that is to come.
King Lear asks each daughter to state how much she loves him. He speaks, "which of you shall we say doth love us most" (Shakespeare 1:1:56), thus putting his daughters in an uncomfortable position. By asking this question, Lear appears to be exploiting his authority. He creates a competition amongst his daughters, characterizing himself as a subpar father, which foreshadows his later disownment of Cordelia.
Doing so is unjust on King Lear's behalf, as Cordelia does not deny love for her father. She simply says, "my love's more ponderous than my tongue" (Shakespeare 1:1:87). She prefers to love him silently than to proclaim her love. However, Lear finds this unacceptable and makes the rash decision to "disclaim all [his] paternal care" (Shakespeare 1:1:125). The action suggests corrupt power.
Although King Lear is superior to Kent in terms of authority, Kent is presented as the more moral man. He tries to speak to Lear logically, even after Lear scolds, "Kent, on thy life, no more" (Shakespeare 1:1:174). Kent attempts to be rational, even under the condition of his own life. Therefore, it is conveyed that authority is not necessarily parallel to righteousness.
