In King Lear, Shakespeare uses many literary techniques such as metaphor to paint a picture of his characters' behaviours. These techniques often use nature such as dangerous animals or extreme weather to show the brutality of a characters actions. For example, in Act 2, Scene 4, King Lear exclaims his daughter "struck me with her tongue, / Most serpent-like, upon the very heart.' This draws similarity between the pain of a serpent's bite and the brutality of his daughter's words to him.
In Act 3, Scene 4, Shakespeare draws comparison between how Lear treats his subjects and how a horrific storm treats his subjects. Lear cries 'Poor naked wretches, wheresoe’er you are, / That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm.' This suggests regret at the brutality he treats his subjects with, that the storm is a visual representation reflecting his past actions.