How is division presented in the opening scene of King Lear

R.A Foakes has argued that 'King Lear' is a play about a 'divided kingdom'. Indeed, division is presented throughout the Jacobean Tragedy through the physical divide of pre-christian England and the cracked relationships between fathers and their Children. As the play opens, we instantly encounter ideas of physical divide as Lear reveals his intentions of splitting the realm. He proclaims 'we have divided / In three our Kingdom' tearing the country apart to redistribute to his daughters. The use of the royal plural is essential in both characterising Lear's authority but also highlighting the importance of this key moment. Furthermore, Physical divide is presented to the audience in Shakespeare's 'The coronet part between you' where Lear gives the crown to both Albany and Cornwall. The coronet in a sense becomes the symbol of the botched division, with the crown holding much dramatic irony. A crown cannot be simply divided between the two. Such a key moment could perhaps be dramatised by a director to have Albany and Cornwall both grab the Coronet together struggling to claim it as their own, presenting how both the crown and the kingdom cannot be simply divided.On the other hand, the division between Fathers and Daughters is also seen in the opening scene. As a result of Cordelia's shocking refusal to adhere to her Fathers 'love test' she is disowned and banished. Lear's rash actions of division are encapsulated in 'Here i disclaim all my parental care' disowning his favourite daughter due to her 'disobedience'. Not only does lear divide his kingdom physically, he also divides his own family. Losing his most loyal daughter in the process. These events arguably act as the catalyst for the following brutality throughout the rest of the tragedy.