Aging Warrior King

I have driven past this sculpture most working days for the past 10 years. Today, needing something for the King Lear Shakespeare Challenge I turned off the road to take the photograph. It is so unusual and there are several others nearby, including a large dragon. It looks as if this is the 'hobby' of a resident so I will ask around to see who it is and then photograph all the others.

Old age and chaos are the main themes in King Lear but there's also a lot about nature. This sculpture made form bits of old metal seems to suit the theme.

King Lear
This is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all.
One theme throughout is 'appearance versus reality' and the need for wisdom to tell the difference plus Nature as it mirrors the human condition.

Lear sees himself as master of the natural world, with ‘shadowy forests’, ‘champaigns riched’, ‘plenteous rivers’ and ‘wide-skirted meads’. Nature also appears in the play as an uncontrollable elemental force: the tempest consists of ‘cataracts and hurricanoes’, ‘sulphurous’ fires and ‘all-shaking thunder’. Lear, Kent, Gloucester and Edgar are cast out from the civilised world into the natural world, to wander through storm and wilderness.

This sculpture is definitely cast out from our world. Ironically, there was a 'gentleman of the road' walking along that stretch who I had also noticed on my drive in several hours earlier. Coincidence.