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Discuss the theme of "male anxiety" in King Lear.

When King Lear decides to step down from the throne and divide his kingdom between his three daughters, the outcome and consequences of this decision cause him a great deal of unexpected anxiety.

As a former king, and certainly a father, Lear expects to be respected by his daughters.  He expects to have his needs met in the style that he is accustomed as king.  When his daughters, Goneril and Regan disregard his needs and disrespect his position as both former king and father, Lear experiences a sense of sadness, anxiety and loss.

He is so stricken by their disregard for him and the loss of his authority that he wanders in the wilderness full of anxiety which is reflected symbolically in the tumultuous weather that he experiences.

Lear also doubts his third daughter's love.  He does not accept Cordelia, the daughter who really loves him.  In rejecting her, when he discovers his other daughters have turned against him, Lear's anxiety turns into madness.