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King Lear And 1984 Comparison

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King Lear and 1984 Shakespeare's King Lear and George Orwell’s novel 1984 are politically motivated works of literature. They represent the past political environment of a country remotely described as Britain. King Lear particularly brings out this setting clearly. The government in this play is a monarch, the king decides to share the realm to his three daughters on a rather senseless base. And the offenders of the law are punished by execution or trial by combat. In contrast, some features in 1984 are modern. There are ‘telescreens’ installed at various locations to detect and incriminate the ‘thought criminals’. The book mentions of printed newspapers that are used as a tool of propaganda by the tyrannical Inner party rulers. Generally, …show more content…

In king Lear, betrayal is used for political gain whereas in 1984 betrayal is used for political freedom. King Lear’s two daughters, Regan, and Goneril betrays their father whom he passionately divides his kingdom for. Despite his efforts to show love and passion to his daughters, Regan and Goneril turn their backs on him after they ascend to the throne. King Lear is thus betrayed by the same people he helped. Edgar is betrayed by his half-brother who he cares of very much. When Edgar meets Edmund in their father’s chambers, Edgar enquires of his brother: “How now, brother Edmund! what serious contemplation are you in?” (Shakespeare 56). Nonetheless, Edmund betrays him by telling lies about him to their father. He uses ‘incitative’ messages like “idle and fond bondage” to infuriate Gloucester (Shakespeare 47). This means that Edmund ignores his conscience and means to destroy his brother completely. In 1984, Julia and Winston are having similar political ideologies. Their first meeting however was sour up to a point that Winston felt like “raping and then murdering her afterwards” (Orwell 152). They meet in a remote hotel to lay down their plans. Apparently, the hotel is not fitted with Big Brother Telescreens. Still, they

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