William Shakespeare 's King Lear

     Shakespeare uses subplots to dramatize the action of the play and give spark on the contrast for the themes in King Lear. Sub plots usually improve the effect of dramatic irony and suspense. The latter, which is used in King Lear, gives us the understanding of the emotions of the characters in the play. This follows the parallelism between Gloucester and King Lear.

The loyal and favoured child, Cordelia and Edgar, are disowned because their fathers “hath ever but/slenderly known himself” (I.1. 281-282). However, both Cordelia and Edgar remain unswervingly loyal and loving even after being wronged. Furthermore, Cordelia and Edgar represent the best of humanity. This is seen through the Christ like imagery Shakespeare uses in act 4, scene 3 to describe Cordelia reading Kent’s letter. This is also evident in Edgar’s perseverance when he tries to remain positive by saying he would rather “be contemned/ than still contemned and flattered” as well as “the worst returns to laughter” (IV.1. 1-2, 6). Both Edgar and Cordelia so the right thing without seeking recognition, this is contrasted by their “evil” siblings. Edmund, Goneril and Regan are driven by their ambition for power and wealth, and they are willing to commit acts of trickery and deception to get what they want. Moreover, their anger and hatred stems from the same place; being loved less by their father. This is evident is how Gloucester “blushed to acknowledge [Edmund]” and refers to him as his “whoreson”, whereas Lear refers to Cordelia as his “joy” and offers her “a third more opulent/than [her] sisters” (I.1.9-10, 23; I.1.75, 77-78). Through this, Edmund, Regan and Goneril are unsympathetic towards their father, which is evident in Edmund’s disregard towards Gloucester’s trust and

In addition they also locked the door behind him and forbid any to follow and aid him in his delicate condition. All three also showed their sadistic and heartless streak, as they took part in the punishment of Gloucester after his treasonous act of aiding the previous king, Lear. Goneril suggested that instead of hanging the traitor, that they gouge out his eye instead, the others reacting with glee, naturally agreed. Before the unnatural act, Edmund did not bother to interject and aid his father, or try to beg for a better fate. While speaking for the traitor would have branded him as a traitor, his intellectual capabilities would have been put to good use. Unfortunately, Edmund’s ability to feel loyalty, or sympathy, was far underdeveloped. While Goneril and Edmund left before the eye reduction, Regan remained, as soon as her husband, Cornwall gouged out one eye, and she recommended that the other will feel envy over the other (ACT Scene). To advance his status and receive the title of king, Edmund used both Goneril and Regan, and did not feel any loyalty, emotion, or good-will towards

In the pursuit of power, Regan, Goneril and Edmund are corrupted and turn to violence and manipulation to sate their greed and lust. Once they have achieved their goals, they lose what little empathy they had left, allowing them to justify their treatment of both Lear and Gloucester. Regan and Goneril employ “glib and oily arts” to gain their dowries, yet the unflinching devotion they express for their father in the love test is nowhere to be seen when they humiliate and bully him until he is driven mad. Edmund similarly manipulates his “credulous father” and “noble” brother in order to gain his brother’s inheritance for himself. The unflinching and violent desire for power shown by these characters is a timeless theme, not just in literature but throughout history, giving the play its continuing appeal.

Lear is the very first protagonist to be blinded. In Act 1, Scene 1, when he asks his daughters how much they love him, he was not aware that Regan and Goneril did not truly love him and that Cordelia was his only good daughter. Throughout the play, Edmund manages to blind Gloucester, Edgar, and Cornwall. Edmund gets Gloucester to turn on Edgar after showing him a forged letter allegedly written by Edgar. The letter stated “Edgar’s” plans to kill Gloucester, which makes Gloucester decide to kill him first. Edgar is then tricked into believing that he in trouble with the Duke of Albany and the Duke of Cornwall, causing him to flee. Lastly, Cornwall is given information by Edmund that makes Gloucester look like a traitor. This causes Gloucester to be literally blinded as Cornwall gouges his eyes out as a punishment. Both Lear and Gloucester realize the truth about their children when it is too

King Lear is frequently regarded as one of Shakespeare’s masterpieces, and its tragic scope touches almost all facets of the human condition: from the familial tensions between parents and children to the immoral desires of power, from the follies of pride to the false projections of glory. However, one theme rings true throughout the play, and that very theme is boundless suffering, accentuated by the gruesome depictions of suffering our protagonists experience . There is no natural (nor “poetic”) justice depicted in this pre-Judeo-Christian world Shakespeare presents, as the relatively virtuous individuals (Kent, Gloucester, and Cordelia) in this

In these situations, the cast confronts instances of betrayal and eventually self-growth. The story initiates with King Lear’s urgency for flattery, which drives him to commit a decision that instigated the power-hungry course of his daughters. The betrayal of Goneril and Regan caused Lear to separate from his man-made principles and praise those of nature. Besides the change in Lear, the audience also observed Gloucester’s position concerning the legitimacy of his two sons. Societal views were a detriment regarding the rights of illegitimate children, like Edmund. Seeing his brother Edgar conquer all his father’s treasures, Edmund left his praise of nature behind and instead exploited the reliance of status and relationships in his royal family to overcome the laws of society, forming a great deception against his own family.

Shakespeare’s tragedies accentuate the qualities of human behavior and interactions with others when faced with adversity where the emotions of greed, ambition and madness are strongly expressed. Insight into the character’s psyche and moral values is explored to give understanding of the logic and reasoning behind the ways humans act. Harboring a universal and timeless quality, Shakespeare’s plays have the ability to exceed the restraints of the cultural values during the Elizabethan era, making it relatable to all audiences, especially the modern audience, leaving room for multiple perspectives and understanding of the play. Shakespeare’s play ‘King Lear’, depicts the main protagonist’s ‘gradual descent into madness’ as a result of the forces of evil acting in the play for Lear has, to an extent, have sinned though it can’t outweigh that he has been sinned against. This is confirmed through Lear’s injudiciousness to see through his two eldest daughter’s internal desires and ambitions as a result of his egotistical nature. It is the result of the severity and depth of human emotions which empower individuals to go great lengths to satisfy their own ambitions and interests as in the case of Gonerill and Regan. Lear’s blindness acts as the catalyst in the progression of the forces of evil that draws Lear into a circumstance of no return, the evidence of betrayal and mistreatment further contributes to the destruction of the natural order. Although Lear’s downfall was the

In all genres there are stereotypical elements. This academic essay will outline the importance and effect of the elements of dramatic tragedy within the given passage from King Lear, and how this is significant and develops an understanding in the audience towards the play as a whole.

Lear 's endeavor gets revitalized with every generation that hears the saga, whether from myths, fairy tales, or from King Lear itself. A timeless story, King Lear remains one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies for its universal themes involving communication, morality, and family. The fall of characters in King Lear presents audiences with the frailty a community can exhibit from rulers’ pride. Stressing this message, Shakespeare mirrors the main plot surrounding Lear 's family with the sub-plot of Gloucester and his sons. Through the use of dialogue exploring motivations for character actions, King Lear amplifies the complexity of emotions in society. By sending Lear on a journey into the hardships of a primitive life to test his mental stability, Shakespeare establishes how madness can lead to clarity. Placing their affection in the wrong hands produces an onslaught of tragic events for those in this play who bare their heartstrings. Shakespeare’s King Lear dramatizes how the use of language, the authenticity of civility, and various manifestations of love affect relationships as well as psychological development.

William Shakespeare is universally known for his literary output both in poetry and drama. Whether through his laugh-invoking comedies or his heart-wrenching tragedies, Shakespeare’s plays have changed the course of literature. Many of his plays about love are widely praised by all, but Shakespeare 's King Lear differs from the rest due to its definition of love. King Lear serves as an battleground between deception and compassion, between flattery and honesty. Rather than focusing on romantic love, such as in Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare in King Lear explores the boundaries of filial love, a bond between a favored child and a parent, that is abused because of parental blindness and hubris.

            The downfall of Lear is not just the suffering of him alone but the suffering of everyone down the chain of being.  For instance, Lear's pride and anger caused Cordelia and Kent to be banished, and Gloucester loses his position and eyes.  Everything that happened to these characters are in a chain of reaction and affected by Lear's tragic flaw.  If Lear did not lack of personal insight and if he did not have  such an obstinate pride, he would not have banished Cordelia and Kent, then Goneril and Regan would not be able to conspire against Lear. Without the plot of Goneril and Regan, Gloucester would not have been betrayed by Edmund and lose his eyes and status due to the charge of treason.  Moreover, the chain of reaction was continuous

William Shakespeare uses several literary elements in his writing, elements which are especially apparent in his play, King Lear. Shakespeare uses excellent creativity and description when writing this tragedy. “Neither has Shakespeare placed in the mouth of any other character in this play such fatalistic expressions as may be found in King Lear and occasionally elsewhere”(A.C. 2003). The way King Lear talks in this play is very evil compared to shakespeare’s other works. “In neither play, as in Othello and King Lear, is painful pathos one of the main effects”(A.C. 2003). Shakespeare’s main effect in many of his plays was a painful pathos or pity. Shakespeare avoided overloading in some of his other plays (A.C. 2003). King Lear is thought to be overloaded with too many conflicts. King Lear is thought to be cold, dark, and gloomy (A.C. 2003). Events that happened in King Lear are generally evil. “Darkness, we may even say blackness, broads over this tragedy”(A.C. 2003). The play of King Lear is dark and saddening from start to finish. “Bradley was a major Shakespearean critic whose work culminated the method of character analysis initiated in the romantic era”(A.C. 2003). A.C. Bradley’s analytical critique of plays by Shakespeare pushed his popularity forward. The critic A.C. Bradley concentrated on Shakespeare as a dramatist, and particularly on his characters (A.C. 2003). Just like many other critics, Bradley looked

One of the most important life skills is being able to communicate properly with others. Having strong communication skills allows one to better understand the situation at hand. Proper communication is essential to working out problems because of this reason. In the play King Lear by William Shakespeare, Lear communicating with his daughters, Gloucester communicating with his sons, and Lear communicating with Kent are all examples of failure of communication, which later lead to consequences and hardships that the characters must face. Without proper communication, people will go through unnecessary hardships, and will be punished for it. These hardships are easily avoided by using strong communication skills, and understanding the message that others are trying to send.

In Act one, scene one, we are introduced to Gloucester and his parallel plot line before we introduced to Lear. We find Gloucester acknowledging his equal adoration between his two sons, the one legitimate, the other illegitimate. The moral code that informs King Lear dictates that illegitimacy bodes nothing but a disadvantage to the harmony of underlying order . Within the terms of the play, Gloucester's emotion is a fatal flaw of judgment. Paying close attention to language, Gloucester's unwitting mistake from Edmund's very first appearance; in a world where the only vocabulary of each character is a full expression of their position on the axis of good and evil, a reader cannot help but notice that Edmund's "... I shall study deserving..."(I.i.24) is a foreboding of the deceit and greed that will taint him for the rest of the play.