King Lear Free Essays

Lear is responsible for his downfall in a countless amount of ways each one leading on from the next. He abuses his superior position as king and yet still demands respect and authority of which he strongly believes he deserves. Lear longs for his daughter’s companionship. We will write a custom essay sample on King Lear or any similar topic only for you Order Now He is blinded by lies and â€Å"thy youngest daughter does not love thee least† is banishes. Lear uses his authority and wealth to bargain for his daughters love. As a result of Lear’s moral blindness â€Å"when power to flattery bows† he see not of Goneril and Regan’s fake deceitful love proclaims and hands over all that was valuable to him to his two immoral daughters. This is a result of the beginning of his self proclaimed tragedy that is the play of King Lear. Due to Lear’s moral blindness, he trusts that they will stay true to their word and allow him to keep control over his knights and all that he had been accustomed to as king. Like vultures Goneril and Regan begin to plot against there father. Receiving the dowry made them feel superior and in power. This is the main ingredient in taking Lear out completely. There first act is eliminating his nights and from there on it all went down hill for Lear. Many may blame Lear’s downfall on Goneril and Regan, what many don’t realise is Lear is the sole person who put them in power. Lear gave them a reason and the tool to completely destroy him by being blinded by the comfort of being loved. This makes Lear the main person responsible for his downfall. Kent’s advise was not accounted by Lear â€Å"come not between the dragon and his wrath† so he was banished. To the benefit of himself he should not have returned to Lear. As the loyal Kent cared to deeply for his king he returned disguised as a simple peasant. This set out his path to disaster as he constantly stood by Lear’s side â€Å"follow me. Thou shalt serve me if I like three no worse after dinner. † Edgar’s downfall came in his forgiving and gullible personality. He believed all that his brother Edgar told him and this lead to him becoming poor Tom. Edmund was merely just a directing force in Edgar’s downfall and not the sole reason. Everyone one is responsible for their actions regardless of weather or not they are aware of the result of them. Lear chose to give up his authority and wealth and â€Å"here I disclaim all my paternal care† to his only true daughter. His madness was the end result of his decision. Kent and Edgar were merely ignorant prey of the two despicable daughters and Edmund. How to cite King Lear, Papers King Lear Free Essays Shakespeare’s King Lear is a world in which humans are personalized and  find themselves with some contention with their role, rank, and â€Å"Place† in life. IE: â€Å"The  King;† is father god on Earth, â€Å"Daughter† is bastard, loyal servant to the king and traitor.  Shakespeare dramatized these roles thinking he was in control, when in truth he wasn’t. We will write a custom essay sample on King Lear or any similar topic only for you Order Now   However, like Lear, Shakespeare thought he was still in absolute control of his  characters. The character of Cordelia, underestimates the power she has absorbed from  her father’s violent emotions, which she herself provoked. The story of â€Å"King Lear† is not just about raw emotion which leads to the  tragedy of â€Å"King Lear;† instead it is Cordelia’s refusal to conform to the â€Å"role† as the  king’s daughter. Cordelia, the youngest and fairest daughter refuses to speak as the  king’s daughter and insists upon speaking as only Cordelia. Cordelia is a personality thatwants to be known as an individual and not someone who is connected or possessed by a  sovereign. Cordelia’s rebellion is her insistence of moral intelligence that is not  determined by the social role she was born into. Unlike, the other characters in the play,  Cordelia is not overwhelmed with thoughts of gaining power or lustful alliances. She is  for truth and never lies declaring herself as a â€Å"self.†   The declaration of â€Å"self† in King Lear is overwhelmed by the king’s  authority. It is in the tight grip of the most primitive emotion where we see a human  being dies inside his archetype in the play. At the time of King Lear’s redemption from  his ignoble self. King Lear’s humanity has been lost to the role that accommodates the  world of man, politics and history. Shakespeare’s cynicism is prominent in King Lear and  much more darker as you may think. In Lear, at least the King returns with the  knowledge that an individual cannot work sanely in a place with poor rouges and court   Shakespeare’s writing that the necessary withdrawal of the intelligent  and enlightened man from dealing politics; from a world that only exists in history; must  seem a measure of â€Å"selflessness† to him that could be kept in the mind.   Yet,  Shakespeare says that you should give this power to someone who demands it, and not  to those who may possess it! Shakespeare’s pessimism is due to the assumption of a  passive individual facing history as if the world, politics, history or time has  contaminated the virtuous. This assumption of Lear is probably psychologically valid for  some people but presents a complex contradictory statement. After, Lear detaches himself from his â€Å"role† as king when he runs into  nature itself, which satisfies the audience’s emotional demands for the character to shed  his ego by rejecting the superficial roles of his ego. The king’s alliance with Cordelia is  contrary. It is male and female, civilization, as well as â€Å"great creating nature;† nature in  its most evil sense.   Questions and Answers 1.Why is the â€Å"awakening† of King Lear the most moving scene in literature  according to Joyce Carol Oates? The moment of King Lear’s â€Å"awakening† is the most moving scene in literature because after so much senseless horror, it marks the  reconciliation of the aggressive King Lear and his relationship with his estranged all forgiving daughter, Cordelia as well as the soul itself.   2.How does the â€Å"awakening† of the king change Cordelia’s already good soul?   It changes Cordelia’s soul by symbolizing the moment of grace that forces the tragedy to a halt allowing a magical change of eternal happiness and the tragedy of time, which is so powerful in the writings of Shakespeare and because it is rare. 3.  Ã‚   Why is it important for King Lear to not have a Queen? It is dramatically important for King Lear to not have a Queen so we can concentrate on the masculine   predicament of being a king and father in the play. To show the dangers in letting go of both of the authorities, exposing the dead, and absent level of consciousness. Writing this paper I feel I understand the play â€Å"King Lear† better. I understand  the tragedy and the awakening of The King and his daughters, the all-forgiving Cordelia,  and heartless and scheming Reagan, and Goneril. Lear’s arrogance and excessive pride in  the play utilizes his hunger for power and paranoia to rule his kingdom and his daughters. The tragic death of Cordeila in the end is the terrible lesson Lear has to learn because of  this hubris. Works Cited   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Is this the promised End?† The Tragedy of King Lear- By Joyce Carol Oates; Celestial Timepiece: A Joyce Carol Oates Home Page. Originally published in the Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, fall 1974- www.usfca.edu/~southerr/lear.html How to cite King Lear, Essay examples King Lear Free Essays The tragedy ‘King Lear’ by William Shakespeare, although written about quite remote epoch and unusual (in terms of our contemporary world) settings, raises vital philosophical, social and psychological themes, which are unlikely to become outdated. The most abstractive philosophical issue, described in ‘King Lear’ is the peculiarity of human fate and each person’s unique cycle of life. The paper is intended to analyze the meaning of cyclic imagery in social and philosophical contexts of the play. We will write a custom essay sample on King Lear or any similar topic only for you Order Now Cyclic images are extremely notable in ‘King Lear’: two major passages that point to the finiteness of human life are Edgar’s expressions of the idea of life as gradual approach to its logical ending. First of all, Edgar suggests that â€Å"ripeness is all† (Act 5, Scene 2, l. 12), which in broader interpretation means: human being matures in order to prepare themselves for passing away. Another important idea is expressed in Act 5, Scene 3: â€Å"who loses and who wins; who’s in, who’s out – and take upon’s thee mystery of things, as if we were God’s spies. And we wear out, in a walled prison, packs and sects of great ones that ebb and flow by the moon† (l. 16-20).   As one can understand, any power and glory is not endless, and those of great influence and wealth are equal to the weakest and the most miserable at the certain time, more precisely, when they fade and encounter the sign of physical disappearance, or their own death; first of all – because it is impossible to take one’s possessions, material goods and brilliant social reputation to the ‘other kingdom’, where death brings individuals. Moreover, they are also equal against divine justice, as it takes into consideration no social, political or military merits, but merely the person’s motives and motivations for their actions. Is human existence in vain therefore? This question can be answered only through exploring the interrelation between the theme of parental responsibility, blindness and the finiteness of human existence, brilliantly depicted in the play. Due to the fact that human fate is described as a cycle (â€Å"By all the operations of the orbs/From whome we do exist and cease to be† (Act 1, scene 1, l.113-14)), individuals are capable of getting a rebirth in their own children. This rebirth indicates not merely natural reproduction, but also a chance to leave one’s trace in this world, especially putting the soul into the appropriate moral upbringing of the offspring. This small particle of parental soul will grow within the descendant, so that the latter to some extent continues the parent’s existence: as King Lear says about Cordelia, â€Å" I loved her the most and though to set my rest/Oh her kind nursery† (Act 1 Scene 1, l. 124-125) . In this narrow connotation, King Lear’s and Gloucester’s doom infers merely their inability to nurture virtues in their children: Lear to great extent overlooks moral ‘education’ for Regan and Gonoril, whereas Gloucester pays no attention to his extramarital son Edmund, so that, in accordance with cyclical laws, the descendants grow into adults and repay their parents with base ingratitude: â€Å"sons at perfect age and fathers declined, the father should be as ward to the son and the son manage his revenue† (Act 1, Scene 2, l. 72-4). In spite of the lack of care for children, the noblemen nevertheless have excessively strong love for them, as the tragedy suggests, their feeling is destructive rather than constructive: King Lear blindly believes his older daughters and mistreats Cordelia, who is in reality among the most conscientious characters; by analogy, Gloucester appears incredibly gullible in his relationship with Edmund and easily betrays Edgar, his flesh and blood. Both political leaders are therefore punished for their own narrow-mindedness and finally fail to continue the cycle of their spiritual existence to the next generations. Another visible dimension of cyclic imagery in the tragedy is dedicated to depicting human fate in the context of global injustice, under which even the most righteous persons with noble aspirations are crushed by the merciless wheel of fortune. Throughout the play, the movements of stars are utilized to explain the adversities encountered by the characters; for instance Gloucester claims: â€Å"These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us† (Act 1, Scene 2, l. 104-5) and later Edmund wisely notes: â€Å"we make guilty for our disaster the sun, the moon and the stars, as if we were villains by necessity, fools by heavenly compulsion, knaves, thieves and treachers by spherical predominance; drunkards, liars and adulterers by an enforced obedience of planetary influence..† (Act 1, Scene 2, l. 119-125). On the one hand, human fate is already predetermined, as these citations about the supernatural forces suggest. On the other hand, humans tend to shift their own accountability to unfortunate positions of celestial bodies, instead of struggling with the problem face-to-face. To sum up, the central theme, supported by cyclic imagery is human fate and personal powerlessness against and vulnerability to the whims of fortune. On the other hand, analyzing the issue more profoundly, one can conclude that the author incorporates more ‘earthy’ meaning into the ‘supernatural’ imagery and metaphors: individuals have a tendency to avoiding responsibility of any kind – either parental, or social, and therefore refer to stars and deities as to the last resort. Figuratively speaking, individuals stare up in attempt to look to the future instead of looking around and focusing on their current obligations. In this sense, human â€Å"ripeness† has merely physical connotation, whereas cognitive and spiritual wisdom are unattainable to those, who are able to struggle on the battlefield, but incapable of defeating their personal weakness and moral blindness. Reference list Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Available online at: http://shakespeare.mit.edu/lear/, 2002. How to cite King Lear, Essay examples King Lear Free Essays In Shakespeare’s King Lear there is a definite element of the grotesque as seen in Lear’s own personality, and the other main characters in how they treat Lear.   Thus the grotesque in Shakespeare’s play is manifested through power.   The grotesque theme of Shakespeare’s play will be examined in this essay as it pertains to King Lear’s hate of his daughters, and the way in which he treats them before his death. We will write a custom essay sample on King Lear or any similar topic only for you Order Now Blindness is a recognition in the play of Lear’s grotesque nature or his need for power over others and how he cannot stand to see the world, or kingdom he created at the end of the play (Friedlander paragraph two).   In King Lear’s distrust of his daughters he one by one makes himself disowned by them as can be deciphered in this speech, I prithee, daughter, do not make me mad. I will not trouble thee, my child; farewell. We’ll no more meet, no more see one another. But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter; Or rather a disease that’s in my flesh, Which I must needs call mine. Thou art a boil, A plague sore, an embossed carbuncle In my corrupted blood. But I’ll not chide thee. Let shame come when it will, I do not call it. I do not bid the Thunder-bearer shoot Nor tell tales of thee to high-judging Jove. Mend when thou canst; be better at thy leisure; I can be patient, I can stay with Regan, I and my hundred knights.† ( Shakespeare II.iv.1514). The parallels of father-child relationships are shown in how Lear’s daughter, Cordelia, parallels to Gloucester’s son Edgar; both Cordelia and Edgar are loyal to their fathers to the end, and Cordelia is banished while Edgar is forced into hiding both actions are pertaining to the manifestation of the grotesque in King Lear (Friedlander paragraph two).   King Lear’s other two daughters, Goneril and Regan, parallel with Gloucester’s son Edmund.   Goneril and Regan flatter Lear, â€Å"Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter† (Shakespeare I. 1. 53-54). The parallels in the deaths of Lear and Gloucester are seen in how both die in the presence of their loyal children; Lear dies with Cordelia in his arms, and Gloucester dies after Edgar has revealed himself as the Duke’s son; thus, although Shakespeare has written the grotesque in the play, he also allows his protagonists a chance of redemption. Moreover, Lear and Gloucester both die in â€Å"extremes of passion.†Ã‚   Lear dies of a broken heart. â€Å"Break heart, I prithee break!†, and Gloucester’s â€Å"flaw’d heart† bursts of â€Å"joy and grief† after his reunion with Edgar (Shakespeare).   As well both die with renewed insight: Gloucester needs to be blinded before he can see Edmund’s deceit and Edgar’s loyalty.   Lear needs to suffer the rejection of his older daughters before he can see Cordelia’s loyalty, and men of power find that the loss of title and position humbles them; therefore the grotesque found in King Lear is eventually â€Å"overcome through love† (Doran 141). Shakespeare’s play is based on Briton’s own King Leir, a tragic story of a king and his relationship with his family. The tragic element of the play harkens to the reality of the time of the writing as well as its history involved in Britain (Friedlander paragraph one).   In the quote previously states (â€Å"I prithee daughter†- Shakespeare) there is a strong element of pride, lack of hope, and disease is mentioned. The disease mentioned could be a remark on the overpowering plagues occurring in Britain as well as famine.   Thus, the stress in a family relationship would be counted more stressful because of the environmental factors involved in the play’s setting.   In fact, the theme of hunger, either of love, hope, pride, or greed, runs strong through the entire play, and this is the reason the first quote is so important, it highlights these human elements in the play (West 57). Although the theme of marriage is not as   strong in this play there are other themes which comprise the progression of the plot.   The theme in King Lear subsists with the child-parent relationship which further develops with Lear’s three daughters, their submissiveness or lack of submissiveness with their father.   In this play the focus of the married daughters who are proven to be evil and usurpers of their fathers power while the younger daughter, the innocent unmarried one proves to be the only supporter King Lear has although he blindingly distrusts her from act one.   The theme of King Lear is suitably that of loyalty from the female caste whether in faithfulness or disloyalty. The parallels of greed in political power (another form of the grotesque in Shakespeare’s play) are presented in how Goneril and Regan seek political power by their ability to strip the King of all his train of followers, by rejecting the King’s title, and turning him out into the storm, â€Å"†¦entreat him by no means to stay† (Shakespeare III. 1. 297).   Also, Edmund has high political aspirations by allowing Gloucester to be blinded for his own political gain,   â€Å"Hang him instantly [Regan]†¦Pluck out his eyes [Goneril]† (Shakespeare III. 7. 4-5), and he usurps Edgar’s legitimate title as the future Earl of Gloucester.   Furthermore, Kent and Edgar both lose their nobility, the Earl of Kent is banished for his honest defense of Cordelia, and Edgar loses his claim to nobility through the deceit and trickery of Edmund. The combination between the sub-plot and the main-plot in King Lear comprises of thematically similar plots. Shakespeare has used the characters and themes of the subplot to amplify the drama and calamity of the main plot.   With two plots, perfectly intertwined and yet offering parallel lessons, Shakespeare is able to heighten the emotional effect of the tragedy.   In conclusion, the subplot intensifies the emotional impact of the main plot in the areas of child-parent relationships, the corruption of political power, and the death of the protagonist (West 58). In the perception of identity and love in that identity King Lear is redemptive but full of blame, and still hanging onto pride which presents the issue of love for a woman, albeit a daughter, has not persuasion over self-loathing (Doran 152).   Here Shakespeare’s design in the play portends of how innocence as with Cordelia when followed is prophetic but when love is denied in Shakespeare’s plays the consequences are dire.   In King Lear’s age he sees himself as beyond the measure of blame because his life is already lived, his deeds are already accomplished. It is with the hope of redemption through love that the play ends; King Lear states, Hear me, recreant! On thine allegiance, hear me! Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow- Which we durst never yet- and with strain’d pride To come between our sentence and our power,- Which nor our nature nor our place can bear,- Our potency made good, take thy reward. Five days we do allot thee for provision To shield thee from diseases of the world, And on the sixth to turn thy hated back Upon our kingdom. If, on the tenth day following, Thy banish’d trunk be found in our dominions, The moment is thy death. Away! By Jupiter, This shall not be revok’d   (ShakespeareI.i.178ff). It is only with the hope of love, that these characters can be redeemed, and the nature of the grotesque in the play may be wiped out. This essay has delved into the plays inner workings of plot, and sub plot and how each character seems to represent a certain element of the grotesque in human nature through greed, political power, and lack of faith (West 57).   It is only through King Lear’s blindness that this grotesque nature is truly seen since the reason for his blindness is because he cannot bear to see the world he created through his own grotesque nature beginning with doubt of his daughter’s love. Work Cited Doran, M.   The Quarto of â€Å"King Lear† and Bright’s Shorthand.   Modern Philology,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Vol.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   33, No. 2 (Nov., 1935), pp. 139-157 Friedlander, E.   Enjoying King Lear.   2005.   Online.   Retrieved 22 November 2007. http://www.pathguy.com/kinglear.htm Shakespeare.   King Lear.   Penguin Classic.   1998. Theatre History.   King Lear.   2002.   Online.   Retrieved 22 November 2007. http://www.theatrehistory.com/british/kinglear001.html West, R.   Sex and Pessimism in King Lear.   Shakespeare Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Winter, 1960), pp. 55-60. How to cite King Lear, Essay examples King Lear Free Essays Although a similar vision of justice is encompassed within King Lear and The Tempest, both protagonists receive fate strikingly dissimilar from one another; as a direct result of the relationship shared between their respective daughters, which ultimately distinguishes the plays from the similar concepts (compassion, nature, monarchy, and usurping) found within them. In King Lear, the nature of mercy and redemption are unobtainable elements, as the form of a Shakespearean tragedy is established on the foundation of chaos and pity, which arguably conceals the subtle (or blatant) relationship between both plays. Both plays include a tempest; a violent thunderstorm that symbolize a life-changing moment for the introspective protagonists. We will write a custom essay sample on King Lear or any similar topic only for you Order Now Prospered magic conjures the violent storm described in The Tempest, which destroys the boat of his royal enemies and prompts the pilot of the play. Unlike Prosper, Lear is a victim of the tempest described in his tragedy, but Shakespeare purposely uses this scene to ‘ cleanse’ the drenched king as he makes a revelation through an emotional soliloquy, thus humbugging him. This concept of nature’s fury, although mutually significant in both respective plays, also discloses the dissimilarity shared between the two protagonists. Prosper, from the opening scene, was described as wise and empathetic, specifically using the storm to confront his enemies, not to cause harm. Prosper was already introduced to the audience as a humankind protagonist, while Shakespeare depicted Lear as ‘blind’ until his own tempest in the middle of the play. The significance of the tempest scenes symbolizes the genesis of repentance and retribution for both of the principal characters. Although Prosper is successful in restoring his role as the rightful king in the plays climax, Learner’s kingdom is obliterated and results in his death. The notable nature behind the protagonist’s paternal role towards their daughter tryingly influences the events of the play, as both elderly kings are fathers to similarly angelic daughters. In King Lear, the audience is quickly clued in on Learner’s foolishness as a father, since Shakespeare manifests this notion through the old kings retirement celebration. Learner’s two daughters, General and Reagan, are wicked women who manipulatively express their faux affection towards their narcissistic father. Ironically, Cornelia remains the only daughter of virtue who proclaims that the sincere affection she feels towards him transcends mere words. King Learner’s opening CT alone already corresponds with the introduction found within The Tempest’s introduction, except the scenario is presented in a reverse manner. Lear was seeking an early retirement and attempted to distribute his kingdom between his three daughters, while Prosper was usurped of his dukedom by his treacherous younger brother, Antonio. Despite of the similarities presented in the opening act, Shakespeare also reveals the pivotal difference behind the plays father/daughter dynamic. Unlike Lear, Prosper is completely engrossed in Miranda and her well- being from the plays opening, even comparing her too cherub: MIRANDA Alack, what trouble Was I then to you! PROSPER O, a cherubim Thou waste that did preserve me. Thou didst smile. Infused with a fortitude from heaven. (1. 2. 51-54) Shakespeare arguably uses Miranda for the sole purpose of symbolism, since her character’s actions are essentially irrelevant to the events in The Tempest, as she’s utilized more as an image of Prospered fatherly love rather than a character of great significance. Cornelia, whose nature is undeniably similar to Miranda, is portrayed as one the most compelling characters in King Lear, due to her role as the angelic daughter who substitutes Marinara’s naivety with awareness. Shakespeare exchanges the protagonist’s role through their daughters in both King Lear and The Tempest; Lear exhibits Marinara’s naivety and Prosper reflects Cordillera’s compassion. Shakespeare distinguishes this concept from the onset of both plays and hints towards the protagonist’s fate through, once again, their daughters. Prosper established his endearment towards Miranda in the beginning of The Tempest and consistently demonstrated his loyalty towards her. Shakespeare rewards the unconditional love exhibited by the elderly king and compensates the former ruler with a favorable conclusion. In King Lear, the protagonist is not bestowed with the same fortune, as Lear also hints towards his fate during the plays introduction. Lear does not refer to his celestial daughter a cherub, like Prosper did, and chooses to disown his daughter instead: LEAR: Let it be so. Thy truth then be thy dower. For by the sacred radiance of the sun, The mysteries of Hectare and the night, By all the operation of the orbs From whom we do exist and cease to be-? Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity, and property of blood, And as a stranger to my heart and me Hold thee from this for ever. The barbarous Scythian, Or he that makes his generation messes To gorge his appetite, shall to my bosom Be as well neighborhood, pitied, and relieved As thou my sometime daughter. (109-123) Truthfully, Lear only disowned his daughter through the sole notion that she didn’t love him (verbally), but the motive behind this harsh act does not exempt Lear from the grim fate Shakespeare had reserved. A Shakespearean tragedy is molded on the tragic figure’s hamster, as Learner’s foolishness’ was evidently his. Betrayal of kin spreads like poison throughout King Learner’s conclusion: Gloucester, Lear, Reagan, and General all meet their grim fate because of the deception they inflicted on their families. Cornelia is substantially the most tragic character in King Lear (and arguably all of the tragedies) due to her innocent and compassionate persona, which rejects the bitterness imposed from being the victim of betrayal and attempts to restore her father’s usurped title. However, the unspeakable act behind a father abandoning his saintly daughter strongly indicates why Shakespeare bestowed Prosper with magic and Lear with madness. Superficially, King Lear and The Tempest both provide many of the elements squired in a revenge plot. Both protagonists are conceptually banished after their royal power is renounced, regardless if the title was robbed from them or relinquished willingly, and desire to restore their former glory. The plays also describe similar scenes of madness experienced by Lear but inflicted by Prosper on secondary characters. Although betrayal and the search for Justice are elements fundamental to the plays plot, neither story qualifies in taking the title of a revenge tragedy. In King Lear, the only character that arguably has a motive for revenge is Edmund for being mocked as an illegitimate child. Lear, the principal character, is responsible for triggering the events of the play by allowing the wicked sisters to rule his kingdom and disown Cornelia. In The Tempest, the magical harpy generated by Prospered magic doesn’t qualify as the Vengeful ghost’ most revenge tragedies would describe. Prosper succeeds in his revenge by restoring his stolen title from Antonio, but expresses mercy and compassion towards his enemies, therefore voiding the play from any tragic genre. Predominantly, the themes illustrated in The Tempest and King Lear project the once for Justice, but the concept behind familial betrayal stem from the protagonist’s daughters and ultimately receive Judgment from Shakespeare. The component of evil is not entirely absent from The Tempest, as Clinical (the son of the Devil who attempted to rape young Miranda) is undeniably a wicked character. Clinical echoes similarities to Lagos character in Othello, evoking the idea that the Devil mightier had more children scattered throughout the Shakespearean universe. While the Journey for restoration described in King Lear arguably parallels the plot thin The Tempest, the progress actually made by protagonists reveals that the psyche of both men are actually years apart. Prosper is already enjoying the relationship he shares with his daughter at the beginning of his play while Lear doesn’t make his revelation until half of the plays events elapse. In fact, Lear is ironically more sane as a madman then he ever was as king. Shakespeare gives the notion that the power behind father-daughter relationship transcends any obstacle hurled towards the protagonist, as described by the victory Prosper achieved after Ewing exiled to a distant island, but the tragedy depicted in King Lear reminds the audience of the grim consequences one must face when turning their back on innocent family. The conclusion of both plays, Just like their introductions, are described in a reverse fashion. Shakespeare temporarily forgave Lear through compassionate Cornelia, while Prosper exhibited his compassion by forgiving the other characters. Prosper learns compassion through Miranda, a concept that Shakespeare deliberately instilled in Lear when it was too late . If Shakespeare had altered the conclusion in King Lear to an ending where Lear survived the chaos, then t would be plausible to assume his character would exhibit the same characteristics of Prosper; two elderly rulers who where once usurped by malicious family and learned the value of compassion through their righteous daughters. Of course, this theoretical concept of King Lear concluding in peace would null the play from its tragic form, and reclassify the drama as a comedy Just like it’s companion play, The Tempest. Moreover, The elements of a tragedy illustrated in The Tempest are not as blatant as those described in King Lear, if anything, the hamster Lear suffers from is substituted by Prospered wisdom. The element of hope, however, is a strong tragic component that pulsates throughout the veins of both plays. The audience evidently sympathizes with both protagonists, as both elderly men have been â€Å"more sinned against than sinning. (3. 2. 1372), but Shakespeare ultimately scrutinizes the elderly men through their behavior as fathers-of-celestial women and Judges their fate by either condemning the protagonist to an agonizing death or rewarding him with the honor of restored monarchy and freedom. *Addendum: If given the fortunate opportunity to celebrate my 65th birthday, Judging by how I fle et on life the past 24 years, I can certainly see myself remembering Shakespearean work as the key to understanding hamster and the very-real danger it can demonstrate. Aristotle coined the term hamster, but it wasn’t until I read Shakespearean Hamlet that I realized the consequences of your internal-flaws. Similar to Hamlet, I used to have an indecisive personality, (which hasn’t completely faded from my subconscious), and I frequently would think-before acting and find faux justifications in delaying my goals: applying for scholarships, working harder in grade school, daily exercise, healthy dieting, and managing finances. Although I didn’t interact with the ghost of my father nor seek revenge against my treacherous uncle, I lost dozens of life-enriching opportunities due to being indecisive and it haunts me frequently. I can only assume, and hope, that the age of 65 will be a milestone for decades of utilizing a revamped proactive persona, as the tragedies will always remind me of the catastrophes that stem from personality flaws. After all, what better way can we pity a tragic figure than to express our own compassion towards their suffering? How to cite King Lear, Papers King Lear Free Essays The selected passage is from Act IV, Scene VII, from one of the most historical and critically acclaimed plays of William Shakespeare. It is generally agreed today to be Shakespeare’s greatest play by the learned as well as the public (Hunter, p. 1). We will write a custom essay sample on King Lear or any similar topic only for you Order Now It has the extremes of cruelty and suffering face extremes of loyalty and sacrifice and its basic motifs have the classic themes of love, betrayal, rejection and conquest. Shakespeare’s audience of the time truly understood these themes, identifying well with the king as a tragic hero and the nihilism that was fast growing its seed in the time of Jacobean theater. In the given passage, the scene is presented between Cordelia and her father. A physician is present as well. Cordelia has just rescued her father – who is now battling a profound befuddlement of senses. He is already shifting in and out of reality, wearing flowers in his hair. After these few dialogues of Cordelia (above passage), he comes to consciousness and once recognizes Cordelia, begins to believe that they are both dead.. King Lear, writes Marvin Rosenberg, was written for the stage, to stimulate sense, feeling, and mind in a massive theatrical experience. Any evaluation must consider the artist’s use of all his arousal materials (Rosenberg, p. 1). The emotional turmoil and conflicts of relationships in Lear’s life make much for the ‘massive theatrical experience’ that Shakespeare promised. In this given passage, Cordelia beseeches to her sisters, Regan and Goneril, in dramatic agony. They have betrayed their father and brought him to a condition which brings tears to Cordelia. For the sake of greed and land, the two sisters have brought their father down the very piths of humanity and the one daughter who was actually sincere to Lear is now at his side. Lear, tragically and unfortunately, mistrusted and mistreated this very daughter who was praying unto heavens and doing her utmost to bring her father back to a state of life and revival. Seeing her father’s terrible condition, Cordelia wonders out loud, with ample pathos, to Regan and Goneril that if they had not considered the fact that Lear was their father – they could have at least considered his age and senility. But they did not consider it at all and left him to be swallowed by the ill-winds that blew his way with the courtesy of their betrayal itself. Cordelia creates a powerful analogy for the condition of her father and his daughters with the dog of an enemy. She says that even an enemy’s dog, which has the sole purpose of establishing harm to you – would have stood against her or supported her in a terrible fate such as this. But what was this inhumanity of her sisters that they had so deliberately thrown their father into this highly adverse situations where there was no one left to take care of him but the wilderness and the rough fate that brought him to Cordelia in such conditions. The character of Cordelia is a paragon of ‘virtue and optimism’. Her simple nature is signaled by her label-name, which focuses on her situation. She is a woman of heart, compassion and courage (Hamilton, p. 151). When her father asks her to speak of her love and loyalty and devotion to him, she opens Pandora ’s Box by replying in her sweet, simple, precise words, â€Å"Unhappy that I am, I cannot have my heart into my mouth. I love your majesty according to my bond, no more nor less† (Shakespeare, p. 12).   Her father does not understand the depth of these simple and truthful words and mistakes her simplicity for insincerity. He falls in the trap of slick and suave words that ultimately bring his downfall. As she leaves the home, she speaks on her farewell note with the heartfelt emotion, which again goes unnoticed and dishonored, â€Å"The jewels of our father, with wash’d eyes Cordelia leaves you. I know you what you are, and like a sister am most loath to call your faults as they are nam’d. Love well our father: to your professed bosoms I commit him. But yet, alas, stood I wihin his grace, I would prefer him to a better place. So farewell to you both† (Shakespeare, p. 19). The foolish king does not understand Cordelia and her love and in this passage, where she sits beside him, nursing him, praying for his health, lamenting the selfishness and cruelty of her sisters, we see the same loyal daughter who refused to bear a grudge for a naà ¯ve, arrogant and narcissistic father who would destroy everything due to his these very follies. There are powerful themes of the play that are duly depicted in this passage. Cordelia’s love for her father, despite the way that he treated her, shows her unrelenting and faithfulness to her father. She feels passionately for her father’s plight and vouches all that she possibly can to the Heavens so that he is well soon. This theme and behavior of Cordelia shows that despite Lear’s pessimism and nihilism for the world and life in general, no matter how justified his circumstances may be, there is still hope in the world. With people like Cordelia, one could not say the human race is generally bad by nature (Friedlander, n.p.). Some critics also venerate King Lear as a Christian drama with elements of ‘regeneration’, ‘redemption’ and being ‘saved’ (Elton, p. 3). Although the play itself is a tragedy and the cruelty of the bottomless evil of the spirit and nature of mankind is aptly described in the play on various occasions and through various points, but despite all that, through Cordelia’s character and realistic love for her father, we see that mankind is capable of some good, at least. The passage bears in it a strong message for this very fight between good and evil. The world is, although, not as grandly and starkly divided between dark and white forces, this particular passage in King Lear shows that Cordelia has the passion to hate. It is not as if she is a picture of morality or does not understand evil for the reason of being naà ¯ve or un-understanding. She is fully aware of what her sisters had in mind and what they meant to happen to their father. But Cordelia’s true and pure nature helps her ask this question – that even if they had forgotten the fact that Lear was their father – did they not realize that they were doing this to a man who was at the end of his age? A long and war-filled life that needed to be spent in harmony and peace? Yet his own flesh and blood had forsaken him. Due to his senility, he may not have been able to realize the depth of his mistakes and actions – but Cordelia expects from her sisters to understand the senility – and care for him and not swindle him into bringing him into this state of despair and dreadfulness. This passage not only depicts the disappointment and despair of a sister, a daughter and a woebegone character, but the symbol of truth and goodness when it faces the turmoil of the chaos that evil and greed have committed in the world, which only produces pain, disaster and tragedy. Bibliography: Elton, William R. King Lear and the Gods. San Marino, Calif: Huntington Library, 1966. Friedlander, Ed. â€Å"Enjoying King Lear, by William Shakespeare†. Pathguy.com. Jan 30, 2005. http://www.pathguy.com/kinglear.htm October 27, 2007. Hamilton, Sharon. Shakespeare’s Daughters. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2003. Hunter, G., and Shakespeare, William. â€Å"King Lear†. London: Penguin Books. 1996. Rosenberg, Marvin. The Masks of King Lear. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1972. Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Tragedy of King Lear. New Folger Library Shakespeare. New York: Washington Square Press, 2005. How to cite King Lear, Essay examples King Lear Free Essays PPISMP TESL (R) Foundation Course Cohort 4 (June 2011 Intake) English Studies III: PI 1353K (R) (Revision) KING LEAR By William Shakespeare 1. The intricate relationship between characters adds to the interest of readers to study the play. Based on the play you have studied, discuss this statement with convincing evidence to justify your answer. We will write a custom essay sample on King Lear or any similar topic only for you Order Now 2. Write a critical analysis of one of the themes presented in the play you have studied. 3. Identify the theme of the play you have studied. Elaborate how the theme is developed by the characters. . Identify the theme of the play you have studied. Elaborate how the plot and the setting develop the theme. 5. Identify one of the issues raised in the play you have studied. characters reflect this issue. Elaborate how the 6. Identify the theme of the play you have studied. Elaborate how the theme is developed by the setting and the characters. 7. Identify the issues raised in the play you have studied. evidence from the text. Discuss the issues with 8. Discuss the significance of the title and how it reflects the theme of the play. . Discuss the significance of the title and how it is developed by the characters and plot of the novel. NHA/ES III – King Lear Revision/2012 Themes Greed for power wealth Betrayal Familial relationship Love betrayal Issues Greed for power wealth destroys Blind love Actions and consequences 10. Based on the drama you have studied, analyze the play based on the following i. The characters ii. The theme iii. The issues raised Support your answer with convincing evidence and elaboration. 1. You have studied a play during this course. Based on this play, write a critical analysis of about 350 words. In your analysis, discuss the themes and issues raised and how these are portrayed by the characters. 12. Write a reader response of about 350 words on the play you have studied. In your reader response, discuss the following; i. ii. iii. The theme The characters and their relationships The influence of the setting on the characters NHA/ES III – King Lear Revision/2012 How to cite King Lear, Papers