Essay on Lears Character in William Shakespeares Play

Lears Character in William Shakespeares Play The view of Lear being bent on his own destruction from the beginning of the play is an acceptable claim. The way he begins in the play, dividing up his country for his daughters, in essence, this spelt disaster. Unlike other renaissance dramatists, who used ‘mad scenes’ for comic use, Shakespeare seems intent on displaying madness in a more sinister portrayal. In favour of the claim, much can be said. In his thought process of dividing up his kingdom, it would appear, that nothing went through his mind to make him question what he was†¦show more content†¦The behaviour of Lear with his followers differs throughout the novel. To begin with, his devout followers such as Kent and Gloucester, pious and virtuous to the king, as were the masses which served him. But as the play progresses, he loses his masses, because he loses his crown. But, throughout the novel, Kent remains loyal to the king. Lear behaves (laddish) with his knights, they go out and hunt: spend all day out in the country, and return demanding Food and care. Such childlike behaviour is this, that Goneril has an outburst at her father, she says; â€Å"Men so disordered †¦that this, our court†¦ Shows like a riotous inn† =================================================================== Goneril then says; â€Å"†¦epicurism and lust Makes it more like a tavern or a Brothel† Anchoring the facet that Lear, with his knights is childish. Goneril speaks her mind of what Lear, claiming the manner of the knights, and indeed her father, resemble that of a brothel. Lear claims outrage at his daughter, curses, and leaves for Regan’s residence. This shows Lear in a very bad light, although being the king. He shows no maturity or leadership, he is simply one of the lads. Subsequent to this argument with Goneril, Lear bears a grudge on his daughter, and shows utmost maturity when saying farewells, as he curses his daughter.Show MoreRelatedKing Lear and the Genre of Tragedy Essay960 Words   |  4 Pagestragedy is a genre typically defined as a play that deals with a series of events that lead to the downfall of the hero. Written between 1604 and 1606, ‘King Lear’ falls into the genre of tragedy, depicting the destruction and downfall of the main character (Abrams). The play centres on Lear, an aging king who, in his retirement, decides to di vide his kingdom between his three daughters while retaining the title and privileges of being king. However, King Lear’s actions lead to the destruction of hisRead MoreTheme Of Madness In King Lear976 Words   |  4 Pagessympathy, and confusion. In a time where hierarchy rules over all the people of such land, there is evidence that proves conflict arises between characters and their surroundings, depicting how madness is the result. Ruler of the land, King Lear, betrayed by those he loves, struggles to continue on his life through means of sanity. In William Shakespeare’s play King Lear, madness is brought about through one’s power of authority, self-esteem, and internal conflict. Madness, as a result, is seen whenRead MoreA Comparison Between the Plots of King Lear and Much Ado about Nothing910 Words   |  4 Pagesstatement to say that William Shakespeare wrote some of the greatest plays of all time. This is accepted by everyone from high schoolers to experts as fact. But everyone is always wondering, what makes them great? Well, at the heart of every great Shakespeare play is a well written plot. But how can one man churn out all these plays he’s written, and still have new content in each one? Aren’t they all the same story to some extent? As Lindsay Smith writes, â€Å"Many Shakespeare plays, like most typicalRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare886 Words   |  4 PagesHamlet, Macbeth, Othello: William Shakespeare’s most well-known plays are also his most recognizably Christian; set in predominantly Christian Europe, these plays are often peppered with biblical allegories and allusions, making myriad references to angels, demons , God, and everything else in-between. King Lear, set in pagan, pre-Christian England, does at first appear to deviate from the rest of its pack – until one notices that its characters are found addressing, or referring to, their gods asRead MoreKing Lear Character Development Essay1662 Words   |  7 PagesKing Lear is understandably one of William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, it encompasses the journey through suffering and explores, in detail, the idea of justice. Each character in the play experience s one or the other throughout the progression of the plot, it is evident that through compositional features such as these, the play write is trying to convey this meaning. Through methods such as intense imagery, motifs, repetition of words and rhyming the play write has given intensity to certainRead MoreEssay The Foolishness of Fools in Shakespeares King Lear1706 Words   |  7 PagesThe Foolishness of Fools in Shakespeares King Lear Shakespeares tragedy King Lear is comprised of many distinct themes. His contrasts of light and dark, good and evil, and his brilliant illustration of parallels between the foolishness of the plays characters and society allowed him to craft a masterpiece. Just as well, Shakespeares dynamic use of linguistic techniques such as pun and irony aid this illustration of the perfect microcosm, not only of 16th century Britain, but of all timesRead More The Importance of the First Two Scenes in King Lear1568 Words   |  7 Pageshuman action. (Shakespeares Middle Tragedies, 169)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the previous quotation from the scriptures of Maynard Mack implies, King Lear is a very complex and intricate play which happens to be surrounded by a lot of debate.   The folio of 1623, which was, as is well known, edited by two of Shakespeares fellow actors (Notes and Essays on Shakespeare, 242),   contains not only historical errors, but errors which pertain to certain characters speaking other characters lines.   AmidstRead MoreMental Illness in Shakespeares Works1371 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout Shakespeare’s many works, mental illnesses have played an undeniable part in many of them, especially his tragedies. From Lady Macbeth hallucination of a bloody spot leading to her suicide, to Hamlet’s faked illness and Ophelia’s very real illness, afflictions of the mind are featured prominently in the Bard of Avalon’s many works. Still, in the Elizabethan era, understanding of mental illness was rudimentary at best, as were the methods of treating it. During the Middle Ages and ElizabethanRead MoreSight and Blindness in King Lear1615 Words   |  7 Pageswith the characters of Lear and Gloucester illustrate the theme of self-knowledge and consciousness that exist in the play. These classic tropes are inverted in King Lear, producing a situation in which those with healthy eyes are ignorant of what is going on around them, and those without vision appear to see the clearest. While Lears blindness is one which is metaphorical, the blindness of Gloucester, who carries the parallel plot of the play, is literal. Nevertheless, both characters sufferRead MoreKing Lear: Shakespeare’s almost Tragic Figure A tragic figure is often defined as an individual1400 Words   |  6 PagesKing Lear: Shakespeare’s almost Tragic Figure A tragic figure is often defined as an individual that is of noble birth, such as a king or other member of nobility. The individuals around them always respect them, however, they are often responsible for their own downfall, which will eventually lead to their death. Although the play King Lear can be considered one of William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, the character King Lear himself, lacks the ability to bring forth feelings of pity within