...“If you want peace, work for justice.” Henry Louis once said. The excessive cruelty and portrayal of human suffering in the play make the world seem terribly unjust. Throughout the play, King Lear, characters constantly appeal to the gods for aid but are rarely answered. Thus, justice would provide a fair and moral society, create a sense of moral righteousness, and ensure that crimes and punishments are in equilibrium. Ultimately justice in King Lear is served the best when the punishment surpasses the crime because the knowledge and compassion that the character gain has an everlasting effect on their life and makes them a better person. Hence, justice would be the most important component of society that would help store order and support the world, whereas mercy is an opposite that counters the necessary righteousness. All of us want to live in a world of peace and tranquility where opportunities are equal to everyone. Justice would provide us fairness and morality on how people commune within a society. One of the most notable instances of unfairness in the play is shown through Lear's banishment of Cordelia. Lear asked his daughters to profess their love for him. But when it came to Cordelia to confess her love, she cannot bring herself to do it. "Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth” (1.1.93-94). In reaction to Cordelia's refusal to act he disowns Cordelia, denies her of any inheritance. “Your loop'd and window'd raggedness, defend you/ from seasons...
Words: 911 - Pages: 4
...How does Shakespeare explore the theme of ‘Justice’ in King Lear? It is often assumed that the role of ‘Justice’ within a play is to serve as the source of goodness and anti-thesis of suffering, however in ‘King Lear’ Shakespeare utilises the theme of Justice to portray powerful messages, providing not just a contrast to the deterioration within the play but an explanation for the anguish witnessed. The notion of ‘Poetic Justice’ or deserved retribution is arguably denied by Shakespeare in ‘King Lear’, revealing the dangers of ‘unnatural evils’ and their far reaching consequences through its absence. The uncomfortable dramatic irony throughout Gloucester’s journey to his attempted suicide as he calls out for his ‘dear son Edgar,’ unaware that he stands before him, leaves the audience desiring union and peace for the victim of a horribly vivid crime. Despite this, resolution is never achieved, the eventual union causes only further death and is reported alongside Edgars regret, ‘’Never - O fault - revealed myself’, and bitter comments about Gloucester's ‘flawed heart’. As a result Shakespeare builds pity for the character of Gloucester to an unbearable level, denies the audience an opportunity for ‘catharsis’ and hence Gloucester's fate feels poetically unjust. In a society that saw suicide as a deadly sin, synonymous with questioning God’s wisdom and an ingratitude for the sacrifice of Christ, the real significance of Gloucester’s hopeless situation lies in it serving as...
Words: 1908 - Pages: 8
...madness lies. Let me shun that. No more of that. (III,iv,6-22) An Agonizing Awakening Shakespeare’s stylistic devices convey not only a feeling of dejected despondency and suffocating anguish, but also tempestuous petulance and melancholic despair to illustrate the consequences of a lack of self-awareness and the painful process of enlightenment which follows. In addition, the breaking of the filial bond provides this necessary hardship for Lear which elicits both a feeling of pity for his state of affairs and retribution for the vanity which previously consumed him. However, these feelings eventually morph into a sense of resolution as Lear gains understanding of his past mistakes and displays an unwavering resolve as a result. Consequently, the stylistic devices in this climax serve to demonstrate both the hopelessness of Lear and the comfort which comes through a conformed conscious as the reader witnesses Lear’s complete metamorphosis. The use of diction conveys a feeling of agony delineated through intense imagery as Lear sustains severe torment, demonstrating a resolute resolve in response. Furthering the spiritual battle of the “tempest,” the...
Words: 1433 - Pages: 6
...In this paper we are going to follow King Lear through his journey from being an arrogant King to finding his humanity and point to key moments that help him to gain a clear vision or open his mind’s eye as opposed to his short sightedness. This is a very important theme and throughout history alchemists, poets and writers have been focused on it. For example Rumi in his poetry mentions that if we open the mind’s eye then we see all the secrets of the world in front of us. Before diving into the details of words and imagery let’s have a look at key synopsis and events in the play related to our theme: * 1.1.130 Lear uses flattery test to divide his kingdom (shortsightedness) * 1.1.161 Overtaken by anger Lear says “out of my sight” to Cordelia his favorite daughter (anger) * 1.1.16 Lear banishes loyal Kent for his honesty (anger) * 1.4.9 Lear does not recognize Kent in disguise and employs him again (shortsightedness) * 1.4.200 Lear asks “Where are his eyes?” (confusion) * 1.4.204 “Lear’s shadow” is fool’s answer to Lear question about how he is (fool wise words) * 1.5.20-21 “To keep one’s eyes of either side’s nose, that what a man cannot smell out he may spy into” (Fool wise word) * 1.5.36-37 “If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I’d have thee beaten for being old before your time.” (Fool) * 3.2.1-13 “Blow winds and crack your cheeks! Rage, blow, You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout Till you have drenched our steeples, drowned the cocks! You...
Words: 2683 - Pages: 11
...Themes Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. Justice King Lear is a brutal play, filled with human cruelty and awful, seemingly meaningless disasters. The play’s succession of terrible events raises an obvious question for the characters—namely, whether there is any possibility of justice in the world, or whether the world is fundamentally indifferent or even hostile to humankind. Various characters offer their opinions: “As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; / They kill us for their sport,” Gloucester muses, realizing it foolish for humankind to assume that the natural world works in parallel with socially or morally convenient notions of justice (4.1.37–38). Edgar, on the other hand, insists that “the gods are just,” believing that individuals get what they deserve (5.3.169). But, in the end, we are left with only a terrifying uncertainty—although the wicked die, the good die along with them, culminating in the awful image of Lear cradling Cordelia’s body in his arms. There is goodness in the world of the play, but there is also madness and death, and it is difficult to tell which triumphs in the end. Authority versus Chaos King Lear is about political authority as much as it is about family dynamics. Lear is not only a father but also a king, and when he gives away his authority to the unworthy and evil Goneril and Regan, he delivers not only himself and his family but all of Britain into chaos and cruelty. As...
Words: 1095 - Pages: 5
...“Lear manages to fail his duty as King” Evaluate this view with reference to dramatic effects – TIMED (+5 mins) Mini plan – start of the play // father hood // identity // other kingly characters In keeping with Jacobean thought, Lear is portrayed as having a divine duty to rule. This is echoed by King James belief of the divine right of the Kings, and both him and Elizabeth saw it a sin to either abdicate the throne, or divide it up – both of which Lear is guilty of. To a Christian audience therefore, he was clearly failed his divine duty in acting as “God Lieutenant” (as King James I phrased it). Whether his failure was necessary in his duty as a father or in finding his identity can be explored. The start of the play is imperative it setting up Lear’s duty and role as King. He enters the kingdom as an absolute ruler, with an air of grandeur about him, and he was highly respected – as highlighted by the fact he was referred to as “my lord” and “my liege”. His word was never challenged; it held a divine authority evident through the use of imperative such as “Attend the lords” and “Speak first”. Shakespeare deliberately, therefore offers us the perfect painting of a dutiful king. The consequential break down in society is therefore unexpected, and is summarised in the horrific irony that Lear wishes to “divide our kingdom into three” so that “future strife may be prevented”. Lear is blinded by his selfish wish to “crawl unburdened toward death” that he neglects his...
Words: 1274 - Pages: 6
...English 3 Group AA Due: 04 October 2013 Monday 09:35 Dr. D. Seddon Early Modern Literature Discuss in detail two different performances of King Lear on stage, film or TV. Your discussion should include an assessment of the relative merits of the directorial decisions as regards characterization, setting, costume, and dialogue. The only way of expressing emotion in the form of art is by finding an 'objective correlative'; in other words, a set of objects, a situation, a chain of events which shall be the formula of that particular emotion; such that when the external facts, which must terminate in sensory experience, are given, the emotion is immediately evoked. (Eliot, 1919) William Shakespeare’s King Lear is considered by many to be one of his most powerful pieces. Its universal themes and messages that seep through have inspired many other works and allowed room for several adaptations. In his influential critical essay on Hamlet, T.S. Eliot suggests that one could “examine any of Shakespeare’s more successful tragedies…” and always “… find this exact equivalence” (1919). His term ‘objective correlative’ encompasses the phenomena of emotional reaction being created in the audience by the writer or poet or playwrights combination of images, objects or description which evoke the...
Words: 1863 - Pages: 8
...“King Lear”, a play written by Shakespeare is about a king from Britain who decides to step off the throne. He wants to divide his kingdom in three, and leave the pieces to his daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. He states that he will give the biggest piece to the daughter who can prove loves him most. Two of his daughters flatter him so dearly, and the other states that her true love for her father cannot be explained in words and she simply loves him with all her heart. The king is not happy with her words, so he banishes her from the castle and leaves her with nothing; however he unfortunately divides the pieces remaining to his two false daughters who have fed him with lies. While all this is going on Lear starts to realize the foolish mistakes he has been making and other families are having some similar issues. Many characters go through life altering events and finally see the plain truth at the end of the play, where it is in some cases too late to apologize for. They experience hardships, regrets, sorrow and grief. This play runs through many interlocking themes such as blindness, justice, and appearance and reality. The theme of blindness is ever so present in this play. For one, Cornwall and Regan poke out Gloucester’s eye because he helped Lear in a time of need. This physical act represents the symbolic nature of Lear and Gloucester’s great blindness. Both are blind to the falseness of their children. They praise the ones that are untrue to them, and believe...
Words: 1033 - Pages: 5
...King Lear Themes Table Themes Act 1 Act 2 Act 3 Act 4 Act 5 Critics Overview Shakespeare's dark tragedy, King Lear begins with the fictional King of England, King Lear, handing over his kingdom to daughters Regan and Goneril whom he believes truly love him. King Lear intends to stay with each daughter consecutively, accompanied by one hundred loyal knights.! Angry that Cordelia his youngest daughter does not appear to love him as do Goneril and Regan, Lear banishes his youngest daughter Cordelia, and Kent, the servant who attempts to defend her. Cordelia leaves and is taken by the King of France as his Queen...! Edmund, the loved but illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester plots to have his elder brother Edgar's reputation ruined. Edmund tricks his father Gloucester into believing that Edgar wanted to kill him...! The disrespectful Goneril conspires to have her guest and father, King Lear, driven out of her house.! Kent, who has now disguised his identity to serve King Lear, earns King Lear's respect by defending his name. Goneril offends King Lear and dismisses fifty of his knights. Lear starts to realize Cordelia was not so disrespecting. Lear decides to leave for Regan where he is sure to be treated properly...! Lear instructs Kent to deliver several letters to Gloucester. The Fool teaches Lear several riddles. We learn of possible conflict between evil sisters Regan and Goneril. Edmund further manipulates...
Words: 5549 - Pages: 23
...Looking at another play, King Lear, we are able to see characters that have very real traits. King Lear himself is a good example of the type of characters Shakespeare creates. Being an old man, King Lear decides to give away his land, splitting it equally between his three daughters. This can be seen as a very wise thing to do, being able to understand that as one becomes older, their time on this earth draws close to ending. Thus, by giving away his land to his daughters, he is setting up the future for them while he still can. However, King Lear doesn’t only have noble traits, as he is also very prideful. He is unable to look past the fact that one of his daughters, Cordelia, doesn’t shower him in praises and extol his virtues like his other two daughters. He sees this as an affront to him and banishes her. Therefore, he sets into motion the chain of events that bring about his downfall. This depth allows people to actually become invested in the characters. The more people that are invested, the more that people that will discuss...
Words: 1749 - Pages: 7
...King Lear (Free Essay No Copyright) In King Lear, the unnatural elements seem to always dominate the natural elements throughout the play. There exists a reversal of order in the play where the evil prosper in the downfall of the good, and where man's life is meaningless and arbitrary. King Lear, the tragic hero, dies in the end despite the torment and agony he had to endure to regenerate and repent. But it is the worthless destruction of countless other lives because of Lear's own personal tragedy that supports the view of the brutality and the meaningless of man's life in the play. Life in Lear's universe is brutal, and at times, merciless. All this has been brought about by the reign of evil in the play. The natural order of things has been reversed to such an extent that many of society's cherished values have been neglected and confused. Evil characters such as Edmund is praised by Gloucester for exposing the "treachery" of Edgar, while Edgar is denounced for his "villany". Love, based on selflessness and truth, is weighted in materialistic terms. A man's life, then, can only be considered arbitrary and meaningless in the chaotic universe of King Lear. The character of Lear and Gloucester die in a state of joy, but they nevertheless die in the end resulf. Both had immeasurable sufferings for their follies, and yet both had gained wisdom - patience, insight, love - from their experiences. Both were shown to have the capacity for comparison during their ordeals...
Words: 742 - Pages: 3
...The Tragedy of King Lear represents how the upheaval of the Elizabethan Chain of Being, through the hubris of the characters, Lear and Gloucester, leads to the disruption of divine order allowing evil to flourish throughout the kingdom, corrupting it, causing chaos until the characters accept their fate and order is restored. Those who violate the order, such as Edmund, Gonerill, Regan, Cornwell and Oswald, are punished and those who conform to the order, Lear, Gloucester, Kent, Edgar and Albany, suffer but are ultimately rewarded. At the beginning of the text, this view is not obvious, as the social hierarchy of their society indulges the characters. Once this social order is disrupted, chaos and evil flourishes. King Lear “divided in three our kingdom... conferring them on younger strengths” splitting the kingdom amongst his daughters and renouncing the crown is seen as the first major disruption in divine order. As it was believed that the King was the sole ruler, just below the God in the social hierarchy. Gloucester’s act of having an affair while married resulting in a bastard son, Edmond, is also seen as a disruption and a sin. The disruptions to the order make way for the evil to cause mayhem and the good to succumb to their faults. The main characters, King Lear and Gloucester have minor flaws but suffer immensely on stage. This suffering results in reconciliation with God. Their character development symbolises that a person has to accept whatever God has in...
Words: 1176 - Pages: 5
...Act four in Shakespeare’s King Lear begins with a sense of pessimism and ends with a sense of optimism. At the beginning of the Act Gloucester is feeling depressed. He does not want to be with people for fear his misfortune will affect them: Away, get thee away, Good friend, be gone Thy comforts can so me no good at all; Thee they may hurt. (IV. i. 25-26) Gloucester has been treated extremely poor by his illegitimate son, due to his son’s greed of Gloucester’s position. This causes Gloucester immense pain. Hearing him so forlorn evokes a mood of pessimism in the audience. His son Edgar is also terribly miserable: “O gods! Who is’t can say “I am at the worst”? I am worse than e’er I was.” (IV. i. 25-26) Again, this leads the audience to feel that the outcome of the play will be exceptionally horrific. In the next Kent and the Gentleman discuss Cordelia: Those happy smilets that played on her ripe lip seems not to know What guests were in her eyes, which parted thence As pearls from diamonds dropped. (IV. iii. 19-21) The audience is reminded of the beloved Cordelia and all her positive attributes. This adds to the mood of pessimism. The audience longs for Cordelia to be given justice, and to save the Kingdom. She later speaks about her father: O dear father, It is thy business that I go about. Therefore great France My mourning and importuned tears hath pitied. (IV. iv. 25-28) Cordelia returns to her father where she can stand by him. Her angelic presence creates...
Words: 460 - Pages: 2
...The story opens in ancient Britain, where the elderly King Lear is deciding to give up his power and divide his realm amongst his three daughters, Cordelia, Regan, and Goneril. The critical essay that was chosen for this comparative essay was King Lear's Folly in this essay they had referenced other pieces by Shakespeare such as Richard iii and Hamlet, as well as other classics Oedipus Rex and The garden of Eden. In the critical essay the author states that lack of insight is the main theme and reason of everyone’s faults, this goes efficiently with this comparative essay because the themes that are stated can be referenced. This relates to the play because comparing the themes with the characters expresses the true intentions of Shakespeare. The themes that appear in both the essay King...
Words: 1160 - Pages: 5
...KING LEAR Act One The play opens at Lear’s court, where we meet the main characters. The opening scene is in itself shocking, as Lear forces his daughters to declare their love for him. The one who loves him the most will receive the largest part of his kingdom, which he intends to divide between the three. Lear himself wishes to hand over the ruling of the kingdom to his daughters, while retaining the ‘Pre-eminence, and all the large effects / That troop with majesty’ (Scene 1, Lines 131-2). Goneril and Regan acquit themselves well at this love test. Cordelia, however, dismayed by her sisters’ ponderous words, refuses to take part in the ‘contest’ and tells Lear that she loves him as her duty instructs her. When Cordelia refuses to speak again, Lear casts her off without a moment’s hesitation. Ken attempts to argue with the King, accusing him of ‘hideous rashness’ (Scene 1, Line 151). When Kent further warns Lear that his elder daughters are false flatterers, Kent too is banished. Lear invests Albany and Cornwall with power, and, after Burgundy refuses to take Cordelia as his wife, now that she is without dowry, France takes her for her virtues alone. Goneril and Regan complain, in private, about Lear’s harsh judgement and unpredictable behaviour and worry that they too may be treated unfairly. Edmund, Gloucester’s bastard son, soliloquises about his own situation, revealing his devious intentions towards his brother. When his father enters, Edmund’s...
Words: 27223 - Pages: 109
