The Tragedy Of King Lear By William Shakespeare - 1671 Words

In the eyes of many, the world might appear to entail solely happiness and prosperity. Beyond the oblivion is arguably a more practical depiction of real life, filled with cold truths and merciless mistakes. Few figures in history have captured this essence of reality to such a high degree as Aristotle, a revolutionary thinker whose ideas shaped Greek tragedy. Within his theory of tragedy is the concept of the tragic hero, whose great, ironic flaw leads to his own downfall. The tragic hero is of an elevated position in society but should, all the same, be a character with whom the audience can relate. The hero undergoes a massive revelation and experiences dramatic enlightenment. The tragedy of King Lear, written by William Shakespeare, illustrates the story of a proud and self-centered king, whose obtuse judgement shapes his demise. Lear’s impulsive actions catalyze a chain of events, inspiring emotion from the characters and the audience alike. On the surface, King Lear fits the description of Aristotle’s tragic hero. Discrepancies in Lear’s tale, however, contradict the idea of an idyllic relationship between Lear and the philosophies of Aristotle. Lear’s faults correspond to those of the audience, but their extremity proves to be unique. One might think King Lear becomes cognizant of his decisions, but his fall to insanity acts in conflict. The lack of catharsis in King Lear also precipitates the build-up of negative sentiment. Although King Lear is meant to beShow MoreRelatedThe Tragic Tragedy Of William Shakespeare s King Lear1014 Words   |  5 Pagesfaces are just a few of the physical signs of truly reaching an audience following a tragic drama. A purging of emotion that inspires fear and pity is what the ancient Greeks called, catharsis. William Shakespeare was a master of catharsis, as was evident in many of his tragedies. Many of these tragedies ended with the majority of characters, including the main protagonist meeti ng their death. The unfortunate heroes of these dramas helped the audience feel catharsis through what is known as theirRead MoreTheme Of Tragedy In Shakespeares King Lear993 Words   |  4 PagesTragedy is one of the most common topics throughout literature. This theme can be found in many works of literature spanning from Biblical archives to more recent works in Blockbuster movies, and is commonly found in almost all societies today. The theme of tragedy is so universal that it is found in many of Shakespeare’s plays and poems (e.g. Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and plenty of other works). In specific, tragedy is found in one of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays named King Lear. KingRead MoreElements Of Tragedy In King Lear1627 Words   |  7 Pagesyears, William Shakespeare creates a name for himself as a master of intertwining pathos in his plays by effectively evoking pity from readers. The literary device of a double plot efficiently amplifies the emotions within a play. With the aid of the paralleling plots between Gloucester and his two sons and King Lear and his three daughters, Shakespeare effectively uses pathos to introduce elements of tragedy in King Lear. Through the parallels between the betrayal of Gloucester’s son and King Lear’sRead MoreEssay on Importance of Nothing in Shakespeares King Lear592 Words   |  3 PagesImportance of Nothing in William Shakespeares King Lear    The Tragedy of King Lear has many important themes. One major theme concerns nothing. The main focus around the discussion of nothing is that nothing is a many things. Nothing is what binds everything. The first mention of nothing is when King Lear asks his daughters to profess how much they love him. The eldest daughters shower compliments upon him tickling his ears. Yet the Lears favorite daughter Cordelia will onlyRead More Tragedy Through Misreading in William Shakespeares King Lear975 Words   |  4 PagesTragedy Through Misreading in William Shakespeares King Lear Shakespeare’s tragedy, King Lear, portrays many important misconceptions which result in a long sequence of tragic events. The foundation of the story revolves around two characters, King Lear and Gloucester, and concentrates on their common flaw, the inability to read truth in other characters. For example, the king condemns his own daughter after he clearly misreads the truth behind her â€Å"dower,†(1.1.107) or honesty. Later, GloucesterRead MorePlot Development in Shakespeares Plays Essay505 Words   |  3 Pagespoetical work often consists in the harmonious blending of these two elements. The plays King Lear and Much Ado About Nothing are two of Shakespeares plays that display these two elements well. King Lear and Much Ado About Nothing are very different, but also very much alike when it comes to the overall plot summary. King Lear is a story that is full of tragedy, betrayal and sadness. This play begins with King Lear trying to split his land up between his three daughters. In this process he ends ofRead More Essay on Imagery in King Lear782 Words   |  4 PagesImagery in King Lear   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the immense amount of writing that William Shakespeare had done in his career as a playwright and or writer in general there are bound to be some consistencies and reoccurring themes that make his writing so popular and interesting.   In many cases it is hard to tell whether the thematic structure that many writers follow is intentional or not, but it is possible that there is a reasoning for a specific kind of imagery that a writer likes to outline his/herRead MoreThe Death Of A Man Of High Power1241 Words   |  5 Pagesappalled. However, in William Shakespeare’s King Lear ¬, justice is not equitably administered. Defined as a â€Å"story of human actions producing exceptional calamity and ending in the death of a man of high power,† (Bradley), King Lear must be considered one of the most heart-wrenching Shakespearean tragedies ever written. It’s degradation of honourable individuals through a plot line that demonstrates betrayal and the needless deaths of virtuous people proves that this Shakespearean tragedy supports the themeRead MoreKing Lear and the Genre of Tragedy Essay960 Words   |  4 PagesA tragedy 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 divide his kingdom between his three daughters while retaining the title and privileges of being king. However, King Lear’s actions lead to the destructionRead 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 a lways 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 typical