king lear sample essay

King Lear - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

King Lear is one of William Shakespeare’s tragedies, exploring themes of power, loyalty, madness, and the human condition. Essays on “King Lear” might delve into the character analysis, the motifs of sight and blindness, or the socio-political commentary within the narrative. This play also allows for exploration into the Elizabethan worldview, the dynamics of family and power, or its modern adaptations and the varying interpretations through different cultural or historical lenses. A substantial compilation of free essay instances related to King Lear you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Animal Imagery in King Lear

Shakespeare uses all sorts of images to express different points in King Lear. One of those images is animals and I believe they are the most powerful images in the whole play. Shakespeare’s imagination is that of wild and menacing creatures with very cruel instincts. One of these creatures just so happens to be a dragon. Dragons are very possessive and always full of fire. No greater example of this would be in Act 1, Scene 1 where Lear compares […]

The Concept of Nothing in King Lear

In one of William Shakespeare’s famous tragedies, King Lear, the author depicts the story of an aging king’s descent into madness after attempting to divide his kingdom among his three daughters. Two of the daughters, Goneril and Regan, rob him of his power and sanity after giving away his kingdom to them, while the other sister, Cordelia, suffers. Eventually, tragic consequences overtake them all. The word “nothing” reoccurs constantly throughout the play in the mouths of multiple characters. The author […]

Shakespeare Uses Nature, both Literally and Figuratively

Shakespeare uses nature, both literally and figuratively throughout King Lear to portray characters, human nature, and human society, as well as to represent the emotional and physical status of characters. Nature, in its literal sense, is used in Act 3 to represent and mirror the emotions and mental status of King Lear. Shakespeare uses the raging storm as a reflection of Lear’s mental conflict against his gradual loss of sanity. The manic Lear stands out in the storm and bellows, […]

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The Nature of King Lear

The tragedy King Lear by William Shakespeare begins by King Lear dividing his kingdom amongst his daughters: Regan, Cordelia, and Goneril. The three of them were asked which one of them loves him the most. Goneril and Regan told King Lear what he wanted to hear, and they were given land. Cordelia, on the other hand, was completely honest and in the end was banished from Lear’s kingdom. By the end of the play, only a handful of characters are […]

King Lear, by William Shakespeare, is a Tragic Play

"King Lear, by William Shakespeare, is a tragic play about a king and his three daughters. King Lear has three daughters: Goneril, the eldest, Regan, the middle child, and Cordelia, the youngest and most beloved by Lear. Both Goneril and Regan are married to men of power respectively: Duke of Albany and Duke of Cornwall. Cordelia, on the other hand, is unmarried and is assumed, like all unmarried women of the time period, to be pure. Continuing, when King Lear […]

Patriarchy and the Shakespearean Woman

William Shakespeare writes during a time when patriarchy was prevalent. Shakespeare includes these personas and attitudes within his plays to illustrate how these ideals played out. He works also to create female characters that hold their male counterparts accountable. In this paper, there will be a review of patriarchal patterns within A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Henry IV, Macbeth, and King Lear but additionally how the female characters counteract the hegemonic masculinity. Because patriarchal patterns were prevalent in the time […]

Shakespeare’s Madness Within Hamlet and King Lear

How do you know if a person has gone mad? How do you know if a person is telling the truth? What about intention? Nowadays, we have psychologists, therapists and all kinds of doctors that help to diagnose mental illness. We are now aware of the different types of “craziness” that a person can be. What about hundreds of years ago? Just like today, some people were truly madmen, but of course, anyone has the ability to pretend to be […]

Seeing Love: a Reflection on King Lear

A tragedy is normally defined as a play that follows the series of events that lead to the downfall of a hero. King Lear is no exception to this rule. It shows the destruction and downfall of King Lear and the people who presided under him. Lear is an old man who seeks to retire and live out the rest of his life jumping between his three daughters. He plans to divide his kingdom between all three while keeping the […]

The Tempest Summary and Analysis

"The Tempest works out as a traditional comedy because Miranda and Ferdinand are kept from coming together as lovers until Prospero believes it is the right time. It seems that he had come up with his plan long ago because he is strangely aware of certain things that will happen, such as Miranda and Ferdinand falling for each other[1]. He thinks it is too soon for them to be together because they fell in love as soon as they saw […]

Struggles and Decisions of King Lear

"In Shakespeare’s play, King Lear, the story takes place in Britain, where the elderly King Lear struggles to decide which of his daughters will inherit his land and kingdom - Cordelia, Regan or Goneril. In Act I, Kent, the King’s right-hand man, advises him in saying, “See better, Lear.” Throughout the play, Shakespeare emphasizes the theme of blindness. Although the characters aren’t physically blind, they lack a moral vision due to their wealth and power, causing them to make rash […]

The Role of Women in King Lear

King Lear is a well renowned play about the patriarchal atrophy of a kingdom ruled by an impulsive king who decides to divide his power amongst his three daughters. As a sign of the times, the women in the play are held to a particular standard while the men are held to a laxer set of expectations. After viewing the play, I argue that the female characters are oppressed to fit into a mold that was seen as acceptable of […]

Sympathetic Character in Stories and Plays

"In many stories and plays, when a character is portrayed as “sympathetic” one means that the audience shares the fortunes and misfortunes of that character. One can choose if the character is worthy or unworthy of sympathy. A story identifies a character as worthy or unworthy of sympathy by defining the characters role in the story or play. The character can be a hero with their struggles and the hope for his success. Another being the rival or enemy of […]

King Lear: Critique between Power, Trespass and Forgiveness

Shakespeare’s story, King Lear, begins with the King handing over his kingdom and the responsibilities that comes with his title to his daughters. However, before he spreads his wealth to them, they must proclaim just how much they love and adore him as a father. The youngest daughter, Cordelia, does not follow her sisters in this game with King Lear and tells him the truth that she acts and feels as a daughter should. She illustrates this by saying, “Unhappy […]

Navigating the Complexities of Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’

"King Lear, by William Shakespeare is a confusing and convoluted tragedy about a king with three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia, who doesn’t like the truth when he here’s it. Because it Is written in 17 century English, (it felt like I was trying to read Gaelic for the first time) it is extremely difficult to read. After trudging through the book my strongest feeling regarding the entire book is that someone should seriously consider a modern English format for […]

Reading Response: King Lear Act 4

In act four of King Lear the readers see the aftermath of the blinding of Gloucester. Edgar, who at this point is walking around naked, stumbles upon his blinded father. Gloucester has lost all hope in himself and the gods, “As flies to wanton boys are we to th’ gods; / They kill us for their sport” (4.1.40-41). Shakespeare seems here to be reinstating his theme of darkness and desperate with this loyal follower of King Lear losing all hope […]

King Lear is a Tragedy Written by William Shakespeare

"The play follows the final years of King Lear’s life in which he decides the heirs to his kingdom and reaps the consequences of his foolish choice. The play is very dramatic as many characters become either metaphorically or physically blind. King Lear blindly and foolishly gives his kingdom to his two evil daughters ultimately leading to his downfall. As the play begins King Lear is weak in his old age and believes the time has come to decide which […]

The Theme of Familial and Social Identity

One of the biggest ideas in the soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 2 is the theme of familial and social identity. This theme is seen through Edmund’s emotions and opinions towards the social laws put forth by man in regards to parent-child legitimacy. Edmund criticizes the core logic behind these social laws which spite him, “Why “bastard”? Wherefore “base,” When my dimensions are as well compact, My mind as generous and my shape as true as honest madam’s issue? Why […]

King Lear is Speaking to Kent about the Storm

"King Lear is speaking to Kent about the storm that does not disturb him because even though the storm is horrible, In association on the pain forced against him by his daughter. The storm description elaborates Lear’s misery by portraying how the internal agony surpasses the temporary distress in Lear’s subconscious as he recognizes how his pride led to his complete denial and desperate situation. Lear then presents an analogy, by illustrating a situation if a bear were to strike […]

King Lear Vs. Job: what about Fate?

Throughout life we gain an idea of fate. Whether it be god, god’s or the universe, we have an instinct telling us that something bigger than ourselves is controlling our lives. Shakespeare takes some relating and contrasting idea from the biblical book of Job and writes “King Lear” to create his own idea of how our lives are guided. He questions how we can oppose fate, and if we even can. Through comparing King Lear and Job, it is seen […]

Shakespeare’s “King Lear”

People have many different reactions to being tested. Some people get furious and is toxic to everyone including themselves. Sadly in this day in age, that is all way too common. Along those lines, people would often give up because its “too hard” or a “waste of my time”. When tested we should be patient and reliant on God. We need to be calm and have an open mind. In Shakespeare’s King Lear and the biblical Book of Job, they […]

William Shakespeare’s Lessons in King Lear

“There's nothing like suffering to remind us how not in control we actually are, how little power we ultimately have, and how much we ultimately need God.”- Tullian Tchividjian. How can a person settle with suffering? This question is raised in the biblical book of Job, and in Shakespeare's King Lear. Job and King Lear both experience suffering. Job and Lear loose everything that is valuable to them. However how each men handle his suffering and pain distinguishes him. Some […]

Insanity Within the Plays of William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare in his many plays and other pieces of literature created some of the most well thought out characters of all time. The characters often had reasons for what they did or what they thought, shedding new light on what it meant to actually be “insane”. The characters’ motives were often shown during his stories, Because of that, Shakespeare, through his use of literature and understanding of the human mind, shaped western culture’s perception of insanity from negative feelings […]

The Famous Play ‘King Lear’ by Shakespeare

We are going to analyse the famous play ‘King Lear’ by Shakespeare. This tragedy was written by the English author in 1605 but it was played the next year and the play address an act of betrayal of the daughters of the King Lear. The blind trust of a father that provides them all that he has but even so his own daughters prefer possessing all the power. The play starts with the decline of the energy of King Lear, […]

Edgar in King Lear

“The Worst of King Lear.” Critical Insights King Lear, Salem Press, 2012, pp. 297-311. Goldman discuss about the worst things happened in the play for different people; Edgar is usually not presented on stage the way it should be is because it will be difficult for the Lear actor to make contrast with him and stress the suffering. In King Lear, audience are made to accompany the characters and feel the misery they bear. However, the misery and punishing aspect […]

Blindness and Sight as a Contributor to the Tragic Life’s of Parallel Characters

The theme of blindness and sight in Shakespeare’s King Lear is not a commentary on the physical inability to see, but a literary device utilized by Shakespeare to illustrate how the presence of the mental flaw of lacking insight leads to tragic consequences brought on by poor judgment. The main factor that leads to the tragedy in the play is emotional blindness characterized as a lack of perception or insight. The two main characters King Lear and the Earl of […]

Observation 9 Tempest

When one looks at both plays The Tempest and King Lear, one can see that they contain much more differences than similarities. The Tempest is based more on the lightheartedness of odd characters in an island that is very much secluded from many things. They encounter many conflicts throughout the play yet they all live happily ever. While, King Lear contains more of a heart wrenching tragedy story that goes into the family betrayal and injustice. Although both stories are […]

Slings and Arrows Canadian Television Series

Slings and Arrows (2003-2006), directed by Peter Wellington, is a Canadian television series that features the backstage drama, onstage embarrassments, and personal turmoil’s encompassing the staff and actors within the fictional New Burbage Theatre Festival. Most known for its conceit in using plotlines that parallel that of the Shakespeare plays being performed, the third season follows the Burbage Theatre production of King Lear. It should be noted that the characters within Slings and Arrows that this paper will focus on […]

Tensions and Conflicts have had Adverse Ramifications – the Rising Action

Introduction This scene denotes the point of no recovery wherein tensions and conflicts have had adverse ramifications - the rising action. Through their newfound power, the sisters have driven their father to insanity; this is coupled with the ominous presence of Edmund who has sought to betray his brother and father to become the sole heir of Gloucester’s fortune. The insane parody of a trial in the previous scene ought to be a model of rationality compared to the horrific […]

Shakespeare’s Villains

"In two of William Shakespeare’s plays: Hamlet and King Lear, the two characters who are considered villainous with great political ambitions are Claudius, King of Denmark and Edmund, the bastard son of Earl of Gloucester. These two men are resentful, manipulative, and want to ensure they obtain power; nevertheless, Shakespeare provides the audience with an understanding yet unsympathetic perception of their plot to pursue the title and land. Even though these characters are a part of two different tragedies, Shakespeare […]

A Character in a Story

A character in a story can be seen in a different light depending on the portrayal by the author. The author could portray characters a sympathetic or unsympathetic. Shakespeare and Chinua Achebe are two authors who created characters who are to be sympathized with and those that were not worthy of sympathy [Unclear what you are saying]. In Shakespeare’s play king Lear, Lear is considered a sympathetic character. Edmond on the other hand is not. Shakespeare is able to show […]

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How To Write An Essay On King Lear

Introduction to shakespeare's king lear.

Writing an essay on Shakespeare’s "King Lear" involves delving into one of the most profound tragedies ever written. In your introduction, establish "King Lear" as a work that explores complex themes such as power, betrayal, madness, and the human condition. Offer a brief summary of the plot, where an aging king divides his kingdom among his daughters based on their flattery, leading to a series of tragic events. Outline the focus of your essay, whether it be a character analysis, thematic exploration, or a study of the play’s dramatic structure. Setting the stage with a clear introduction is key to guiding the reader through your interpretation of this Shakespearean tragedy.

Analyzing Key Characters and Relationships

The body of your essay should include an in-depth analysis of the key characters and their relationships in "King Lear." If focusing on Lear himself, discuss his journey from pride and arrogance to madness and despair. Explore the dynamics between Lear and his daughters, Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia, and how their interactions propel the plot. Consider also the subplot involving Gloucester and his sons, Edgar and Edmund, drawing parallels or contrasts with the main storyline. Discuss how Shakespeare develops these characters, their motivations, and the consequences of their actions, contributing to the play's overarching themes.

Exploring Themes and Symbolism

"King Lear" is rich in themes and symbolism which deserve close examination. Discuss major themes such as the nature of evil, the vulnerability of the powerful, and the search for justice and redemption. Delve into the symbolism used by Shakespeare, such as the storm that rages as Lear’s madness peaks, representing the tumultuous chaos of his mind and kingdom. Analyze how these themes and symbols resonate with the audience, reflecting universal human experiences and emotions. This section should offer a thoughtful exploration of the play’s deeper meanings and its relevance both in Shakespeare’s time and today.

Concluding with the Impact and Legacy of King Lear

Conclude your essay by reflecting on the impact and legacy of "King Lear." Discuss its significance in the canon of Shakespeare’s works and its enduring relevance in modern times. Consider the play’s influence on literature, theater, and broader cultural discussions about power, family dynamics, and morality. Summarize how your analysis of "King Lear" contributes to a greater understanding of the play and its importance. A strong conclusion will tie together your insights and leave the reader with a deeper appreciation for one of Shakespeare’s most powerful tragedies.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — King Lear — King Lear: Construction and Deconstruction of Humanity

King Lear: Construction and Deconstruction of Humanity

• Categories: King Lear

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Words: 2302 |

12 min read

Published: Jun 29, 2018

Words: 2302 | Pages: 5 | 12 min read

'I know you do not love me' shows him in some danger of repeating his old mistake about Cordelia; but at least he is re-establishing some sense of his identity, not through counting up the number of knights he is allowed, or gestures of respect (he rejects those) but simply through an awareness that he has a relationship with Cordelia (Leggatt 87).

My wits begin to turn. (To fool) Come on, my boy. How dost, my boy? Art cold? I am cold myself. ?Where is this straw, my fellow? The art of our necessitates is strange, And can make vile things precious. Come, your hovel.? Poor fool and knave, I have one part in my heart That's sorry yet for thee. (III.ii. 67-73)

Rumble they bellyful! Spit, fire! Spout, rain! Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire, and are my daughters: I tax you not, you elements, with unkindness; I never gave you kingdom, call'd you children, You owe me no subscription; then let fall Your horrible pleasure; here I stand, your slave, A poor, infirm, weak, and despis'd old man. (III.ii 14-20)

Come, let's away with prison. We two alone will sing life birds I'th' cage. When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down And ask of three forgiveness; so we'll live, And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh At gilded butterflies, and hear poor rogues Talk of court news, and we'll talk with them too? Who loses and who wins, who's in, who's out, And take upon's the mystery of things As if we were God's spies; and we'll wear out In a walled prison packs and sects of great ones That ebb and flow by th'moon. (V.iii. 8-19)

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by William Shakespeare

Suggested Essay Topics

Act I, Scene 1 1. In the play, King Lear requests his daughters’ public profession of love to him. Cordelia is often criticized for being too proud to give her father the response he wants to hear. Analyze the incident where Cordelia responds with “Nothing, my Lord.” Discuss her obedience to her father as it relates to the philosophy of the hierarchy of all beings. Support your answer with examples from the play.

2. Goneril and Regan both please King Lear with flowery speeches of love and devotion to him. Compare and contrast their attitudes before the division of the kingdom with their attitudes at the end of Scene 1. Are they completely evil? Do they show some signs of rational thought regarding the King’s future? Cite examples from the play to support your answer.

Act I, Scene 2 1. In his soliloquy, Edmund addresses issues of equality and free will. Analyze these issues in the light of our modern-day society. Do you agree with Edmund? Do you disagree? Did Edmund present a law of nature with harmony and order? Use examples from the play to support your answer.

2. Act I, Scene 2 starts the action of the subplot of King Lear . Explain the subplot and tell how it parallels the main plot of the play. Describe the characters in the subplot and tell who they are analogous to in the main plot, giving examples from the play to support your answer.

Act I, Scene 3 1. Act I, Scene 3 is a short scene, but it is essential to the understanding of the play. Explain what purpose it serves. Why are Goneril’s speeches important? In what way does the scene help to clarify the deterioration of relationships? Explain your answer.

2. The theme of old age is at the heart of Goneril’s attitude toward her father. Discuss Goneril’s attitude toward old people in general. How does she view their worth? Cite examples from the play to support your answer.

Act I, Scene 4 1. Lear’s Fool is often seen as a wise character in the play. Discuss the way in which he acts as a commentary on Lear’s folly. Explain why Lear tolerates his truths. Why were Kent and Cordelia banished for telling the truth? Cite examples from the play to support your view.

2. The Duke of Albany has a “milky gentleness” that annoys his wife Goneril. Explain their marriage relationship in light of the hierarchy of nature prevalent in Shakespeare’s time. How does this hierarchy apply to Goneril’s attitude toward her husband and father. Give examples from the play to support your answer.

Act I, Scene 5 1. Lear has lived in a world of deception and illusion thus far in the play. Discuss Lear’s illusory world in relation to his three daughters. Compare these illusions to the new insights he is gaining at the end of Act I. How does he feel about his daughter Cordelia at this point in the play? Cite examples from the play to support your answer.

2. Lear has made a decision to leave his daughter Goneril’s palace and live with Regan instead. How do you think he feels as he contemplates this move? Does he feel sure Regan will welcome him? Discuss his guilt abut Cordelia. Explain your answer.

Act II, Scene 1 1. The subplot often functions to give depth and a clearer perception of the characters and the action in the play. Compare this scene to the first scene of the play. In what way do Lear and his daughters compare to Gloucester and his sons? Discuss the analogy between Edgar and Cordelia. Cite examples from the play to support your argument.

2. Edmund’s speeches in this scene are filled with irony. Discuss the irony in his account of his alleged conversation with Edgar. Why are these lines in opposition to Edgar’s beliefs? Use examples from the play to support your answer.

Act II, Scenes 2 and 3 1. Kent has been portrayed as an honest character thus far in the play. Discuss his honesty in the light of his banishment and his time in the stocks. Compare the honest characters to the deceitful characters in the play. Is Kent’s blunt honesty necessary? Cite examples from the play to support your answer.

2. Kent and Edgar both assume disguises in the play. Compare and contrast their reasons for the disguise. Discuss the differences in their physical disguises. How are their disguises alike? Is Edgar in greater danger than Kent? Explain your answer.

Act II, Scene 4 1. The Fool’s purpose in the play is to comment on the action. Discuss the poem that begins “Fathers that wear rags.” Explain the metaphors in this poem. How do they apply to Lear and his daughters? Cite examples from the play to support your answer.

2. Lear’s daughters have usurped his power by depriving him of his entire train of followers by the end of the scene. Compare and contrast the characters of Goneril and Regan in this scene. How are they alike? How are they different? Why does the King call them “unnatural hags? Give examples from the play to support your answer.

Act III, Scene 1 1. The Fool has been censuring his master for his lack of judgment as a king but stays with him and helps alleviate his suffering in the storm on the heath. Write an essay discussing the Fool’s loyalty to the King in the storm. Why is he critical of the King? Why does he stay with him when others desert him? Cite examples from the play to prove your point.

2. Cordelia seems to be associated with Kent thus far in the play. Both have been banished, but she has stayed in touch with Kent. Compare and contrast the characters of Cordelia and Kent. How do they personify the good or evil inherent in the play? Explain your answer using examples from the play.

Act III, Scene 2 1. In Shakespeare’s day, there were relatively few stage props in the theater. Discuss the way in which Shakespeare sets the scene through the character of King Lear. Discuss Lear’s use of metaphorical language to depict the storm. Relate the outer storm to Lear’s inner turmoil in this scene. Give examples to support your answer.

2. The storm on the heath is viewed by Lear as a punishment to the people for their wrongdoings. Write an essay analyzing the idea that storms were a punishment by God. Discuss the storm in relation to the loss of King Lear’s power and the resulting chaos after he divided his kingdom between his two daughters. Cite illustrations from the play to support your view.

Act III, Scene 3 1. Edmund is seen as a depraved character throughout the play. Write an essay comparing his behavior in this scene to his first speech in Act I, Scene 2. What were his aspirations in this soliloquy? Is he beginning to fulfill his desires in life by Act III, Scene 3? Cite examples from the play to support your view.

2. Gloucester’s actions are commendable in this scene. Discuss Gloucester’s courage in defying Cornwall and Regan. Why is he courageous? What are his motives? Is he a loyal subject of the King? Explain your answer.

Act III, Scene 4 1. Lear’s prayer is a turning point from self-pity to compassion for the “houseless heads” and “unfed sides” who are left to fend for themselves in the storm. Write an essay comparing and contrasting Lear’s prayer with his speeches in the rest of the scene. Does he show compassion to others in this scene? If so, in what way? Cite examples from the play to support your view.

2. Lear sees Edgar, disguised as Tom o’ Bedlam, representing “the thing itself; unaccommodated man.” Write an essay explaining the meaning of these words in relation to the rest of the scene. Why does Lear wish to become like Edgar? Why does he tear off his clothes? Give examples from the play to defend your answer.

Act III, Scene 5 1. Edmund is the epitome of deception, manipulating Cornwall for his own advantage. Write an essay demonstrating the irony of his relationship with Cornwall in this scene. How does Edmund deceive the Duke? Why is this deception ironic? What does Cornwall gain from his contact with Edmund? Cite examples from the drama to support your point.

2. Cornwall plans to avenge Gloucester for supplying secret information to the King of France. Discuss Gloucester’s threat to Cornwall. Why has Cornwall forbade him to see King Lear? How would Gloucester’s loyalty to Lear affect the new divided kingdom? Explain your answer.

Act III, Scene 6 1. The Fool is considered to be Lear’s conscience in the play. Write an essay explaining this concept. In what ways does he represent Lear’s conscience? How does he use paradox to bring out truth in the play? What forms do his wisdom usually take? Why are the Fool’s methods an effective way of exposing the truth? Use examples from the play to explain your answer.

2. Lear’s mock trial reveals the incongruity of his actions as a king. Write an essay explaining the way in which the mock trial is incongruous behavior for a king. How do the supposed legal titles of Edgar and the Fool add to that incongruity? Cite examples from the play to support your argument.

Act III, Scene 7 1. In this scene, we see one of the most shocking expressions of cruelty in all of Shakespeare’s plays. Write an essay discussing the purpose it serves. Do you think Shakespeare resorts to sensationalism for the entertainment of the audience? Relate Shakespeare’s purpose to the symbolism of sight in this scene. Use examples from the play to support your argument.

2. This scene portrays the evil characters as they meet at Gloucester’s castle. Compare and contrast the “evil” characters with the “good” characters in this scene. What virtues do the good characters possess? What vices do the evil characters portray? Are they entirely evil? Cite examples from the play to explain your answer.

Act IV, Scene 1 1. In Edgar’s soliloquy, he feels that his fortune can only get better because he has seen the worst. Write an essay explaining the concept that things cannot get any worse because they are now at their worst. Why is this idea relative? How does it apply to Edgar? How does it apply to people in general? Cite examples from the play to support your answer.

2. Gloucester states, “I stumbled when I saw.” Explicate this passage in the light of Gloucester’s renewed insight. Why did his blindness contribute to his moral regeneration? How has his suffering changed him? In what ways has he changed? Draw your examples from the play to support your idea.

Act IV, Scene 2 1. Albany invokes the heavens to vindicate the good and punish the evil. Write an essay discussing the possible results of Albany’s prediction that “Humanity must perforce prey on itself.” Explicate the passage, relating it to the views prevalent in Shakespeare’s day. What was their view of an orderly society? What did Shakespeare’s audience believe was the cause of chaos in society? Cite examples from the play to support your argument.

2. In this scene, Albany is not portrayed as the “milk-liver’d man” Goneril perceives him to be. Contrast his character in previous scenes to the changed Albany in this scene. How does his change lend hope for the future of the other characters in the play as a whole. Use examples from the play to support your answer.

Act IV, Scene 3 1. Cordelia is portrayed as a vision of queenly goodness. Write an essay characterizing her in relation to her sister Goneril. Compare the sisters’ attitudes toward their father. Why do you think Cordelia has forgiven her father for banishing her? Use examples from the play to support your opinion.

2. King Lear refuses to communicate with Cordelia in this scene. Write an essay explaining the reasons for his attitude. Is the King still angry at Cordelia for refusing to please him with flattering words of love in the first scene of the play? Has he had a change of heart? Explain your answer.

Act IV, Scene 4 1. Cordelia does not invoke the gods nor call on the stars to relieve the King’s distress. Write an essay contrasting her view to that of Kent and Gloucester in previous scenes. Does she feel the stars “govern our conditions?” Who does she call on for help in curing her father? Cite examples from the play to support your view.

2. Cordelia justifies France’s invasion of Britain as an act of love toward her father. Write an essay explaining her attempt to justify the invasion. Is it right for her to invade her homeland? How would Shakespeare’s audience have felt about it? Use examples from the play to support your answer.

Act IV, Scene 5 1. Regan and Goneril have become involved in a bitter rivalry for Edmund’s love. Write an essay explaining the way in which this rivalry is indicative of the evil characters preying on each other. What do you think this rivalry will eventually do to them? Cite examples from the play to support your view.

2. Oswald remains stoic in his encounter with Regan in this scene. Write an essay comparing Oswald in this scene to Oswald in Act II, Scene 2 where he claims to be a stranger to Kent. In what way does his attitude stay the same in both scenes? Why do you think he is considered an evil character in the play? To support your argument, use examples from the play.

Act IV, Scene 6 1. Through Lear, Shakespeare espouses the theme of appearance versus reality. Analyze Lear’s words, “Robes and furr’d gowns hide all” and explain how this entire passage supports the theme. How does the “great image of authority” apply to this theme? Support your opinion with examples from the play.

2. Lear says that we are born into “this great stage of fools.” Write an essay explaining the symbolism of these words. What does the cry of the newborn baby represent in this passage? How does it explain Lear’s rebirth? Use examples from the play to support your view.

Act IV, Scene 7 1. Through suffering, King Lear has gained knowledge and insights he did not have before. Write an essay in which you discuss those insights in relation to Cordelia, his daughter. What do Lear’s feelings have to do with his new perception of reality? What has happened to his illusory world regarding his role as the king? Cite examples from the play to support your answer.

2. Lear sees himself bound to the “wheel of fire” as he views Cordelia as a “soul in bliss.” Write an essay explaining the validity of this incongruous image. How does the image symbolize Lear’s condition in life? What is meant by Cordelia’s bliss? Give examples from the play to support your opinion.

Act V, Scenes 1 and 2 1. Edgar states that he has sworn his love to both Goneril and Regan. Write an essay explaining Edmund’s motive for his actions concerning the two sisters. Why does Edmund decide to choose Goneril in spite of the fact that Regan is a widow and free to marry? What does Edmund hope to gain from his relationship with Goneril? Give examples from the play to support your view.

2. Albany faces a serious dilemma in Act V, Scene 1. Write an essay explaining Albany’s resolution to his conflict. How does he justify fighting against the King with whom he has no quarrel? What will he do with the King and Cordelia if Britain wins the battle? Cite examples from the play to support your opinion.

Act V, Scene 3 1. Lear has gained new insights and knowledge through suffering. Write an essay discussing the experiences that have led to Lear’s realization that vain deception leads to one’s downfall. In what way had he deceived himself? What has been stripped away from Lear by the end of the play? Cite examples from the play to support your argument.

2. Kent is shocked at the death of Cordelia, thinking it might prove to be the “promis’d end.” Write an essay explicating this statement. How does it explain the beliefs of the Elizabethans and the way they saw the world? Relate this passage to their attitudes concerning the hierarchy of all beings. Give examples from the play to support your view.

Cite this page as follows:

"King Lear - Suggested Essay Topics." MAXnotes to King Lear, edited by Dr. M. Fogiel, Research and Education Association, Inc., 2000, 24 Sep. 2024 <https://www.enotes.com/topics/king-lear/teaching-guide/suggested-essay-topics>

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Category Archives: King Lear

• Lear’s journey

Lear’s journey?

Sample question: “ In the play, King Lear moves from a position of centrality to one of loneliness and isolation ” – Discuss.

Here are somes notes and ideas – you’ll note this is NOT A COHERENT ESSAY – it’s just some ideas that would need to be formulated into coherent paragraphs before it would constitute anything even vaguely resembling a coherent essay.

Sample intro:

The play King Lear centres around its protagonist’s movement from a king used to total dominance, to a frail man. Lear does indeed move from a position of centrality to one of loneliness and isolation yet ultimately he moves beyond his isolation back to a position of some power.

Some ideas:

Lear asserts his control through threatening language at the beginning “mend your speech a little, lest you may mar your fortunes”. When he faces opposition, he will not tolerate it, and flies into a rage.

Despite his actions, Cordelia and Kent remain loyal to him.

Once his other daughters begin to mistreat him, his state of mind illustrates how lonely he feels “does any here know me? This is not Lear” He is but a shadow of his former self.

The stocks act as a symbol of his powerlessness. He has nothing and is nothing without his kingship. Beginning to realise this when he sees how his messenger is treated. He goes out into the storm proclaiming “fool I shall go mad”. The storm symbolises the tempest in his mind. “a poor infirm weak and despised old man”.

Lear’s isolation may be a result of not coming to terms with what he had done “I am a man more sinned against than sinning”. Loses his sanity & in the mock trial, begins to imagine that even his own dogs are barking at him.

Reconciliation scene with Cordelia marks the end of his isolation. Lear recognises his own faults “I am a very foolish fond old man”. By the end, he just wants to be a father and spend time with his daughter.

LEAR’S JOURNEY:

He starts off at the top of the wheel of fortune.

He is King. He is surrounded by seemingly loyal servants and seemingly loving daughters. Sitting on a throne, he is King and ultimate ruler.

He gives it away, and so begins his slow yet interminable descent. Losing status all the way down – he gives away his land, he gives away his power, he loses his daughters one by one, he loses his retinue, his knights are taken away from him until the point of “what need one?”, he begins to lose his sanity,

Realisation that he is no better than the poor naked wretch that Tom is.

As he moves towards madness, he achieves valuable insights – he sees the corruption, the falsity and the flattery that he couldn’t see when he was in power “a dog’s obeyed in office”. He sees the huge inequalities in society and develops an empathy and understanding for others. When he strips himself of clothes he leaves behind his pride and former life. He is now at the level of the poorest of his subjects.

Almost at rock bottom. Descent into madness – mock trial.

Himself, a fool, a madman, and one loyal friend in disguise.

What does Lear lose?

LAND POWER DAUGHTERS RETINUE/KNIGHTS SHELTER SANITY

Is Lear completely responsible for what happens to him? Or can we blame other factors too?

Is the character of Lear more sinned against than sinning? Look at it from both sides of the fence, but take a firm stance.

1. Irresponsibility – divinely appointed King resigning his position because he’s tired of the responsibility that comes with it. Also, the idea of splitting up his Kingdom without due thought or consideration of the implications of this decision? Needs a strong unified leadership. Fair game for an invading force or infighting.

2. Vanity and love of flattery – love test. Easily deceived when he’s told what he wants to hear. Cannot see the wisdom & truth of Cordelia’s statement because he is so accustomed to fawning yes men.

3. Anger – he reacts impetuously, rashly. He is vengeful and has no understanding of the potential repercussions of his actions. Curses Cordelia and Kent and banishes them.

4. Blindness – blind to the fact that all of his powers have now been reduced to nothing. Has unwittingly created a new position for himself but cannot see it.

Points we can make in his defence? =

1. Was once a good king – he is also old. Upward of four-score years. Reasonable to presume that if he wasn’t deposed or murdered during this long reign he must have once been a good king who was well liked by his subjects. Cordelia and Kent remain loyal – they can obviously see something in him worth defending. Same is true of Gloucester, and eventually Albany.

2. His daughters exploit and torment him – his daughters are deliberately trying to force him to admit that he is now subject to their rules and authority. The fool doesn’t soften the blow for Lear either, instead bluntly forcing Lear to acknowledge his own foolishness and powerlessness.

3. Learns from his mistakes (too late) – the more he learns of his mistakes, the more cruelly he is treated. Does he deserve the extent of the punishment meted out to him?

4. The storm scene/enlightenment – storm can be seen as a response by nature to the wrongs that he is suffering. Deepest sympathies lie with the aged King at this point. Begins to see clearly… “expose thyself to feel what wretches feel”

5. Loss of Cordelia – he has come full circle, and has overcome his anger, vanity, blindness and pride only to lose the one person who has remained loyal and true to the very end. His heart is broken. He has nothing left to live for.

6. Transformation @ end – he has now become a King and a man whom we can admire. Frail man who is more sinned against than sinning.

Greatest mistake = desire to rest his weary bones as he is old AND errors of judgement that come from being in a position of authority for too long. Mistakes he makes in going about his retirement were deeply flawed, but his punishments are certainly disproportionate to the crimes he committed.

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Posted in King Lear

• Some themes in Lear…

“ Shakespeare’s vision of the world is essentially pessimistic ”

Is this true? Ultimately does the play exhibit a lack of confidence in hopeful outcomes? Does evil prevail over good? And what position does the play adopt with regard to cosmic justice?

God/Gods/Divine & Cosmic Justice

We often hear characters hopefully appealing for God’s/the Gods’ protection & support but this is juxtaposed with the defeat of these hopes & bleakly negative outcomes. For example, in the final scene, Albany cries out “ the Gods defend her ” – then Lear comes in with the dead Cordelia in his arms i.e. the Gods fail to answer their pleas/prayers. So this is an essentially pessimistic outlook alright.

Gloucester has no such faith in divine intervention to protect the virtuous, instead evoking cruel Gods who delight in human suffering and reward people who are corrupt. He bleakly observes: “ As flies to wanton boys are we to the Gods, they kill us for their sport ”. He feels there is no divine justice, but at this point it is no wonder that he gives way to despair – he’s had his eyes plucked out and is suffering the loss of his beloved child Edgar. Interestingly, by the end of the play, he has changed his view and prays to the ever gentle Gods… so the person who had the least faith at the beginning of the play has the most at the end. Confusing.com

Other characters, such as Edgar, believe that the Gods reward good and punish evil: “ the Gods are just, and of our pleasant vices make instruments to plague us ”  “t hink that the clearest Gods … have preserved thee ”

Suffering in the play:

Another way to think about the level of pessimism Shakespeare’s play exhibits is to consider the extent and extremity of the suffering and pain the characters endure (lots of pain; lots of suffering!) and to ask whether or not this suffering is completely out of proportion to their flaws and failings (abso-bloody-loutely-yes!). Life is so awful for Lear that Kent sees death as a blessed release for him: “He hates him, that would upon the rack of this tough world stretch him out longer”

However, it’s important to remember that whilst their suffering is extreme, Shakespeare frequently and repeatedly points to the redemptive effects that stem from these experiences of suffering – compassion, pity and consideration for others. Through their suffering, Lear and Gloucester become better men!

So while his vision of the world is frequently pessimistic, it is not exclusively or unrelentlingly so.

What about the question of whether or not good conquers evil?

Good v’s Evil

Does the decency and selflessness of characters such as Cordelia and Cornwall’s servant (who tries to prevent them from plucking out G’s eyes) outweigh the horrific inhumanity of characters such as Edmund and Goneril?

Can we argue that all efforts to be GOOD ultimately fail? eg Edmund tries to save Cordelia but fails eg Lear decides to help the poor but it is too late, he is no longer powerful

Clearly, we can. And it has to be said that the concluding scene is hideously grim as Kent declares “All’s cheerless, dark and deadly”

Nonetheless, evil is defeated – it is shown to be self-destructive (Edmund, Goneril, Regan) and Edgar and Albany remain to restore social and moral order in the future.

So what can we conclude about Shakespeare’s vision? Well, ultimately this is a tragedy. The final lesson Lear learns is ultimate grief. He reaches a nadir of absolute nothingness, complete and total despair. Nothing can dislodge the haunting image of a distraught father holding the lifeless body of his daughter from our minds.

Theme of blindness : Lear is emotionally blind: he cannot see Cordelia’s true love for him & banishes her. Through his madness he gets perfect vision, realises Goneril and Regan’s wickedness and Cordelia’s loyalty but it is too late. Lear’s blindness ends up costing Cordelia her life and consequently Lear’s own.

Gloucester exhibits a less wilful blindness: after all, he was tricked. He was too willing to believe Edmund without even speaking to Edgar – he behaved rashly and jumped to conclusions. As Gloucester’s eyes are plucked out, he learns to see. It is not until he loses his physical sight that he realises how blind he has been to the truth. Although blind, by the end of the play he has achieved a clearer vision of the world.

Ultimately “Eyes aren’t the source of sight in the play, it is knowledge that leads to sight and further insight in the play” (I’m not sure where this quote comes from and google ain’t telling me – perhaps those wonderful notes Patrick Murray used to write on each of the Shakespearean plays)

Who else is blind? Albany to a certain extent, is blinded by his love for Goneril. It takes him quite a while to see her for what she really is. Her unfaithfulness, discovered in a love letter to Edmund where they plot to kill Albany, makes him stand up against her authority.

There’s a gradual dawning realisation that those who see don’t necessarily see things clearly. And somehow this is seen as a general reflection of the state of the nation and the corruption inherent in this society. As Gloucester wryly observes “Tis the times plague when madmen lead the blind”.

Nonetheless, the more BLIND Glouester becomes physically, the less blind he becomes emotionally and psychologically – initially he’s betrayed by Edmund. He’s a poor judge of character. He sees people not for their inner qualities but for their outward show. But he embarks on a journey into self-knowledge.

Lear is the same. He’s blind to the truth at the beginning. He demands obedience and immediate gratification from everyone. He’s rash, he doesn’t like people questioning him and going against his wishes. But like Gloucester, he embarks on a journey into self-knowledge.

Traumatised, both endure great hardship. As a result, both become better people. They have grown morally, and recognise their failings and mistakes. Ultimately they become patient and compassionate human beings.

Transformative power of suffering:

Can suffering make us better people? This is one of the central questions Shakespeare tries to answer in this play. So what’s Lear like at the beginning?

He’s King- he has absolute power and authority. He’s been flattered and obeyed all his life. People told him what he wanted to hear. He has no true concept of how to judge a person’s love for him – he must learn that “actions speak louder than words” but he doesn’t understand this at the beginning. He’s arrogant, intolerant, rash and unreasonable.

Lear is easily insulted and used to getting his own way. Anyone who goes against him becomes a victim of his violent rage, curses and threats and his cruel, unjust punishments – for example he disinherits Cordelia. His immaturity is profoundly evident – he measures love by grand speeches not kind acts. “Come not between the dragon and his wrath” Ironically, as he has given away his kingdom, he still measures his own value by looking at the number of followers in his retinue, and by what he owns and possesses. His punishment of Goneril is out of all proportion to her crime – he curses her with infertility, a big deal for a woman who has a kingdom to pass on to her heirs!

ONCE HE GOES OUT INTO THE STORM – he goes mad, loses his sanity – this change from respected King to beggar is too much for him to bear. Through his suffering and experience, the major changes occur.

He learns not to judge people by what they possess, because he himself has been stripped of everything. He realises that everyone sins, that he himself has made mistakes but he still feels he didn’t deserve the treatment he got from his daughters.

When he sees that the fool is cold, this is a significant turning point: he now notices the needs of others “Poor fool and knave, I have one part in my heart that’s sorry yet for thee” act 3 scene 2.

Similarly, when he meets Poor Tom/Edgar he feels sorry for him. The reality of what man is without possessions and flattery is shown to him “Is man no more than this?” and he is shocked! He is turning away from focusing on his own needs, and finally realising the needs of others, of the basest beggar…he realises that as King he had a unique opportunity to ease their suffering but failed to do so “I have ta’en too little care of this!” He now cares about his subjects “Poor naked wretches…that bide the pelting of this pitiless storm” – but sadly, it’s too late.

By the end of the storm, wild and mad, yet wiser than he has ever been before, he realises how prone to flattery and lies he once was: “ they are not men of their words. They told me I was everything, tis a lie ”

The extent of the change in his outlook and personality is most evident in that fact that he is able to accept defeat and the humiliation of imprisonment with a positive joy. His priorities are now straight – he wants to spend time with his beloved daughter and beg for her forgiveness “we two alone will sing like birds i’ the cage and ask of thee forgiveness”

He now knows who to trust and how to love and from this is able to acknowledge his own errors – “I am old and foolish”.

Sadly this change comes too late, which elevates Lear to the status of tragic hero and which deepens the pervasive sense of tragedy which permeates the final moments of the play.

Theme of family:

The play revolves around the destruction of Lear and Gloucester’s families. Both banish loyal children and reward the wicked ones with their inheritance.

Parental anxiety about their children’s love permeates the outlook of both men and they are both wracked with doubt, convinced they cannot rely upon the natural bond between them and their children.

The calamitous consequences for the kingdom of familial collapse are everywhere evident in the play. Families are not caring, supportive institututions. Brother pitted against brother, sister against sister. Mistrust, dishonesty and opportunism seem to dominate.

Other themes and sub-themes in King Lear

• Inheritance & Greed
• Family values
• Kingship – responsibility, authority, power, privilege
• Mental breakdown & madness – actual tempest, external & internal

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Tagged King Lear , themes

• King Lear – Plot Chronology

King Lear – chronology

I found this quite extensive plot summary on an old memory stick today.

You can click on the link above for a pdf file which outlines the chronology of events in  King Lear – or you can click on each of the images below.

Lear is one of my all time favourite Shakespearean plays but it’s quite complex in the way it weaves two disparate plots together – perhaps this will help you to see the mirroring of the plots more clearly and to trace it through the play as each Act unfolds.

Tagged King Lear , mirror plot , plot , summary

• King Lear quotes (in translation!)

LEAR RETIRES & DIVIDES HIS KINGDOM

Right lads, time for me to retire – sure I’m bound to pop me clogs any day now! “ Tis our fast intent/ To shake all cares and business from our age, Conferring them on younger strengths/ While we unburthen’d crawl towards death ”

Why am I sortin out me Kingdom? So ye’re not fightin over who rules the universe when I do die… “ That future strife may be prevented now ”

Who loves the Daddy? “ Which of you shall we say doth love us most? ”

I ain’t givin you nuttin til you tell me how great I am! “ Nothing will come of nothing, speak again ”

We are done bitch! “ My sometime daughter ”

Stuck up cow, let’s see her try to find a hubby now! “ Let pride which she calls plainness marry her ”

Feck this lads, I’m givin up the day job but I ain’t givin up the glory! “ We shall retain /The name and all th’ addition to a king ”

What sort of yoke is she at all? “ A wretch whom Nature is asham’d/ Almost t’acknowledge hers ”

LEAR REALISES WHAT AN EEJIT HE’S BEEN (Act 1, scene 4)

I do NOT feel like a King anymore “ Does any here know me?…. Who is it that can tell me who I am? ”

Hold on, yer wan I treated like crap might help me? “ Yet have I left a daughter ”

Hideous evil ungrateful bitches those daughters of mine “Ingratitude, thou marble-hearted fiend/ More hideous when thou shows’t thee in a child”

Feck it, I’m an awful eejit “ O Lear, Lear, Lear. Beat at this gate, that let thy folly in And thy dear judgement out”

Jaysis there’s nothing worse than havin kids who don’t appreciate what you’ve done for them “ How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is/ To have a thankless child”

Cop on and don’t be cryin like a baby – I’d rather poke me own eyes out “ Old fond eyes, Beweep this cause again, I’ll pluck ye out ”

Feck this lads, I’m gettin me old job back – and the feckers won’t even see me comin! “ Thou shalt find /That I’ll resume the shape which thou dost think /I have cast off forever”

LEAR’S REGRET (Act 1, scene 5)

Shite anyways “ I did her wrong ”

I’m losing me shit here “ O let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven! ”

LEAR ARGUES WITH HIS DAUGHTERS (Act 2, scene 4)

Lassies, have ye no respect for yere oul Dad? “ Tis worse than murder,/ To do upon respect such violent outrage ”

Jaysis, I’m havin some kinda panic attack or somethin “ O how this mother swells up toward my heart! Hysterica passio, down, thou climbing sorrow”

Fuckin bitches “ I gave you all ”

It’s not much but it’s better than what your sister’s offerin “ Thy fifty yet doth double five-and-twenty/ And thou art twice her love ”

Christ, do I have to justify how many sheets of toilet paper I use to wipe me arse?

“O reason not the need! Our basest beggars/ Are in the poorest thing superfluous/ Allow not nature more than nature needs, Man’s life is cheap as beast’s”

I can’t feckin cope with this shite at all! “ O Fool, I shall go mad”

LEAR RAGES AGAINST THE STORM (Act 3, scene 2)

Feck you wind, give it your worst! “ Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage, blow!…”

Poor me “ A poor, infirm, weak and despis’d old man ”

Things can only get better… “ No, I will be the pattern of all patience/I will say nothing ”

I don’t deserve this shite “ I am a man more sinned against than sinning ”

I am definitely losing it now! “ My wits begin to turn ”

Poor fecker out in this weather with me “ I have one part in my heart that’s sorry yet for thee ”

LEAR RAGES AGAINST THE STORM PART 2 (Act 3, scene 4)

Dunno which is worse – the weather or my bitchy daughters “ This tempest in my mind/ Doth from my senses take all feeling else/ Save what beats there – filial ingratitude ”

Stop thinking that way now or it’ll drive me mental “ O that way madness lies: let me shun that”

Feck, I never realised how hard up some people were until I was down in the shite with them “ Poor naked wretches, That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm…O I have ta’en /Too little care of this ”

Yer man looks like he’s in the same boat as me… “ Didst thou give all to thy daughters? And art thou come to this? ” (to Edgar disguised as Poor Tom)

Maybe I feckin deserve it, sure I fathered the bitches “ Judicious punishment! ‘Twas this flesh begot / Those pelican daughters”

Take everything away from me and I’m nothing but an animal “Thou art the thing itself! Unaccomodated man is no more but such a poor, bare forked animal as thou art” (he tears off his clothes)

LEAR’S DISBELIEF (Act 3, scene 6)

Jaysis how can anyone be this cruel? “ Is there any cause in nature that make these hard hearts? ”

LEAR’S DAWNING WISDOM (Act 4, scene 6)

Bitches lied, said nothing could hurt me but I got chills “ They told me I was every thing/ Tis a lie: I am not ague proof ”

Better wipe me hand – it smells like death “ Let me wipe it first; it smells of mortality”

Yes men everywhere – until you’re no longer in power “ Behold the great image of authority: a dog’s obeyed in office”

No wonder we’re born squealin; the world’s full of eejits “ When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools”

LEAR APOLOGISES TO CORDELIA (Act 4, scene 7)

Feck it, just let me die “ You do me wrong to take me out o’ the grave ”

I’m an awful eejit “ I am a very foolish fond old man ”

If you feel like killin me, fair enough “ If you have poison for me, I will drink it. I know you do not love me, for your sisters / Have, as I remember, done me wrong / You have some cause, they have not”

Can you forgive me for being a stupid oul gobsite? “ Pray you now, forget and forgive. I am old and foolish”

LEAR’S HOPES DASHED – HIS DAUGHTER IS DEAD (Act 5, scene 3)

Prison is nothin as long as we’re together “ We too alone will sing like birds I’ the cage ”

She’s dead? No, she can’t be! Is she breathing at all? “ She’s gone forever. Lend me a looking glass; If that her breath will mist or stain the stone, Why then she lives! ” It’s all my fault “ I might have saved her! Now she’s gone forever! ” Life fucking stinks “ Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life, And thou no breath at all? “

Tagged english , Lear character quotes

• Justice in King Lear – how to construct an answer…

I’m just digging up notes from a few years back and stumbled upon this – some of you might find it helpful…

“ Justice and corruption are central themes in the play King Lear ”

How do you go about constructing an answer?

• Look at the words in the question.
• Underline the important ones.
• These are the concepts you must respond to and weave throughout your answer – but that does not mean simply repeating the words superficially at the end of each paragraph. You need to demonstrate that you’ve thought about and gotten to grips with the meat and substance of the theme, issue or character you’re discussing.

Ask yourself: WHO do these words apply to in the play? (each person could form the basis for a paragraph) HOW / WHY does this character deal with this issue? Do they CHANGE over the course of the play? Are there any SCENES which deal with this issue specifically? What are our FINAL IMPRESSIONS of this issue?

This is just ONE WAY TO APPROACH formulating an answer to this question – there is no right way to do it, just many different options, but I find this a useful set of questions to ask myself when planning an answer, regardless of the theme I’m exploring.

INTRODUCTION: first you must directly address the question. Use the words from the question but don’t simply repeat them word for word, add your own opinion:

Shakespeare’s “King Lear” dramatically explores the concept of justice & presents a frightening vision of what happens in a society when those who control the justice system are cruel & corrupt.

You may wish to define the words used in the question, but you don’t have to:

The word ‘justice’ refers to the idea that we are fair and reasonable in our dealings with others. As a society we expect those who commit crimes to be punished because we value the idea of justice. In fact, many of our religious beliefs are based on the idea of divine justice – that God will reward good and punish evil.

Continuing your introduction, you must then tell the audience what aspects of the play you intend to discuss:

In this play, first Lear & then Regan & Goneril control the country & therefore the justice system. Their corruption seeps into every crevice of this society through the extreme and arbitrary punishments they mete out to those they feel have wronged them. Edmund also gains power & so he too becomes involved in handing out justice in this play.

Put it all together and here’s what your introduction looks like:

INTRODUCTION:

Shakespeare’s “King Lear” dramatically explores the concept of justice & presents a frightening vision of what happens in a society when those who control the justice system are cruel & corrupt. The word ‘justice’ refers to the idea that we are fair and reasonable in our dealings with others. As a society we expect those who commit crimes to be punished because we value the idea of justice. In fact, many of our religious beliefs are based on the idea of divine justice – that God will reward good and punish evil. In this play, first Lear & then Regan & Goneril control the country & therefore the justice system. Their corruption seeps into every crevice of this society through the extreme and arbitrary punishments they mete out to those they feel have wronged them. Edmund also gains power & so he too becomes involved in handing out justice in this play.

PARAGRAPH 1: Show how this issue is revealed at the beginning of the play. DO NOT TELL THE STORY, you can assume the examiner knows the plot.

Lear, as King, begins the play completely in charge of handing out justice to his citizens. He is tired of this responsibility and intends to “shake all cares and business from our age conferring them on younger strengths”. However he wishes to “retain the name and all the addition to a king”. The very idea seems to challenge our concept of justice and fairness – why should he have the status and privilege of being King if he is not also going to do the hard work?

PARAGRAPH 2: continue discussion of LEAR. DO NOT TELL THE STORY.

In the process of handing over his kingdom to his daughters, a serious miscarriage of justice occurs. Lear banishes his daughter Cordelia because she “cannot heave [her] heart into [her] mouth” and then banishes his loyal servant Kent for daring to challenge the wisdom of this decision (“come not between the dragon and his wrath”). Kent refuses to back down because he can see that their justice system is completely corrupt if a person can be banished (without trial) for speaking the truth. Similarly, Gloucester declares Edgar guilty of plotting to murder him without offering his son a fair hearing and thus a second miscarriage of justice occurs.

PARAGRAPH 3: move on to discuss other characters that personify this issue. DO NOT TELL THE STORY.

Once Goneril & Regan gain power, they destroy any remaining semblance of justice or fairness in this society. They put Kent in the stocks, strip Lear of his knights (“what need one?”) and shut him out in the storm (“lock up your doors”) all because he requested a little luxury in his old age (“allow not nature more than nature needs, man’s life’s as cheap as beasts”). Here we see that they are disregarding one of the most basic concepts of justice – that the punishment should fit the crime. Many of us find our parents annoying at times but we don’t strip them of their final penny & throw them out onto the streets.

Lear himself refers to this idea later in the play when he recognises his mistakes but claims he is “a man more sinned against than sinning”. He later realises and regrets that as King he neglected his duty to provide social justice for the poor in his kingdom “poor naked wretches that bide the pelting of the pitiless storm. Oh I have taken too little care of this”. He also accepts that he has failed to administer justice fairly saying of Cordelia “I did her wrong”. Thus we see his concept of justice maturing and developing over the course of the play and the vanity and corruption which defined him in the early stages of the play giving way to a nobility of character, gained through suffering .

PARAGRAPH 4: Now move onto another character who is significant in discussing this issue. DO NOT TELL THE STORY.

Edmund is also central to any discussion of justice in the play. He feels that the society and the law discriminates against illegitimate children “why brand they us with base? with baseness? Bastardy?” particularly in the area of inheritance. If he does nothing, he will be left with nothing “legitimate Edgar I must have your land” and so he comes up with a plan to get ’justice’ of a kind for himself. Although we feel a certain measure of sympathy and admiration for him we cannot support his version of ’justice’ because it is not true justice – it involves destroying innocent people in order to get what he wants.

PARAGRAPH 5: Is there any particular scene where this issue is explored? DO NOT TELL THE STORY

During the play two key ‘trials’ occur which dramatically explore the theme of justice. Firstly, Lear holds a mock trial of his eldest daughters asking “is there any cause in nature that make these hard hearts?”. He appoints Poor Tom and the Fool as the judges, thus mocking the idea of justice by suggesting that fools and madmen control the justice system. Secondly Gloucester is put on trial after Edmund reveals to Goneril & Regan that his father has been assisting Lear and that a French army led by Cordelia is going to invade in an attempt to restore Lear to power. Enraged, they declare him guilty of consorting with the enemy and as punishment for being a ‘traitor’ they “pluck out his eyes”. At this point it is graphically clear that if those in power are corrupt, they can completely destroy any notion of true justice in a society.

PARAGRAPH 6: What final impression are we left with of this issue? DO NOT TELL THE STORY.

At the end of the play we are left with the sense that justice has completely failed in this society. Lear and Cordelia are captured, imprisoned and then Cordelia is killed on Edmund’s orders. Even though he makes a deathbed attempt to save her (“some good I mean to do in spite of mine own nature”), his gesture comes too late. We do feel it is right and just that Edgar is the one to fatally wound Edmund, but this is revenge not true justice and Edgar must then endure the pain of watching his father die. Goneril and Regan both die, but it is important to note that Goneril kills her sister in a fit of jealousy and then kills herself. Neither is ever brought to justice, to face up to and account for their crimes.

PARAGRAPH 7: Still discussing our final impressions.

Is it possible then to argue that divine justice succeeds where societal justice fails? In the play some of the good characters reveal a belief that God will punish wicked deeds and reward decent ones – Edgar at one point in the play proclaims that “the God’s are just and of our pleasant vices make instruments to plague us, the dark and vicious place where thee he got has cost him his eyes”. He suggests that Gloucester needs to be punished because he committed adultery and fathered an illegitimate child. However, if this were true then we would also expect the good characters to be protected by God and Albany reveals this very belief when he says of Cordelia “the Gods defend her” but almost immediately after he utters these words Lear appears howling with grief, holding the dead Cordelia in his arms. Surely Shakespeare is making a mockery of the idea of a just God. We find ourselves more inclined to side with Gloucester’s view that there is no such thing as divine mercy or justice when he proclaims “as flies to wanton boys are we to the Gods / they kill us for their sport”.

Conclusion: Sum up your main points but try not to repeat the same phrasing.

Thus we see that justice and corruption are central themes in the play King Lear. Sadly those characters who believe in societal and divine justice endure the most suffering and hardship in the play. Although they achieve a measure of redemption, by the time Lear and Gloucester realise the importance of offering a just and fair trial to those accused of wrongdoing, their society is being run by their corrupt and evil children who do not believe in justice.. Despite their religious faith, the Gods do not intervene to save Cordelia and ultimately our final impression is that justice has failed and that we are left with a  “cheerless, dark and deadly” society where pervasive corruption can be tackled but never fully destroyed.

NOTE:Essays are built from paragraphs. Paragraphs are built around concepts and ideas.

It’s possible to sum up the core concepts from which this essay is built very briefly (mostly summed up in the final line of each paragraph) – see below:

Paragraph 1 / Concept 1: Lear is tired of being responsible for ensuring his kingdom is fair and just – but why should Lear have the status and privilege of being King if he is not also going to do the hard work? Surley it’s an injustice if others do the work and you get the rewards?

Paragraph 2 / Concept 2: Early in the play, 2 serious miscarriages of justice occur: Kent is banished for speaking the truth, Edgar is declared guilty of plotting murder with no evidence and no trial.

Paragraph 3 / Concept 3: Goneril & Regan’s punishments are far in excess of the ‘crimes’ committed – once Lear is at the receiving end of such injustice, he begins to realise that he could have been a better King, ensuring social justice for the poor.

Paragraph 4 / Concept 4 : Edmund wants justice for his mistreatment but he doesn’t care who he hurts to get what he wants – this is not justice but the worst kind of Machiavellian scheming.

Paragraph 5 / Concept 5 : 2 trials occur, both mockeries of true justice, both proving that true justice cannot exist in a society as corrupt as this.

Paragraph 6 / Concept 6 : At the end of the play, as all of the corrupt characters die, but it is revenge, not justice, which dominates in these final scenes.

Paragraph 7 / Concept 7: Even divine justice fails – so if we’re waiting around for God to reward the good and punish the wicked, we’ll we waiting a very long time indeed!!!

Whenever you have to build an essay from scratch, ask yourself what core concepts each paragraph will contain – once you’re figured this out, the rest is a whole lot easier.

You can also do this if you’re reading notes or sample essays – extract, and in your own words outline what the core concept at the heart of each paragraph is. Doing this is an intelligent way of studying. Trying to learn off entire essays is plagiarism – it’s a waste of your brain power – it won’t deepen your understanding – and it won’t be rewarded because you have to adapt whatever knowledge you have to answer the question asked.

Hope that all makes sense!

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96 King Lear Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best king lear topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 most interesting king lear topics to write about, 👍 good research topics about king lear, ❓ king lear essay questions.

• King Lear Themes, Characters, & Analysis Essay As explained by Al Zoubi and Al Khamaiseh, during the ceremony, Goneril and Regan, the oldest and the middle daughters, use flatter and insincere speech to prove their love to the father.
• Comparison of “Hamlet”, “King Lear” and “Othello” by Shakespeare Iago’s reports and the loss of the handkerchief appear to Othello reliable proofs of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness, and under the effect of anger the protagonist is both unable and unwilling to do further investigation.
• Shakespeare Tragedies: Macbeth and King Lear At the beginning of the play, he decides to abdicate his throne and divide his kingdom among his three daughters. This choice eventually undermines the ethical integrity of this character, and he murders murder to […]
• Major Themes in the Play “King Lear” by William Shakespeare The madness is connected to the trouble that befalls the King later in his helpless state as he faces all sorts of mistreatments from the two daughters whom he gives the mandate to run the […]
• Villains in Shakespeare’s “King Lear” In his turn, Edmund, the illegitimate son of Gloucester, is a character who would never commit crimes and cruelty to admire the results of villainous actions.
• Regan and Goneril in “King Lear” by Shakespeare Regan and Goneril are portrayed with various defiant actions against the inequalities occurring in the contemporary society of the male-dominated world. The female archetype is described as an element of the oppression in the patriarchal […]
• Shakespeare’s “King Lear” and Smiley’s “A Thousand Acres” In King Lear and A Thousand of Acres, the destinies of both King Lear and Larry Cook encounter unfair attitudes toward daughters and death, as a result. Lear and Larry are in despair because of […]
• Shakespeare’s “King Lear” Adaptation by Ian Pollock The panes are arranged in a way that helps to quickly and intuitively follow the major events and receive a clear picture of those before the actual reading of the utterances.
• King Lear as a Depiction of Shakespeare’s Era First of all, in order to depict the universality of the events, to show that this is not a particular case he describes but the characteristics of his epoque, Shakespeare doubled the plot, telling, in […]
• Deception in King Lear, The Odyssey and Gilgamesh The forms of deception in the book seem to come effortlessly to Odysseus, and the stories he tells throughout the book serve to protect him and his family.
• Quotes From Tragedy of King Lear by Shakespeare Chapter three in the book of Genesis tells about the temptation of a woman by the serpent and the violation of the prohibition on eating fruits from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil.
• Shakespeare’s “King Lear” and “A Thousand Acres” Film The task of A Thousand Acres is to demonstrate the relevance and popularity of the primary source among the modern reader, simultaneously with criticism and rethinking of specific points.
• Individual’s Sense of Entitlement and Destructive Behavior in “King Lear” A sense of entitlement can arise from the way a person is treated or from their temperament and as such, it is a dangerous attitude to acquire or encourage because it may lead to disparaging […]
• Shakespeare and His View on Kingship: Macbeth, King Lear and Othello At the same time, it is beyond doubt in the basement Macbeth’s character is clean and as a soldier, he is true to his job and his king.
• Personal Conflict of King Lear in Play by Shakespeare From the beginning of the story, he managed to set the readers against the king, which makes the majority of them support the daughters in the conflict between them and the king, the conflict that, […]
• King Lear’s Cataclysm: Analysis of Shakespeare’s Plays He does this by allocating his land and property to his three daughters to the degree to which they are able to convince him that they love him.
• “King Lear” by William Shakespeare: A Play Review by Jeremy Bryson Gloucester, in response to the attack on Edmond, promises to bring Edgar to justice, and also states that he is going to make Edmond his heir.
• Language of Henry V and King Lear by W. Shakespeare The most obvious similarities in the language of the two plays are that it takes a good actor to be able to deliver the lines at all, and a superb actor to be able to […]
• The Role of Trickery in Shakespear’s “King Lear” The trickster and the person being tricked, the switching that the trickster uses in order to play a trick on the person will also be put to light.
• Shakespeare’s King Lear: A Bad Judgment Turns Tragic However, in this play, we can be witnesses to a fact that all of the pain that King Lear had undergone can be cathartic.
• Analysis of King Lear and Paradise Lost One son in particular, Edmund, allows the pain of being born a bastard and the rejection of his father to skew his view of the world and the intentions of his ambition.
• “King Lear ” by William Shakespeare At the end of the day, the character learns the price of such a fatal mistake which is betrayal and loss of everything he loved in his life. The theme of the transformational power of […]
• Society Role in Literature: King Lear and Things Fall Apart The difference is that the leader of the plan is much tougher physically and emotionally, and it is evident that he would not give up his values and morals.
• Literature Studies: King Lear by William Shakespeare Bad luck is clear in the story through the inconsistent relationship between King Lear and his daughters as well as from the role of dishonesty and power in the play.
• Comparison of “Tuesdays With Morrie” by Mitch Albom and “King Lear” by William Shakespeare He is viewed as a man of wisdom, owing to the lessons he has learned from his sufferings since childhood, which he, in turn, teaches Albom.
• Similar Themes in the Movie “King Lear” and “About Schmidt” It is clear that both the film directors have used these themes in order to develop the plot of the respective movies and, at the same time, be in a position of expressing the ethical […]
• The Effective Usage of Subplots in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Gradual Diminishment of Control Within Lear’s Kingdom in Shakespeare’s Play “King Lear”
• The Idea of Imprisonment in the Plot of Shakespearean “King Lear”
• The Illustration of Consequences of One Man’s Decisions in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Use of Parallelism in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Importance and Role of Rejection in William Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Importance of Responsibilities in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• Relationship Themes Evident in William Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Importance of Sight and Blindness in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Important Contextual Influences on Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Madness of Edmund in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Many Effective Images Incorporated Into William Shakespeare’s Play “King Lear”
• The Metaphor of Being Blind in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Natural Response of a Person to Judgement in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Opposing Views to Lear’s Temperament in the Play “King Lear”
• Patience Standards Portrayed in “King Lear” Drama
• The Play “King Lear” and the Audience’s Minds During Watching a Play by William Shakespeare
• The Power of Religious Redemption in William Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Protagonist’s Attainment of Self Knowledge in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Use of Paradox as Related to the Theme of Truth in “King Lear”
• The Theme of Insight and Sight Between Gloucester and Lear in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Tangled Web of Secrets in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Representation of Women in “King Lear” and “The Vicar of Wakefield”
• The Road to Self-Knowledge in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Role of Femininity in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” “Othello,” and “King Lear”
• Cultural Heritage Portrayed in “King Lear” Play
• The Significance of Nature in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Similarities of Events That Lear and Gloucestor Experienced in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Story of Treachery and Deceit in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Themes of Sanity and Madness in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Temporal Allusions in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Theme of Consciousness in “King Lear” by Shakespeare
• The Themes of Deception and Shame in William Shakespeare’s “King Lear” and Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex”
• The Test of Love in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Three Major Roles of the Fool in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Tragedy Ending in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Tragic Consequence of Blindness in “King Lear”
• The Themes of Gender and Sexuality in Sigmund Freud’s “Dora” and William Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Tragic Heroes in “King Lear,” “Hamlet,” and “Oedipus Rex”
• The Recurring Theme of Sight Against Blindness in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Trait of Goodness in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Use of Motif on Filial Responsibility in William Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• What Will Make “King Lear” Continue to Be Worthy of Critical Study?
• How Is Power Shown in “King Lear”?
• How Does Shakespeare Set up the Beginning Scene of “King Lear”?
• What Important Changes Happen to Lear in “King Lear”?
• What Are Two Key Scenes From “King Lear” by William Shakespeare?
• What Are the Three Mental Stages of King Lear in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare?
• How Does Shakespeare Use the Fool in “King Lear”?
• How Does Shakespeare Explore Nature in “King Lear”?
• What Is the Basic Story of “King Lear”?
• How Does Shakespeare’s “King Lear” Hold Its Appeal to a Modern Audience?
• What Are the Most Important Themes in “King Lear”?
• What Does “King Lear” Learn From His Sufferings?
• What Mental Illness Does “King Lear” Have?
• How Are Sibling Relationships Presented in “King Lear”?
• Is King Lear a Sympathetic Figure or a Victim of His Own Flaws?
• How Does Shakespeare Present Edmund in “King Lear”?
• Does “King Lear” Present an Implicit Theory of Leadership?
• What Is the Significance of the English Language in “King Lear”?
• Is There a Moral to the Play “King Lear”?
• What Does the Play “King Lear” Teach About Patience?
• To What Extent Does Fate Determine the Characters’ Actions and Outcomes in “King Lear”?
• What Is the Conclusion of “King Lear”?
• Was “King Lear” Mad or Suffering From Senility?
• How the Sub-Plot Mirrors the Main Plot in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare?
• How Clothing Imagery Defines the Characters Within “King Lear”?
• What Is “King Lear” Most Known For?
• Does “King Lear” Play the Tragic Hero or the Autocrat?
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Sample Essay - King Lear (2010 [ii])

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