King Lear
In Shakespeare's tragic play, King Lear, the audiences witness the devastation of a great King. The disorder engulfs the King, once Lear transfers his power to his daughters. King Lear is a source of power, order and meaning to the society, however, when he gives up his power, everything around him crumbles because, power in the wrong hands leads to greed for more power, and it eventually destroys King Lear.
When King Lear loses his role as king, Shakespeare is showing us an authorative figure that is going down a drain. King Lear's purpose in the play is to play king, and when he has abdicated his throne and passed his authority down to his daughters, his ignorance makes him demand respect and power that he has already given up. As the play moves on, King Lear becomes useless because he is a king without a kingdom and an actor with no role to play. King Lear soon realizes this and in scene 4, he cries: "Why, this is not Lear" (4.204). And later in the same speech, he says: "Who is it that can tell me who I am?" (4.209). Lear is stuck in his role as king, unable to act in any other manner and powerless to provide for himself, causing the ultimate downfall of he and his family from their status of authority
In Shakespeare's tragic play, King Lear, the audiences witness the devastation of a great King. The disorder engulfs the King, once Lear transfers his power to his daughters. King Lear is a source of power, order and meaning to the society, however, when he gives up his power, everything around him crumbles because, power in the wrong hands leads to greed for more power, and it eventually destroys King Lear.
When King Lear loses his role as king, Shakespeare is showing us an authorative figure that is going down a drain. King Lear's purpose in the play is to play king, and when he has abdicated his throne and passed his authority down to his daughters, his ignorance makes him demand respect and power that he has already given up. As the play moves on, King Lear becomes useless because he is a king without a kingdom and an actor with no role to play. King Lear soon realizes this and in scene 4, he cries: "Why, this is not Lear" (4.204). And later in the same speech, he says: "Who is it that can tell me who I am?" (4.209). Lear is stuck in his role as king, unable to act in any other manner and powerless to provide for himself, causing the ultimate downfall of he and his family from their status of authority
