Discuss the theme of justice in the play King Lear
Discuss the theme of justice in the play. We may feel that the outcome of King Lear is not entirely just, but it is in ways appropriate. All those who have sinned have certainly been punished. The play starts from the first scene with distributive justice. Originally it should have been distributive justice equally, as Lear announces that he has divided his kingdom in three and intends to distribute it among his daughters. But it ends up to be a justice based on merit as the daughter who says will love him most will get the greatest share. King Lear divides his kingdom where natural affection deserves it most and one can see this from the phrase, 'Which of you shall we say doth love us most?' Lear is supposed to be just but abuses of his justice as he banishes Cordelia and Kent as he fails to recognise Cordelia's and Kent's honesty and due to his misjudgement he loses power as has to face the ingratitude of his daughters. In Act four scene six, when Lear is in his madness, he is obsessed with social and moral justice. King Lear sees in his madness. He shows that the magistrate himself can be a thief. He is against social and sexual hypocrites and very often he says that people who judge are criminal themselves. Basically he is talking on the corruption of law and of how normally justice is unfair to people who cannot fight it. Lear wants to defend the poor and give them
King Learis 'a Christian play about a pagan world'. Discuss
King Lear is 'a Christian play about a pagan world'. Discuss It is evident that King Lear contains references to both the Christian and Pagan doctrine. However, they seem to be expressed in entirely different styles. King Lear is purposefully set in a pre Christian era with numerous references to classical Gods but conversely there appears to be a striking resonance of Christian theology throughout the play. These echoes appear in various forms including the idea of Edgar being a Christ-like figure and also the presence of a supposed divine justice. Therefore there is truth in the view that although King Lear has a pagan setting, its significance is ultimately relating to Christianity. Perhaps the most obvious way in which Shakespeare creates the pagan setting is through the specific mentions of non-Christian gods. When looking at the first scene it is apparent Shakespeare has deliberately seasoned it with pagan references, an example being Lear's response to Cordelia's unwillingness to speak, 'by the sacred radiance of the sun, The mysteries of Hecate and the night'. Shortly after this, Lear's rage is aimed at Kent for his defence of the king's supposedly wicked daughter, when he swears, 'by Apollo' and 'by Jupiter'. Another instance that shows Lear appealing to deities rather than the Christian belief of a singular being occurs during his exposure to the storm on
Shakespeare sees madness not as a terminal illness, but as a possible phase in a person's development - Discuss with reference to King Lear.
King Lear essay Question 1 (option A) 2. Shakespeare sees madness not as a terminal illness, but as a possible phase in a person's development. Discuss with reference to King Lear. When Lear first realises the extent of General's ingratitude, he cries out, "O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven! Keep me in temper; I would not be mad!" (Act 1, Scene 5). It is at this point that Lear begins his downward spiral toward madness. Is madness not seeing things clearly? No. Not seeing things clearly is stupidity. Madness is beyond logic, no self knowledge, "Yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself" (Act 1, Scene 1) complete abandonment and no concept of right and wrong. Stupidity is the cause of Lear's madness, and eventually, his ultimate downfall. "Be Kent unmannerly when Lear is mad. What wouldst thou do, old man? " (Act 1, Scene 1). In Act 4, Scene 1 Lear asks the fool if he is a fool: "Dost thou call me fool, boy?" The Fool: "All thy other titles thou hast given away; that thou wast born with." Here the Fool is trying to say that he gave away all his power, and now the only title he has left now is being a fool. Gradually Lear becomes aware of his folly in Act 2, Scene 4. "O me, my heart, my rising heart! But down!". "O, how this mother swells up toward my heart! Hysterica passio, down, thou climbing sorrow, thy elements below. Where is this
Analysing the Introduction of King Lear's Character in Act 1of 'King Lear'
Analysing the Introduction of King Lear's Character in Act 1of 'King Lear' King Lear's character is introduced as the foolhardy tragic hero doomed by his own irrationality. He is consistently portrayed as short-sighted and immature, bound by his own shortfalls as he intertwines himself in superficial love triangles. The play commences in King Lear's palace where two chief characters are discussing Lear dividing out his kingdom amongst his most favoured son-in-law. This hints Lear's nature yet we are not exposed to his character until Kent and Gloucester have finished conversing. This arouses reader curiosity and interest. Lear arrives soon after and we discover how he has no qualms about operating using the royal 'we' as he launches straight into talk of sharing his kingdom. He appears as blunt and informal in terms of his attitude. He prolongs this manner as he expresses to his daughters how he wishes to "Unburdened crawl toward death". This indicates Lear's immature wish to revert to babyhood by the employment of the word "crawl" after his transition, while discarding his adult responsibilities and vexations. Already the reader can observe his attitude of no obligation to his country or anyone after he shifts power. Furthermore, Lear's sermon makes explicit his shallow countenance. He demonstrates materialism as he requests: Which of you...love us most...our largest
Do you agree that Shakespeare was a product of his time whose plays have little relevance for an audience today? You should centre you answer on King Lear, but you may also refer to other Shakespeare plays if you wish.
Literature, Drama and Audience (SS-0116-M) Supplementary Assessment UB - 02011477 Do you agree that Shakespeare was a product of his time whose plays have little relevance for an audience today? You should centre you answer on King Lear, but you may also refer to other Shakespeare plays if you wish. For as long as formal education has existed in Britain it has been a largely standard assumption that teaching the works of William Shakespeare is relevant and necessary. Perhaps the relevance of his writing is taken for granted, perhaps it is necessary to re-examine the role of Shakespeare for the modern audience. There are indeed many people who question the relevance of this 440 year old playwright to a 21st century audience, taking it even as far as perhaps the greatest heresy of all, questioning the necessity of GCSE pupils learning Shakespeare at all. This "proposed vandalism from the policymakers" (Guardian 09/02/01) is opposed wholesale by supporters of "the Bard" ranging from critics to academics to thespians. However can it be said there is truly grounds for the importance attributed to the works of Shakespeare, or is he, rather like Beefeaters and Ravens at the tower, an anachronistic national obsession really only appreciated in the modern era by history hungry tourists? The most obvious first point to consider in answering this question is the undeniable fact
King Lear
Samantha White August 2001 King Lear Coursework... King Lear is the main character in the Shakespearean tragedy also named 'King Lear'. Shakespeare took the main plot line of an aged monarch, abused by his children from a folk tale that appeared first in written form in the 12th century and was based on spoken stories that originated much further into the Middle Ages. Through the play King Lear goes through many different personalities, and also he experiences a lot of people sinning against him. While this is so, King Lear also sins against many people too. In this essay I am going to find out whether King Lear is a man more sinned against than sinning himself. King Lear actually says this in act 3, scene 2, lines 59-62. The quote for this is... "Hast practised on man's life; close pent-up guilts Rive your concealing continents, and cry These dreadful summoners grace, I am a man More sinned against than sinning" I am going to look at the sins that King Lear has committed, and also what sins Lear has experienced against himself. Looking at both of these aspects thoroughly I am going to then write a conclusion as to whether I think King Lear is a man more sinned against than sinning. At the moment I think that King Lear is actually a man more sinned against than sinning. I am firstly going to research all the sins he has committed, and then secondly
King Lear essay.
King Lear essay Naomi Elliott From the first two acts I feel Shakespeare has been successful in presenting us with characters whom we dislike. I have found that Shakespeare presents them to us in a number of ways. This is first demonstrated to us when Lear is introduced in Act 1. Shakespeare created him to be a very strong charcter who doesn't appear casually in the play. Our dislike towards him forms when Lear creates the love test in which he requires each of his 3 daughters to profess their love to him in public. Shakespeare cleverly turns the audience against King Lear by using the youngest daughter Cordelia to challenge him in public as she refuses to play the game she says, "unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth" Cordelia's actions bring out a side of Lear that is not shown at the beginning. It becomes clear that the only real point of the game was to boost Lear's ego and therefore I feel the audience cannot help but dislike Lear on the basis of his foolish acts and demands of flattery. By using Cordelia I feel Shakespeare successfully portrayed Lear to the audience as foolish and shallow. During Lear's entrance Shakespeare was also working up to the true portrayal of 2 other characters which we later grow to dislike, Goneril and Regan. Goneril and Regan are the two daughters who did play Lear's game. They both used very grand and persuasive
Discuss the notion of appearance and reality in the play King Lear.
Discuss the notion of appearance and reality in the play. King Lear is based on appearance and reality. Both fathers in the main plot and the subplot deal with children who deceive by appearances. Lear is taken by false words and appearances just as Gloucester is. Add to this several characters in the play appear to be someone but they turn out to be others such as Edgar disguised as a beggar and Kent disguised as a servant. What concerns the fool, he appears to be foolish but in reality he is wise. Goneril and Regan are the personification of hypocrisy. Goneril exaggerates, by trying to deceive her father and say that her love is inadequate compared to his. The phrase 'A love that makes breath poor and speech unable' prove it. She tries to make her love seem priceless. On the other hand, Regan is no less. Regan tells her father that her own pleasure lies solely in the enjoyment of his love. The sister's love is a means to an end.(Goneril and Regan deceive their father because they cannot love him absolutely if they are married). Reality lies behind appearance when Goneril and Regan remark about their father at the end of the scene on 'the infirmity of age'. They complain about Lear's rash judgement and unexplainable behaviour and they are apprehensive that they will receive the same treatment of Codelia and so they resolve that they, 'must do something, and I'th' heat.'
'The play provides a striking demonstration for the human capacity for both evil and good'. In what ways do you find this true of King Lear and how important is it to the play's overall effect?
'The play provides a striking demonstration for the human capacity for both evil and good'. In what ways do you find this true of King Lear and how important is it to the play's overall effect? Much more than he gives a display of the human capacity for good, in 'King Lear' Shakespeare provides his readers with shockingly cruel characters, whose presence, scheming and manipulations, and their effects, are felt constantly throughout the play. Any 'good' present in the world of King Lear only manages to shine for a few brief moments. When good has triumphed, the victory has only come after great sacrifice and is almost always destroyed by further misuse of power by the few characters that can claim to have it. It is common for audiences to leave 'King Lear' with the feeling that good has not triumphed fully over the evil prevalent from the very start of the play. In King Lear, Shakespeare gives us many examples of this. . King Lear's prospects looked good prior the battle against his evil daughters and Edmund. He is reunited with his good daughter who symbolizes the hope for the future. This gives the audience optimism about the future of Britain, but then they are shocked when hope is hanged and Cordelia dies, soon to be followed by the death of her father. While the audience may feel that it is hard for us today to reconcile this situation, we must note that it would have
How far would you accept Lear's view of himself as a man
King Lear How far would you accept Lear's view of himself as a man "more sinned against than sinning"? "King Lear" is a play all about the cruelty of human nature and the ways in which all people, "good" and "bad", can sin, or be sinned against. Lear is a very difficult character to categorise as either "good" or "bad" as he is both "sinned against" and "sinning". It is also very difficult to use these sins as a measure of his character as they a varying in severity. When we first meet Lear he is in the process of dividing his kingdom into three, preparing to hand it to his three daughters. This is a sin, as according to The Divine Right of Kings, each monarch is chosen by God, and is there fore answerable to none but him. Having been chosen by God to rule, it would be wrong for him to surrender his sovereignty. Apart from this, it was incredibly foolish of Lear to give the crown to more than one heir, as it leaves a huge problem of a possible civil war. Other characters can at this point see the folly of the King's actions. Kent advices the king to "reserve thy state"; in saying this he is advising the King not to give away his rule. Our sympathy at this point is almost certainly not with Lear, particularly after seeing the egotistical love test he imposes on his three daughters before giving them their share of the kingdom. "Tell me, my daughters, (Since now