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Analysia the character of king lear
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King Lear
In King Lear, the unnatural elements seem to always dominate the natural elements throughout the play. There exists a reversal of order in the play where the evil prosper in the downfall of the good, and where man's life is meaningless and arbitrary. King Lear, the tragic hero, dies in the end despite the torment and agony he had to endure to regenerate and repent. But it is the worthless destruction of countless other lives because of Lear's own personal tragedy that supports the view of the brutality and the meaningless of man's life in the play.
Life in Lear's universe is brutal, and at times, merciless. All this has been brought about by the reign of evil in the play. The natural order of things has been reversed to such an extent that many of society's cherished values have been neglected and confused. Evil characters such as Edmund is praised by Gloucester for exposing the "treachery" of Edgar, while Edgar is denounced for his "villany". Love, based on selflessness and truth, is weighted in materialistic terms. A man's life, then, can only be considered arbitrary and meaningless in the chaotic universe of King Lear.
The character of Lear and Gloucester die in a state of joy, but they nevertheless die in the end resulf. Both had immeasurable sufferings for their follies, and yet both had gained wisdom - patience, insight, love - from their experiences. Both were shown to have the capacity for comparison during their ordeals and both were courageous enough to triumph over their weaknesses. Yet, despite their regenation gained through suffering and pain, they are made to die in the end. Their deaths hardly seem just and proper if a man's life were not meaningless. But in King Lear, a man's life is meaningless indeed.
There were also many others who were not directly involved in Lear's personal tragedy that died for it. Because of Lear's follies and the subsequent reign of evil, the armies of France and Britain fought. That battle must have resulted in numberous death on both sides. The army of France, led by the King of France and Cordelia, had come in an attempt to overthrow the evil reign of Goneril and Regan, and to rescue King Lear. Cordelia was still bound by honour, duty, and obedience to Lear despite her banishment, and she at last, had come for her beloved father.
For the rearrangement of the bonds, it is necessary that those based on money, power, land, and deception be to abandoned. In the case of Lear and Goneril and Regan, his two daughters have deceived their father for their personal gain. Furthermore, they had not intended to keep the bond with their father once they had what they wanted. Goneril states "We must do something, and i' th' heat." (I, i, 355), meaning that they wish to take more power upon themselves while they can. By his two of his daughters betraying him, Lear was able to gain insight that he is not as respected as he perceives himself to be. The relationship broken between Edmund his half- bother, Edgar and father, Glouster is similarly deteriorated in the interest of material items. By the end of the play, Edgar has recognized who is brother really is and when he has confronted him says "the more th' hast wronged me...
Author of thirty-seven plays and 154 sonnets, William Shakespeare has been known to us as one of the most influential writers of English literature. Written in the mid-1590s, Shakespeare gave birth to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is still considered to have been his most strangest and delightful creation yet. The play reveals to us the magnitude of his imagination and originality. Contrary to many of his other plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream doesn’t seem to have been stemmed from any particular source, though some believe it was written for and performed at a private aristocratic wedding with Queen Elizabeth I in attendance. Some critics have even speculated that it was Shakespeare’s light hearted and silly version of Romeo and Juliet. However, no evidence has ever been found to prove either theory.
Hunt, Maurice. " ‘The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia,’ Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ and the School of Night: and intertextual nexus." Essays in Literature Spring 1996: 3-18. http://web7.searchbank.com (12 Nov. 1998).
The spur is a piece of hard ware that is attached to the heel by a strap usually made of leather. It is Y-shaped, and pointed towards the horse so that the rider can aggress his horse on. In early time the spur was always attached with a strap, however as the spur evolved, the strap was no longer of importance. The spur also grew more and more elaborate during the medieval ages, velvet straps, intricate designs and wheels that made the spur more of a showpiece than a tool. Before the period of the 13th century the spur was that of the “prick” style, where it is basically just a point that urged the horse. However during the 14th century the “rowel” type spur gained its popularity. This type of spur looked as though it had a wheel on the end of it. Spurs at its earliest times were made of bone and wood, then later of bronze, brass or iron. The rowel spur was definitely the spur of choice around medieval times because it was so elaborate. It was first introduced in 1238 by France Simon de Montfort, however did not really catch on until 1285.
Thoreau conveys many points in his writing and a large recurring one is the state of society. As stated before, he believed that people are too focused on physical gain and modernization which leads them into desperation. He adds on to this belief later in the book asking that above all else whether it be money or fame he be given honesty (Thoreau 246). To Thoreau, the truth is more important than anything measurable in status. Thoreau believes that a minimalist lifestyle is a good lifestyle, similar to Mccandless. He speaks of how it is good that he can put all of his belonging in one pile in his yard because it removes the clutter from his life (Thoreau 85). He also says that his best quality in life is to want very little, because it keeps himself true to himself and keeps him from distraction. Thoreau also believes that every man should be one in himself not oppressed by the government. He says that everyone should be able to be themselves whether is is in accord with the government or not (Thoreau 240). He is essentially saying that the government should not be a part of people's life decisions only to maintain the
...ound.”(274) Rasheed’s want for power increases after talking to the Taliban because he believes the he is the real master behind everything, making him the true hero to Mariam and Lila. It is ironic Rasheed believes that his is the true hero because the actions that he had towards Mariam and Lila made them the people they were and it made Mariam’s heroism come over even more.
Through Lear, Shakespeare expertly portrays the inevitability of human suffering. The “little nothings,” seemingly insignificant choices that Lear makes over the course of the play, inevitably evolve into unstoppable forces that change Lear’s life for the worse. He falls for Goneril’s and Regan’s flattery and his pride turns him away from Cordelia’s unembellished affection. He is constantly advised by Kent and the Fool to avoid such choices, but his stubborn hubris prevents him from seeing the wisdom hidden in the Fool’s words: “Prithee, tell him, so much the rent of his land comes to: he will not believe a fool” (Shakespeare 21). This leads to Lear’s eventual “unburdening,” as foreshadowed in Act I. This unburdening is exacerbated by his failure to recognize and learn from his initial mistakes until it is too late. Lear’s lack of recognition is, in part, explained by his belief in a predestined life controlled completely by the gods: “It is the stars, the stars above us govern our conditions” (Shakespeare 101). The elder characters in King Lear pin their various sufferings on the will of...
Murphy, Samantha. "Genetic Tests Debate: Is Too Much Info Bad for Your Health?"LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 19 Dec. 2010. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
William Shakespeare’s infamous Tragedy of King Lear is as much about political authority as family dynamic. Although regarded as one of the most emotionally difficult, and portrays a world lacking of love, in which humanity is detached from any spiritual, higher being, there is still glimmers of goodness that can be discovered. While other discussions of King Lear focus on the bleakness and despair of the environment as well as the characters, especially Lear, it is arguable that this play is not an exemplification of a work lacking in morals, but of the reenchantment of charity, especially forgiveness as a pushback against the violence. Through this reading, a considerable amount of credit is given to Cordelia, and the powerful emotional impact she provides.
In Shakespeare's “King Lear”, the tragic hero is brought down, like all tragic heroes, by one fatal flaw; in this case it is pride, as well as foolishness. It is the King's arrogant demand for absolute love and, what's more, protestations of such from the daughter who truly loves him the most, that sets the stage for his downfall. Cordelia, can be seen as Lear’s one true love, and her love and loyalty go not only beyond that of her sisters but beyond words, thus enraging the proud King Lear whose response is: "Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her". Here, Lear's pride is emphasized as he indulges in the common trend of despising in others what one is most embarrassed of oneself.
No tragedy of Shakespeare moves us more deeply that we can hardly look upon the bitter ending than King Lear. Though, in reality, Lear is far from like us. He himself is not an everyday man but a powerful king. Could it be that recognize in Lear the matter of dying? Each of us is, in some sense, a king who must eventually give up his kingdom. To illustrate the process of dying, Shakespeare has given Lear a picture of old age in great detail. Lear’s habit to slip out of a conversation (Shakespeare I. v. 19-33), his brash banishment of his most beloved and honest daughter, and his bitter resentment towards his own loss of function and control, highlighted as he ironically curses Goneril specifically on her functions of youth and prays that her
Throughout Shakespeare's story of King Lear, readers might see a similarity between King Lear and Gloucester. Initially, you feel as if King Lear and Gloucester are, in a sense, bad people for abandoning the individuals that care about them the most. King Lear banishes his daughter Cordelia because she doesn’t express her love for Lear the way he wants her to and he also banishes Kent for standing up for Cordelia in saying that she truly loves Lear the most. Gloucester banishes his son Edgar because he is manipulated by his illegitimate son Edmund into thinking that Edgar is trying to murder him so that he can take his throne. In the beginning, I feel as if King Lear is insecure and has poor judgment while Gloucester is easily influenced and very naive. Towards the end of the play, my opinions on both Lear and Gloucester changed. I began to feel sympathy towards them once they started going through traumatic events. Towards the end of the play, King Lear becomes a humble and caring individual while Gloucester later proves how he is capable of great bravery. In the end, it seems as though both Lear and Gloucester die from the guilt and sorrow that comes from the traumatic events that they experience. One might suggest that they both die from a broken heart.
Overall, while King Lear is able to fit many of the criteria of a tragic figure, such as being arrogant and noble, and also being responsible for his own downfall that leads to his own catastrophic end, he does not execute being a tragic figure well as he is missing the ability to draw pity from those following his story. Through Lear’s careless distribution of land, and the disowning and disrespect of Cordelia, Kent and the fool and the fact that he never understands and is remorseful for the tragedies that he caused, he is unable to become the true tragic figure he could have been. If King Lear had been able to make a change along the way and think about his actions and treatments of people, he would have been able to cause people to feel pity for him, which would have made him William Shakespeare’s greatest tragic figure.
The nutrition is here to help us live better lives like teachers are there to help children gain knowledge in schools. Nutrition has many benefits that can motivate, help, and lead lives onto the healthier path. Some benefits are: the prevention of diseases, an energy-booster, and to improve lives overall. Nutrition has been here for ages. Some abuse it and some take it to their own advantage. Nutrition is an option and a resource that can be to your benefit if you want it to be. An unhealthy lifestyle is also an option that can give you eating pleasures, but don’t count on it being “healthy” for you. So, what option are you choosing?
Alexander’s most popular and most well-known invention was the telephone. It was an upgrade from form of communication at the time, the telegraph, which was a clicking machine that had different patterns for each ladder of the alphabet. “The telephone was able send telegraph transmissions that could be sent on the same wire if they were transmitted on different harmonic frequencies.”(Alexander Graham Bell Bio) The telephone had an end where you speak into it and the other end played the noises from the other telephone. “He was the first to realize electrical currents could exactly duplicate sound waves transmitting multiple sounds by vibrating the air in a series of frequencies” (Alexander Graham Bell) Bell believed his invention of the photophone was even greater than the telephone. The photophone was a device that enabled sound to be transmitted on a beam of light. He developed it using a sensitive selenium crystal and a mirror that would vibrate in respond to sound. He was able to successfully send a photophone message over 200 yards from one building to another. He used the help of his assistant Charles Sumner Tainter on this invention. (Alexander Graham Bell Biography)