Lack of Judgment by King Lear

1324 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Literary context of king lear

Lack of Judgment by King Lear

King Lear is a play written by William Shakespeare that focuses on the relationships of many characters, some good, and some evil. This is a great tragedy that is full of injustice at the beginning and the restoration of justice towards the end. The good are misjudged as evil and the evil are accepted as good. It is not until the end of the play that the righteous people are recognized as such. There is great treachery and deceit involved in the hierarchy of English rule. King Lear and Gloucester both make great mistakes by banishing their righteous children and trusting in treacherous characters.

Lear made the great mistake in this play when he decided to divide up his kingdom among his three daughters. In order to determine which share each should receive, he had each of his daughters give testimonies of love for him. Cordelia, the youngest, after listening to her sisters’ proclamations, refused to go overboard with her statement. When asked for her testimony, she simply replied, "Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth. I love your Majesty according to my bond, no more nor less"(I, i,91-93). Lear became enraged and cast her off saying, "Here I disclaim all my paternal care, propinquity and property of blood, and as a stranger to my heart and me hold this from thee for ever"(I,i,113-116).

In her simple proclamation of love for her father, Cordelia refrained from trying to persuade him to give her a portion of his kingdom. It was apparent early that Cordelia was struggling with what she was going to say to her father. In her asides she said, "What shall Cordelia speak? Love, and be silent"(I,i,62), and after Regan spoke...

... middle of paper ...

.... However, justice seemed to be served somewhat at the end. I do believe that Cordelia was very good-natured and was the only "true" daughter of King Lear. In a play full of evil people, she was one of the few characters who was totally honest and loving. It is amazing that only through great hardships, such as Gloucester having his eyes plucked out, could he and Lear receive true insight.

Works Cited

Bradley, A.C. Lecture IX: Macbeth . Shakespearean Tragedies: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth . Macmllan & Co., 1904.

Brooks, Cleanth. The Well Wrought Urn: Studies of the Structure of Poetry. London: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1947.

Curry, Walter. Shakespeare s Philosophical Patterns. London: Mass Peter Smith, 1968.

Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Eric A., McCann, ed. Harcourt Brace Jovanovick, Canada Inc., Canada. 1998

Show More
Related

  • The Commencement of W.J. Bryan

    3577 Words  | 8 Pages

    In 1907, the school opened for the third term. At that time, the school was named Arch Creek District School and still had only 10 students.

    Read More

  • The Problem of Evil in the Judeo-Christian Tradition Depicted in Hicks' Philosophy of Religion

    979 Words  | 2 Pages

    The problem of evil is a difficult objection to contend with for theists. Indeed, major crises of faith can occur after observing or experiencing the wide variety and depths of suffering in the world. It also stands that these “evils” of suffering call into question the existence of an omnibenevolent and omnipotent God of the Judeo-Christian tradition. The “greater good defense” tries to account for some of the issues presented, but still has flaws of its own.

    Read More

  • Essay on Fate in Beowulf, Grendel, and Macbeth

    2183 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...t P. and Stanley B. Greenfield, Old English Poetry: Fifteen Essays, Providence, RI: Brown University Press, 1967

    Read More

  • Sharing the Blame in Shakespeare's Macbeth

    1984 Words  | 4 Pages

    Schlegel, August Wilhelm.  Criticism on Shakespeare s Tragedies . A Course of Lectures on Dramatic Art and Literature. London: AMS Press, Inc., 1965.

    Read More

  • The Significance of the Players in Hamlet

    909 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bradley, A.C.. Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. New York: Penguin Books, 1991.

    Read More

  • Creationism Vs. Evolution

    1854 Words  | 4 Pages

    While the theory of evolution is very commonly accepted amongst most scholars and intellectuals, when the scientific facts used to 'support' it are closely examined, it becomes apparent that it is merely that: a theory. Inaccurate information, misguided philosophers, and in some cases, just plain ignorance, have all contributed to this 'scientific religion' that does nothing but lead people away from the true nature of our existence, the Genesis creation. The creation 'story' is much more than just a story, it is a scientifically provable fact, and one that should be treated as more than just a parable or story, as the Word of God is pure and the absolute truth.

    Read More

  • Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    975 Words  | 2 Pages

    Okonkwo is “a man of action, a man of war” (7) and a member of high status in the Igbo village. He holds the prominent position of village clansman due to the fact that he had “shown incredible prowess in two intertribal wars” (5). Okonkwo’s hard work had made him a “wealthy farmer” (5) and a recognized individual amongst the nine villages of Umuofia and beyond. Okonkwo’s tragic flaw isn’t that he was afraid of work, but rather his fear of weakness and failure which stems from his father’s, Unoka, unproductive life and disgraceful death. “Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and weakness….It was not external but lay deep within himself. It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father.” Okonkwo’s father was a lazy, carefree man whom had a reputation of being “poor and his wife and children had just barely enough to eat... they swore never to lend him any more money because he never paid back.” (5) Unoka had never taught Okonkwo what was right and wrong, and as a result Okonkwo had to interpret how to be a “good man”. Okonkwo’s self-interpretation leads him to conclude that a “good man” was someone who was the exact opposite of his father and therefore anything that his father did was weak and unnecessary.

    Read More

  • Ecosystem Essay

    1550 Words  | 4 Pages

    Over the past two centuries, the human population has become increasingly prosperous; nourishment has improved, the economy has developed and longevity has increased. From this, it is possible to conclude that man’s battle with nature is proving beneficial. However, the wellbeing and success of mankind greatly relies on ‘ecosystem services’, which comprise any benefits provided by ecosystems that contribute towards human life. These developments in wellbeing have partly been achievable because of the increased exploitation of these ecosystem services.

    Read More

  • Analyzing King Lear's Tragic Flaws

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first flaw in King Lear is his arrogance, which results in the loss of Cordelia and Kent. It is his arrogance in the first scene of the play that causes him to make bad decisions. He expects his favorite, youngest daughter to be the most worthy of his love. His pride makes him expect that Cordelia’s speech to be the one filled with the most love. Unfortunately for King Lear’s pride, Cordelia replies to his inquisition by saying, “I love your majesty/According to my bond and nothing less';(1.1.100-101). Out of pride and anger, Lear banishes Cordelia and splits the kingdom in half to the two evil sisters, Goneril and Regan. This tragic flaw prevents King Lear from seeing the truth because his arrogance overrides his judgement. Lear’s arrogance also causes him to lose his most faithful servan...

    Read More

  • Madness and Insanity in Shakespeare's Hamlet

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bradley, A.C.. Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. New York: Penguin Books, 1991.

    Read More

  • Machiavellian Macbeth ?

    1600 Words  | 4 Pages

    Brooks, Cleanth. The Well Wrought Urn: Studies of the Structure of Poetry.   London: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1947.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of General Education

    1225 Words  | 3 Pages

    Within the past decade, more and more kids have been given the opportunity to attend school past high school, something that the previous generations have not had. In a current news release, The Bureau of Labor Statistics stated that, “Of the 2.9 million youth age 16 to 24 who graduated from high school between January and October 2014, about 68.4 percent were enrolled in college in October” (BLS Economic News Release from April 2015). When a student decides to go to college, they usually think that they are free from all the basic classes that they disliked in high school, and that in college you can just take the time to focus on the ones that interest you or that pertain to your career. But, rather quickly, they find that this is far from

    Read More

  • King Lear as a Tragedy Caused by Arrogance, Rash Decisions and Poor Judgement of Character

    546 Words  | 2 Pages

    King Lear as a Tragedy Caused by Arrogance, Rash Decisions and Poor Judgement of Character

    Read More

  • Comparing Lear and Gloucester in Shakespeare's King Lear

    1980 Words  | 4 Pages

    Bengtsson, Frederick. “King Lear by William Shakespeare.” Columbia College. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis Of Okonkwo In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    692 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is an extremely complex character who experiences a variety of emotions which he has a difficult time controlling. He experiences a never ending battle of psychosomatic symptoms, starting with his obsession over the conflict of the past with his father, Unoka. Okonkwo portrays himself as a heroic, strong warrior, only to mask the feelings of intense anger, fear, and selfishness that provokes him, which inevitably leads him down the same path as his father. He feels a strong hatred towards his father because he believes that his father had no masculine qualities, he owed everyone money, and owned no titles. Achebe states:

    Read More

More about Lack of Judgment by King Lear

Open Document