William Shakespeare uses his play, King Lear, to explore the consequences of a monarch making a poor political decision in choosing their heir. The recent events within England associated with the passing of Queen Elizabeth I and the uncertain future the kingdom faced with their new ruler, King James I, can be compared and contrasted with the choosing of an heir within King Lear and the outcomes each situation. King Lear is meant to display the drastic negative consequences of such an important decision that weaken a kingdom while the real world situation turned out to be not nearly as morbid and displayed how a wise ruling choice could strengthen multiple kingdoms.
King Lear was written in 1604, one year after the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland. Despite the turmoil brought to the kingdom by her father and elder half-sister in their reigns through their religious persecutions of Protestants and Catholics respectively, Elizabeth was a steady and strategic monarch who led England through many years of peace. Most amazingly, she led England through this peace alone with no man at her side. To Elizabeth relationships with the male population seemed to be more political tools used to create alliances than prospects for marriage. As a result of her views Elizabeth was never wed and never gave birth to any children. When she died she had no heir to pass the kingdom on to, which was a very worrisome idea for her subjects. Traditionally the throne would be passed down from each monarch to their firstborn son, and only to daughters when no sons were left, but Elizabeth had no family whatsoever to naturally succeed her. The only thing that was certain before an heir was announced was that the throne would be leaving her f...
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...es would not dare attack England and Ireland as they had attempted in her rule because they would know that King James would have Scotland to bring further support. Likewise Scotland was safer with the support of England and Ireland. Divided they were vulnerable, but united they were protected.
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The Shakespearean play King Lear is one of great merit, with an excellent story. The play depicts the kingdom of Lear. Because the king is nearing the end of the reign, he divides his land amongst his daughters. However, once his daughters have received what they want, they begin to distance themselves from their father. There were other small sub-stories tucked away within the main plot of the story, most containing small amounts of corruption. The turning point of the story is when Lear makes the discovery that his daughters are beginning to betray him. The once prideful and stoic king falls apart emotionally, and the kingdom undergoes a dramatic split as the King’s once loyal colleagues let loose their corruption and evil as they turn into
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King Lear was one of Shakespeare’s lifetime popular work, and one of his most powerful works. Many people believe it was Shakespeare’s best tragedies ever committed. In this paper I will be giving a brief summary of the story as it unfolds; and a character analysis from the main characters are going to be presented as well.
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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
Bradley, A.C. Twentieth Century Interpretations of King Lear. Ed. Janet Adelman. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1978.
Bradley, A.C. “King Lear.” Shakespearian Tragedy. Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. Macmillan and Co., London, 1919. Project Gutenberg. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
Shakespeare, William, and Russell A. Fraser. King Lear. New York: New American Library, 1998. Print.