Shakespeare's Play King Lear example essay topic

This seventeenth century novel by William Shakespeare is a constant struggle for power. It is brought to us in an original form by the use of the Royal family being the one in chaos. Everything is centered around Lear and his close acquaintances. The internal conflict between good and evil in the struggle for power and dominance is shown through the characters. This fight between heaven and hell is not portrayed as a theme in the play at any moment, it is present in the characters thoughts and actions towards eachother. The play consists of how blood is not thicker than water in this kingdom full of deceit, and treatury.

All characters strive for the one goal in their world, self domination. The sense of good and evil is masked in the characters thoughts and actions. Most of the play has a tense and cold feeling of evilness which shows no sight of hope or a propitious ending. Self domination and satisfaction is seen as the complex reason for living rather than to do God good will on earth.

True intentions are masked by the constant use of lying and the manipulation of language, which includes treatury as well. This help them hide the truth by giving less importance and value to the conversation. Gloucester's son Edmund uses treatury to disguise his true intent. He lies to both Lear and his brother Edgar by forging a letter to King Lear of Edgar spl an to murder him. he then wisely tells his brother that he is being persecuted by the King, and that he must flee at once. Edmund seeks to ensure his fathers inheritance by eliminating his competition. King Lear's daughters are not all evil.

Only Goneril, and Regain use deceit against their father to gain the throne. They both over-show affection to Lear when he questions their love for him. Goneril- Sir, I love you more than the world can wield the matter; Dearer than eyesight, space and liberty; Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare; No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honor; As much as chil e er loved, or father found; A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable; Beyond all manner of so much I love you. (pg 5) The two sisters endure to bury their father in defeat and insanity. As for the King himself he shows his black heart when his daughter Cordelia refuses to prove her love for him by responding to her sister's speeches of love for Lear.

If on the tenth day following, Thy banished trunk be found in our dominions, The moment is thy death. Away! By Jupiter, This shall not be revoked. (pg 10) This is when Lear's insanity begins, he reacts by attempting to cause depression and loneliness in Cordelia's life by parting her from her lover. In order for evil to exist there must be some good. The first obvious good in the play is Cordelia. She is the only one out of the three sisters that does not feel it is necessary to exploit her love for her father King Lear.

She responds to her father that she only loves him like a daughter is to love her father, she is the only sister that is not after her father's throne, she speaks the truth and is the only one that truly loves him. Furthermore Gloucester's good son Edgar, is very naive to his brothers plan against his family. He never relizes until the end that his brother has double crossed him. However good is mostly present near the end of the play on act five. This is when Edgar decides to confront his brother and defeats him in a sword fight.

As Edmund is dying he relizes that he is entering the afterlife and speaks: I pant for life: some good I mean to do, Despite of mine own nature. Quickly send, Be brief in it, to th castle; for my writ Is on the life of Lear and on Cordelia: Nay, send in time. (pg 142) His conscience speaks att his point and mentions that some good he tries to do, and is the first time that Edmund seems clean of evil. Likewise, Lear also speaks from his heart at the end of the play. one occasion is when he discovers that his fool has died. And my poor fool is hanged: no, no, no life Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, And thou no breath at all Thou It come no more, Never, never, never, never, never.

Pray you, undo this button. Thank you, sir. (pg 144) For the first time he acted with affection towards one of his servers, something he never did before. In addition he is devastated when he finds his daughters dead, specially Cordelia. In this act the characters that did and lurked to do evil have given their life and each others a greater importance. Power and rank, are no longer the priority in Edmund, Regan, Lear, and Goneril's soul, they all have life, and perhaps love as a supremacy.

Misinterpretation of the importance of being on this world has struck many characters in the play. King Lear shows us through the characters how as individuals we give material possessions and power more significance over people, rather than to do the right thing and watch out for eachother. Good and evil is though of as a constant struggle inside us, but itis a choice we decide on. It is not something that happens as a mistake orfoult, people choose to do evil. And it is represented accordingly in William Shakespeare's play King Lear.