I am sure that most critics would, as Eliot evidently did, reject this characterization of King Lear, but the question remains: is there anything in their readings of the play that would allow them to counter this view of its hero? ... In the unsettling logic of the world of Lear, the characters pay a terrible price for the wisdom they gain and none more so than Lear himself. ... In trying to articulate what Lear learns, it is easy to distort the nature of his experience, presenting in an organized and coherent form insights that in fact come to Lear in fits and starts. ...

• Word Count: 8939
• Approx Pages: 36
• Grade Level: High School