Many critics regard "King Lear" as the greatest, and most tragic, of William Shakespeare's plays; indeed, some claim that it is the most tragic play ever written. And yet, it is difficult to see why we should regard "King Lear" as a tragedy for the King is basically a pathetic old man, vain and foolish, rash in his judgment and incapable of controlling his emotions. This characterization seems to preclude viewing Lear on the Aristotelian model of a tragic hero, as someone raised above the ordinary level of humanity, except in the most conventional sense of his social status. Moreover, in ...

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

Victors and Vanquished, The Interesting Narrative, and The Social Contract gave their readers a glimpse into what the world was like before it became modern. New resources and different cultures were being discovered by explorers that the Old World had never been aware of before. Slaves were a large part of expanding the global economy. There was no government that was representative of the people established until the Age of Revolution. People demanded that they have a say in who governs them. ...

• Word Count: 2761
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: High School