In our eagerness to identify with Shakespeare's characters, we run the risk of bringing them down to our own level. ... I will not go over the details of Jaffa's subtle analysis; suffice it to say here that he points the way to understanding Lear as a tragic figure. ... In another essay on "King Lear," I have tried to extend Jaffa's analysis, analyzing the process of education the king undergoes when he loses power. ... 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. ... For one thin...

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