King Lear is a play that illustrates this poignant theme in brutal reality. ... At the beginning of the play, we see Lear as a proud, vain, and rash old king, not necessarily evil, but not good either. ... Shakespeare has transformed Lear from a rash and egotistical old king into a more kindly and sympathetic character. ... Blindness in King Lear is the inability to see past deception and see people for the way they truly are. ... King Lear was blinded and unable to see Regan and Goneril for their true character. ...

• Word Count: 1402
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

King Lear: Themes Many themes are evident in King Lear, but perhaps one of the most prevalent relates to the theme of justice. ... King Lear's sin was that he disrupted this chain of being by relinquishing his throne. ... King Lear holds firm to his belief that the world is governed by the gods and in justice. ... Gloucester plays a parallel role to Lear in the play. ... Edgar is the moralist in this play. ...

• Word Count: 1734
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

Has your study of King Lear and its reception in a range of contexts lead you to believe the play supports or sabotages structures of power? ... Structures of power are intrinsic to the play King Lear and its function as a seventeenth century power play. ... Interpretations of this message have varied since the initial performance of King Lear in 1606 and are continually adapting to changes within society and human development in general. ... Imre Csiszar's 1981 interpretation of King Lear is one of several attempts to adapt the play to its specific audience and context, with his interpr...

• Word Count: 1753
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Proposing a test of his daughters' adoration, King Lear asks them each to describe how much they truly love him. ... Goneril, Lear's eldest daughter, is the first female character to speak in the play. ... The third and final female character of King Lear stands as the exact opposite of her sisters: Cordelia, Lear's youngest daughter, is least seen throughout the play. ... This resolution comes at the climax of the play: although good has somewhat triumphed, the King and all three of his daughters perish. ... These women hold the most important roles of any characters in King ...

• Word Count: 1537
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Physical sight as opposed to the metaphorical sight of truth is a pivotal theme in King Lear by William Shakespeare. ... In the opening scene of the play, both Gloucester and Lear believe their children love them. ... And with this final knowledge and final opening of his eyes, King Lear dies. Clearly the images of sight and blindness are central to the story of King Lear and to the character development of Gloucester and King Lear himself. ... All quotes taken from King Lear: A Conflated Text, The Complete Pelican Shakespeare, ed. ...

• Word Count: 1839
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

To illustrate this point, I"ll briefly examine Iago and Othello from Othello; Edmund, Goneril, Regan, and Lear from King Lear; Jachimo and Posthumus from Cymbeline; finally, poor jealous Leontes and opportunist Autolycus from The Winter's Tale. ... Lear started his trouble, when he came in like a big jackass and made everyone declare their love for him. ... However, when she didn't want to play ball, Lear blows up, casts her out, and gets rid of one of the few people who will stay true to him throughout the entire play (Kent). ... Edmund was just a jealous brother that wanted ...

• Word Count: 1756
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School