King Lear

             King Lear takes his first step in becoming a tragic hero, according to Aristotle, when he makes his initial mistake, his hamartia. Trying to be fair to his three daughters, Lear tests each on of them in order to for them to receive a part of his kingdom. He asks them all just how much each love him. The youngest, and Lear's favorite daughters, tells Lear ( no comma) (13) that she can not possibly love him with all her heart and neither could her sisters, since they have husbands. Lear becomes infuriated with her and exiles her. The other sisters gives (14) into Lear's questioning and tells (15) him exactly what he wanted to hear. On top of making a grave mistake by exiling Cordelia, the most capable one to rule England, Lear also make the mistake of trusting his other two, less virtuous, with the responsibility of ruling his kingdom. One may think that Lear just over reacts because his beloved Cordelia did not return the same amount of love that he showed her and he would amend his actions. Lear does (17) not and (18, 19) he stayed strong in his convictions even when his top advisor asked him to reconsider his decisions and not exile Cordelia. Lear's response to this is " (20) Nothing. I have sworn. I am firm." (1.1 ll 183)3 (21) This quote signifies Lear's error of judgment or his hamartia. Lear has the chance to amend his actions; however, by(22) being a tragic hero, according to Aristotle, Lear cannot apologize to Cordelia, thus performing his hamartia, or his ultimate mistake. With Lear's stubbornness, he does not to see the mistake that he has made and the bricks are laid for the following tragic events that Lear has set on himself. His actions take away all the positive feelings the reader my have gained in the beginning of the text and that due to "The (23) magnitude of this first error is generally fully recognized by the reader, owing his sympathy with Cordelia." 4 Essentially his actions cause (24)the reader to want to see bad things happen to Lear and it also takes away all thoughts of him as respectable king and father.