The Wages of Sin - King Lear

A detailed Summary of The Wages of Sin - King Lear

King Lear, a play by Shakespeare, is a detailed look at the consequences of one man's decisions, which greatly alter his life and the lives around him. Lear, the King of England, sinfully surrenders his kingdom to his daughters in reward for demonstrating their love for him, beginning a downward spiral of tragic events all leading back to that one moment. At one point in the play, Lear falsely states that he is, "a man more sinned against than sinning" (III.ii.62-63), for Lear has sinned a great deal and does deserve all that has come to him.

As the play opens, one can almost immediately see that Lear begins to make mistakes that will eventually result in his downfall. The very first words spoken by Lear are:

"...Give me the map there. Know that we have divided

In three our kingdom, and 'tis our fast intent

To shake all cares and business from our age,

Conferring them on younger strengths, while we

If that her breath will mist or stain the stone,

This gives the first indication of Lear's intent to resign from his throne. He goes on further to offer his kingdom, in three pieces, to his daughters as a form of his test of love.

She's dead as earth.-Lend me a looking glass.

That we our largest bounty may extend

Some common words found in the essay are:
IIIii62-63 Lear, Howl Howl, King England, Kent Cordelia, King Lear, kingdom daughters, howl howl, sinned sinning, sins play,

Approximate Word count = 641
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

join now Save Paper

Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

"Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
Jack M.
"With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
Brian P.
"I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
Sara J.
"I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
Rachel W.
"I love this site!!!"
Marie N.