KING LEAR

A detailed Summary of KING LEAR

In King Lear, the unnatural elements seem to always dominate the natural elements throughout the play. There exists a reversal of order in the play where the evil prosper in the downfall of the good, and where man's life is meaningless and arbitrary. King Lear, the tragic hero, dies in the end despite the torment and agony he had to endure to regenerate and repent. But it is the worthless destruction of countless other lives because of Lear's own personal tragedy that supports the view of the brutality and the meaningless of man's life in the play.

Life in Lear's universe is brutal, and at times, merciless. All this has been brought about by the reign of evil in the play. The natural order of things has been reversed to such an extent that many of society's cherished values have been neglected and confused. Evil characters such as Edmund is praised by Gloucester for exposing the "treachery" of Edgar, while Edgar is denounced for his "villany". Love, based on selflessness and truth, is weighted in materialistic terms. A man's life, then, can only be considered arbitrary and meaningless in the chaotic universe of King Lear.

Finally, if the deaths of Gloucester and Lear seemed unfair, then the death of Cordelia can be considered totally unjust. Cordelia embodies the virtues of selflessness and honesty completely, and she had enough love to help her father despite his total mistreatment of her in the beginning. Cordelia dies brutally in the end, murdered by a captain bribed by Edmund. Her brutal death is such a devastating shock that one can only claim that a man's life is meaningless in King Lear. Cordelia, of all the characters, should not have died, and to die in such a brutal manner indicates the brutality of a man's life in King Lear.

Therefore, in King Lear, Shakespeare does not present an indifferent universe. He also does not present that man's life is meaningless. He does indicate, however, that there is justice in suffering, that evil proves to be futile, and that only through goodness is a sense of religious hope and spiritual bond possible. By illustrating these facts, Shakespeare wishes to indicate that not only is the universe 'not indifferent', but also that man's nature is very pertinent to the maintenance of justice on earth.

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Approximate Word count = 768
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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KING LEAR

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