King Lear and A Thousand Acres: A Comparison
In William Shakespeare’s King Lear and Jane Smiley’s A Thousand Acres, the reader willfind that both works use similar character types that mirror each other to increase further the similarities and meaning of the works. Perhaps no similarity is as striking as that of the fathers’. They share three characteristics which bind them and make their parallels unmistakable. The first, and most obvious, is that they are both proprietors of a large estate. King Lear’s property consists of England and Larry Cook’s property is that of a thousand acres of land in Iowa. This land brings the primary conflicts of the two works into focus. Before their downward spiral, both men are revered and respected. Their social status has brought them honor, only up to the point where the fathers seek to divide their land. After that, things take a turn for the worse. As it relates to King Lear, he gathers his royal entourage and begins to divide the kingdom between his three daughters. To determine who would receive what, Lear asks that his daughters profess their love for him. When his two eldest, Goneril and Regan speak falsely about their affection for their father, Lear bestows upon each of them a portion of the kingdom. When it comes
. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
Goneril Regan, King Lear, Ginny Larry, Conversely Shakespearean, Thousand Acres, Cordelia Caroline, Ginny Daddy, Larry Cooks, Larry Cook, Ginny Jess, king lear, thousand acres, profess love, receive lear, ginny rose, goneril regan,
Approximate Word count = 980
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
|