Throughout the play many evil deeds are committed. The characters Goneril, Regan, and Edmund kill and injure in the quest for power. These evil ambitions shock the audience and have a direct effect on other characters. Gloucester says "As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport."(Act IV, scene I, lines 37-38). We see here that in his despair Gloucester no longer believes in justice or morality. To an audience member this is sign of the depth of how evil the villain's actions are. Finally, in Act V retaliation is shown. All the villains are killed along with the good. When one sees the image of Cordelia, one of the most beloved characters dead it is very upsetting. The impact of the good dieing along with the evil instills that evil is a damaging force. Punishment and death can not be avoided if evil deeds are committed.

The innocent characters are just as complex as the villains. Lear himself is not without flaws. He is blind to the truth and because of this makes unwise decisions. When we go through the play we can see that his attitude has changed. He sees his errors and understands that he has done wrong. At the end of the play he is humbled and caring. When Lear is faced with death he does not care because he has the love of his daughter Cordelia. This is why he says "Come, let's away to prison. We two alone will sing like birds in a cage. (Act 5 Scene 3 lines 8-9)". After Cordelia is killed, Lear knows that he has lost his love and dies in despair. Here we see the importance of Shakespeare's characterization of Cordelia as well. She only appears in a few scenes but in those scenes the audience is shown her bravery and insight. Her character is seen as flawless. This is why her death leaves such an impression on the characters and the audience. When Lear shouts, "that heaven's vault should crack. She's gone forever! (Act 5, scene 3, line 309).

The characters play an important role in instilling the theme to the audience. Goneril and Regan serve as the villains. Ambitions cause them t

Some common words found in the essay are:
Goneril Regan, King Lear, Regan Edmund, Jameson Cordelia, Finally Act, Rev Hudson, Marie Hugo, goneril regan, king lear, evil deeds, William Shakespeare's, Shakespeare's King, shakespeare's king lear, 5 scene 3, character audience, committed characters, 5 scene, scene 3, act 5 scene, punishment death, evil deeds committed, cordelia effect, deeds committed characters, deeds committed,
Approximate Word count = 809
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)