Free Essays on King Lear

King Lear Essay Outline #6 – Examine the characteristics that make the evil characters temporarily succeed. For what reasons do they fail? I – Introduction  · A Shakespearean play that closely relates to society.  · The evil characters temporarily succeed but fail in the end.  · They think they can outsmart society but get what they deserve in the end.  · Jealousy erupts between the two sisters.  · Edmund’s peculiar change of heart.  · Cornwall didn’t have enough knowledge to persecute Lear and Gloucester.  · Evil characters had to many obstacles to succeed and failed due to other conflicts. Thesis: By looking at Regan’s, Goneril’s, Edmund’s, and Cornwall’s determination for control, desire for power, and lack of conscience they temporarily succeed but fail in the end due to jealousy, change of heart, and lack of control II – Body Paragraph 1  · Sub point: Regan and Goneril portray evil characteristics by being clever; they have no conscience, only appetite.  · Personifications of evil and greedy ambition.  · Profess their love to Lear with lies, insincerity, and wrong intentions.  · This begins Regan and Goneril’s plan because Lear believed then and gave them land.  · Goneril complains about Lear and say, â€Å"His knights grow riotous, and himself upbraids us/† (I iii, line 6)  · Both Regan and Goneril didn’t want Lear to live with them.  · Cornwall and Regan demand that Kent be put in the stocks.  · Goneril makes Lear beg on his knees to Regan for forgiveness.  · They leave Lear outside in storm and lock the doors on him.  · Insult Gloucester, tie him up, and pull on his beard. (pg.161)  · Goneril insults Albany of being a coward.  · Regan promises Oswald a reward if he can kill Gloucester.  · Goneril urges Edmund to kill Albany.  · Begin to fail because of dispute over Edmund.  · Alliance begins to separate because of the desire of Edmund.  · Reg... Free Essays on King Lear Free Essays on King Lear A Great Tragedy: The good misunderstood and the evil accepted Shakespeare’s King Lear and Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus is a detailed description of the consequences of one mans decisions that ends in a tragedy. Lear and Faustus decisions greatly alter their lives and the lives of those around them. These two stories are defined as tragedies because they meet the criteria of what a tragic hero stands for, i.e. a hero is larger than life, and both stories have a tragic fall caused by some error or moral weakness. It is not till the end of the plays that the honest people are recognized. The stories reveal a fatal error in judgement and a character flaw, which causes their downfall, suffering and enlightenment. In the opening of Shakespeare’s King Lear the first error in judgement is introduced in scene 1.1 lines 95-98, where Cordelia confesses her love for her father. Good my lord, You have begot me, bred me, loved me; I return those duties back as are right fit, Obey you, love you, and most honor you. Cordelia understands her position and accepts her duty without question. Lear ignores the fact that cordelia is pouring her heart out and confessing her unconditional love for him and in return he turns his back on her. Cordelia was prideful, and even a fool in her response, but I believe she was simply being honest and true. I believe this is the beginning of his downfall, which will lead him on a path of suffering. Lear made a monumental mistake when he handed over his kingship to his two evil daughters, Regan and Goneril. This is what eventually led him to his mental breakdown and the deaths of many individuals. If he had only choose to keep control over his kingdom or to give up control to someone trustworthy, then his suffering would have been reduced. Faustus much like Lear has made an error in judgement when he chooses to ignore the advice of the fictional Good and Bad Angels and the old man. The ... Free Essays on King Lear King Lear Essay Outline #6 – Examine the characteristics that make the evil characters temporarily succeed. For what reasons do they fail? I – Introduction  · A Shakespearean play that closely relates to society.  · The evil characters temporarily succeed but fail in the end.  · They think they can outsmart society but get what they deserve in the end.  · Jealousy erupts between the two sisters.  · Edmund’s peculiar change of heart.  · Cornwall didn’t have enough knowledge to persecute Lear and Gloucester.  · Evil characters had to many obstacles to succeed and failed due to other conflicts. Thesis: By looking at Regan’s, Goneril’s, Edmund’s, and Cornwall’s determination for control, desire for power, and lack of conscience they temporarily succeed but fail in the end due to jealousy, change of heart, and lack of control II – Body Paragraph 1  · Sub point: Regan and Goneril portray evil characteristics by being clever; they have no conscience, only appetite.  · Personifications of evil and greedy ambition.  · Profess their love to Lear with lies, insincerity, and wrong intentions.  · This begins Regan and Goneril’s plan because Lear believed then and gave them land.  · Goneril complains about Lear and say, â€Å"His knights grow riotous, and himself upbraids us/† (I iii, line 6)  · Both Regan and Goneril didn’t want Lear to live with them.  · Cornwall and Regan demand that Kent be put in the stocks.  · Goneril makes Lear beg on his knees to Regan for forgiveness.  · They leave Lear outside in storm and lock the doors on him.  · Insult Gloucester, tie him up, and pull on his beard. (pg.161)  · Goneril insults Albany of being a coward.  · Regan promises Oswald a reward if he can kill Gloucester.  · Goneril urges Edmund to kill Albany.  · Begin to fail because of dispute over Edmund.  · Alliance begins to separate because of the desire of Edmund.  · Reg... Free Essays on King Lear The tempest in Act III influences the character King Lear significantly. The storm is an echo of Lear’s inner turmoil and his growing insanity: the awesome power of the storm is a physical, chaotic natural reflection of Lear’s internal confusion. Although Lear does not recover his good sense, and learn from his mistakes to become a better king, he begins to learn his weakness and insignificance compared to the remarkable forces of the natural world. As result of this Lear begins to become a humble and caring individual. The storm is a reflection of the crazed mind that Lear possesses. Trying to face down the storm shows despair and the increased loss of his sense of reality. Speaking to the storm, he commands: Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow! You cataracts and hurrincanoes, spout Till you have drenched our steeples, drowned the cocks! (King Lear P.105). The king is powerless to the storm making him realize his own mortality Lear believes his world is coming to an end because his daughters have betrayed him. Also by having his power stripped from him by his daughters, he thinks that the outside world is going to end as well. The chaos that is the storm, is also a reflection of the chaos of Britain without Lears authority. Along with Lear's growing despair and projection, we also see his understandable obsession with his daughters betrayal: "Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire, are my daughters: / I tax you not, you elements, with unkindness" (King Lear P.105). Lear tells the thunder that he does not blame it for attacking him because it does not owe him anything. But he does blame his "two pernicious daughters"(King Lear P.107) for their betrayal. In spite of the clear onset of insanity, Lear exhibits some degree of rational thought he is still able to locate the source of his misfortune. Lear is realizing that he is going mad, even with this terrifying realization he starts to become compassionate ... Free Essays on King Lear According to critics, King Lear is the most devastating of Shakespeare’s tragedies and perhaps his most moving. King Lear is just as powerful when translated to different languages, converted to film, and set in lands far different than ancient Britain. Upon completing the text of King Lear and watching it on film, I have determined that there are numerous differences between the two. Some of these differences found in the film make the tragedy more effective, while others are rather insignificant and deter from the themes discussed in the book. Each performance and portrayal of the play is unique in its own way. Some ideas are presented better in the movie, while others are presented better in the book. As I read throughout the text of the play, I imagined the castle as being large and constructed of concrete. We soon find out that it is made of wood and the roof seems to leak. When we picture royalty, we see the best living conditions and environment known to man. The film shows King Lear and his family residing in an old, run down facility. People of significance and higher class most often are clean shaven and wear the finest of clothing. The characters in the movie have full beards, long gnarly hair, and present themselves in an unorthodox manner. These traits and customs are rather insignificant to the emotions brought forth by the play, but still present the audience with a form of irony. Lear’s daughters, Goneril and Regan, were thought to be younger than the film portrayed them as. Lear is pictured exactly how I imagined him. I believe that if the film had cast younger females to play the roles that it would produce a larger contrast showing just exactly how old King Lear truly is. This wouldn’t fit in with the description of King Lear though. King Lear is said to be in his eighty’s. If the film showed his daughters being really young, confusion would result. The chance of an old man having really...