King Lear

The seemingly loving and honest sisters, Generic and Reagan, and Starr son, Edmund, are In reality; evil, uncaring, deceitful beings, and clothing that symbolizes who a person Is, Is simply only an Illusion. Early on in the play, Learns two daughters, Generic and Reagan, appear to be very caring and are loving towards him, but with animal Imagery, their true nature is shown. When Lear tells his three daughter to profess their love to him (when he is dividing the kingdom) Generic and Reagan speak words of love and affection such as ” Sir, I love you more than word can wield the matter,… Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare,… , when In reality, they do not possess the feelings they claim they have. Their appearance is that they are sincere, loyal and charming but the reality is the opposite. The two sister lie to their father to get what they want. They say what they know he wants to hear. It is only after Generic tries to force Lear to get rid of his men when he finally starts to realism how uncaring they are. Lear even calls Generic a “Detested kite! “, and that Is in fact what she is. Her and her sister lied and faked emotion to benefit them, “fed” off Lear as a vulture would to It’s prey.

Further Into the play, Lear completely realizes his daughters true evil nature, “… How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child. “, again referring to them as unpleasant, vile animals. They took advantage of their father who was blinded by his ego to see the reality of who his daughters were. He mistook Generic and Reagan as the loving daughters, and Cornelia as the unloving one. Just because Cornelia did not play Learns love game, she was seen as the uncaring child. The reality of the daughters nature was swapped.

These uses of animal Imagery help show what the woo, seemingly loving and affectionate sisters are actually Like. Deceitful, and cruel. Another way that the play shows false appearance is with clothing imagery. If a person wears extravagant, well-made clothing he is thought to be high society and is well respected. On the contrary, someone who wears ragged clothing is seen as useless, unimportant, and of low society. Lear was seen as powerful and respected, he was In fact the King, and wore luxurious robes and a fancy crown. In reality, he was not an intelligent man who was as powerful as he perceived himself to be.

His loathing gave him that appearance, the illusion of power. When he had nothing, no kingdom, power, authority, or shelter, he still had the clothing, but he realizes that it now means nothing, “Through tattered clothes great vices do appear;’ Robes and furred gowns hide all. Plate sin with gold,… “. In this quote Lear Is saying that poor people may appear to have weaker characters, but people Like him have this clothing clothing portray certain expected qualities of the wearer. Edgar, the son of Gloucester, knew of these societal perceptions and used them to his advantage.

His Starr brother, Edmund, forges a letter of him plotting to kill his father. When his father learns of his apparent plan, he seeks to kill Edgar. To keep from being found and killed Edgar disguises himself as a Bedlam beggar, “… Brought near to beast. My face I’ll grime with filth,] Blanket my loins, elf all my hair in knots,] And with presented nakedness outface/ The winds and persecutions of the sky. ” Since he drastically altered his appearance, and removed his clothes that represented who he is, no one will recognize and be able to kill him. This imagery shows Just how important and influential the clothing they wear are.

Society associates specific appearances to specific people. If you have the look, you are what the look signifies. An illusion of importance or unimportance can be made depending on what clothes are draped. This imagery again explores the theme of appearance verses reality and shows the reader what reality is underneath the appearance. As well as the previous types of imagery enhanced the central theme, eye imagery is perhaps the most prominent. Eyes are what literally see what happens. It would be presumed that one could see the reality when it is happening before their eyes, but n King Lear this was not the case.

As mentioned before, Generic and Reagan were also reality twisting children who deceived their father. Eye imagery is used to help covey the message that Lear is finally seeing the reality of his daughters when he says, “Pierce every sense thee! / Old fond eyes J Between this cause again, I’ll pluck ye out. And cast you with the waters that you loose/ To temper clay. ‘ Yea, isn’t come to this? Ha! Let it be so, I have another daughter/ Who I am sure is kind and comfortable. ” He now has the idea that Generic and Reagan are the daughters that do not care for him, ND that it is, in fact, Cornelia that truly loves him.

Edmund appears to all as a fine young gentleman who is loyal and brave. In reality, Edmund is a cunning, devious, opportunist who will stop at nothing to please himself. Gloucester and many others are tricked by Edmunds appearance. What Gloucester does not see or refuse to see, is the hatred Edmund has for him because of his cavalier treatment of him. Edmund wants all control of Gloucester money and power. He fools both Edgar and Gloucester, destroying both of them, and turns them against each other. Only when Gloucester loses his physical sight does he see the reality of his two sons, “O my follies!

Then Edgar was abused. Kind gods forgive me that, and prosper him! “. He is told that Edmund was the one who ratted him out and that Edgar, all along, wasn’t plotting to kill him. What appeared to him was Edmund was the honorable one and Edgar was the one turning against him, when in reality, it was the other way around. This type of imagery shows that what is seen is not always what it appears to be. These characters acted in a manner that made them appear to be who they are not, and even with sight, the reality was not seen immediately.

To conclude, Shakespeare effectively used imagery in King Lear to help emphasis his theme of appearance verses reality, and how things are not always what they appear to be. The use of animal imagery to portray the true nature of the two and eye imagery of how things that can be physically seen, are not always what they appear to be, all further prove that reality can be completely different from the appearance. At first glance or impression, something can seem totally different than it’s reality. Sometimes in order to see the truth, it takes more than Just seeing and believing what is right before your eyes.

Although a similar vision of justice is encompassed within King Lear and The Tempest, both protagonists receive fate strikingly dissimilar from one another; as a direct result of the relationship shared between their respective daughters, which ultimately distinguishes the plays from the similar concepts (compassion, nature, monarchy, and usurping) found within them. In King Lear, the nature of mercy and redemption are unobtainable elements, as the form of a Shakespearean tragedy is established on the foundation of chaos and pity, which arguably conceals the subtle (or blatant) relationship between both plays.

Both plays include a tempest; a violent thunderstorm that symbolize a life-changing moment for the introspective protagonists. Prospered magic conjures the violent storm described in The Tempest, which destroys the boat of his royal enemies and prompts the pilot of the play. Unlike Prosper, Lear is a victim of the tempest described in his tragedy, but Shakespeare purposely uses this scene to ‘ cleanse’ the drenched king as he makes a revelation through an emotional soliloquy, thus humbugging him.

This concept of nature’s fury, although mutually significant in both respective plays, also discloses the dissimilarity shared between the two protagonists. Prosper, from the opening scene, was described as wise and empathetic, specifically using the storm to confront his enemies, not to cause harm. Prosper was already introduced to the audience as a humankind protagonist, while Shakespeare depicted Lear as ‘blind’ until his own tempest in the middle of the play. The significance of the tempest scenes symbolizes the genesis of repentance and retribution for both of the principal characters.

Although Prosper is successful in restoring his role as the rightful king in the plays climax, Learner’s kingdom is obliterated and results in his death. The notable nature behind the protagonist’s paternal role towards their daughter tryingly influences the events of the play, as both elderly kings are fathers to similarly angelic daughters. In King Lear, the audience is quickly clued in on Learner’s foolishness as a father, since Shakespeare manifests this notion through the old kings retirement celebration.

Learner’s two daughters, General and Reagan, are wicked women who manipulatively express their faux affection towards their narcissistic father. Ironically, Cornelia remains the only daughter of virtue who proclaims that the sincere affection she feels towards him transcends mere words. King Learner’s opening CT alone already corresponds with the introduction found within The Tempest’s introduction, except the scenario is presented in a reverse manner.

Lear was seeking an early retirement and attempted to distribute his kingdom between his three daughters, while Prosper was usurped of his dukedom by his treacherous younger brother, Antonio. Despite of the similarities presented in the opening act, Shakespeare also reveals the pivotal difference behind the plays father/daughter dynamic. Unlike Lear, Prosper is completely engrossed in Miranda and her well- being from the plays opening, even comparing her too cherub: MIRANDA Alack, what trouble Was I then to you! PROSPER O, a cherubim Thou waste that did preserve me.

Thou didst smile. Infused with a fortitude from heaven. (1. 2. 51-54) Shakespeare arguably uses Miranda for the sole purpose of symbolism, since her character’s actions are essentially irrelevant to the events in The Tempest, as she’s utilized more as an image of Prospered fatherly love rather than a character of great significance. Cornelia, whose nature is undeniably similar to Miranda, is portrayed as one the most compelling characters in King Lear, due to her role as the angelic daughter who substitutes Marinara’s naivety with awareness.

Shakespeare exchanges the protagonist’s role through their daughters in both King Lear and The Tempest; Lear exhibits Marinara’s naivety and Prosper reflects Cordillera’s compassion. Shakespeare distinguishes this concept from the onset of both plays and hints towards the protagonist’s fate through, once again, their daughters. Prosper established his endearment towards Miranda in the beginning of The Tempest and consistently demonstrated his loyalty towards her. Shakespeare rewards the unconditional love exhibited by the elderly king and compensates the former ruler with a favorable conclusion.

In King Lear, the protagonist is not bestowed with the same fortune, as Lear also hints towards his fate during the plays introduction. Lear does not refer to his celestial daughter a cherub, like Prosper did, and chooses to disown his daughter instead: LEAR: Let it be so. Thy truth then be thy dower. For by the sacred radiance of the sun, The mysteries of Hectare and the night, By all the operation of the orbs From whom we do exist and cease to be-? Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity, and property of blood, And as a stranger to my heart and me Hold thee from this for ever.

The barbarous Scythian, Or he that makes his generation messes To gorge his appetite, shall to my bosom Be as well neighborhood, pitied, and relieved As thou my sometime daughter. (109-123) Truthfully, Lear only disowned his daughter through the sole notion that she didn’t love him (verbally), but the motive behind this harsh act does not exempt Lear from the grim fate Shakespeare had reserved. A Shakespearean tragedy is molded on the tragic figure’s hamster, as Learner’s foolishness’ was evidently his.

Betrayal of kin spreads like poison throughout King Learner’s conclusion: Gloucester, Lear, Reagan, and General all meet their grim fate because of the deception they inflicted on their families. Cornelia is substantially the most tragic character in King Lear (and arguably all of the tragedies) due to her innocent and compassionate persona, which rejects the bitterness imposed from being the victim of betrayal and attempts to restore her father’s usurped title.

However, the unspeakable act behind a father abandoning his saintly daughter strongly indicates why Shakespeare bestowed Prosper with magic and Lear with madness. Superficially, King Lear and The Tempest both provide many of the elements squired in a revenge plot. Both protagonists are conceptually banished after their royal power is renounced, regardless if the title was robbed from them or relinquished willingly, and desire to restore their former glory. The plays also describe similar scenes of madness experienced by Lear but inflicted by Prosper on secondary characters.

Although betrayal and the search for Justice are elements fundamental to the plays plot, neither story qualifies in taking the title of a revenge tragedy. In King Lear, the only character that arguably has a motive for revenge is Edmund for being mocked as an illegitimate child. Lear, the principal character, is responsible for triggering the events of the play by allowing the wicked sisters to rule his kingdom and disown Cornelia. In The Tempest, the magical harpy generated by Prospered magic doesn’t qualify as the Vengeful ghost’ most revenge tragedies would describe.

Prosper succeeds in his revenge by restoring his stolen title from Antonio, but expresses mercy and compassion towards his enemies, therefore voiding the play from any tragic genre. Predominantly, the themes illustrated in The Tempest and King Lear project the once for Justice, but the concept behind familial betrayal stem from the protagonist’s daughters and ultimately receive Judgment from Shakespeare. The component of evil is not entirely absent from The Tempest, as Clinical (the son of the Devil who attempted to rape young Miranda) is undeniably a wicked character.

Clinical echoes similarities to Lagos character in Othello, evoking the idea that the Devil mightier had more children scattered throughout the Shakespearean universe. While the Journey for restoration described in King Lear arguably parallels the plot thin The Tempest, the progress actually made by protagonists reveals that the psyche of both men are actually years apart. Prosper is already enjoying the relationship he shares with his daughter at the beginning of his play while Lear doesn’t make his revelation until half of the plays events elapse.

In fact, Lear is ironically more sane as a madman then he ever was as king. Shakespeare gives the notion that the power behind father-daughter relationship transcends any obstacle hurled towards the protagonist, as described by the victory Prosper achieved after Ewing exiled to a distant island, but the tragedy depicted in King Lear reminds the audience of the grim consequences one must face when turning their back on innocent family. The conclusion of both plays, Just like their introductions, are described in a reverse fashion.

Shakespeare temporarily forgave Lear through compassionate Cornelia, while Prosper exhibited his compassion by forgiving the other characters. Prosper learns compassion through Miranda, a concept that Shakespeare deliberately instilled in Lear when it was too late . If Shakespeare had altered the conclusion in King Lear to an ending where Lear survived the chaos, then t would be plausible to assume his character would exhibit the same characteristics of Prosper; two elderly rulers who where once usurped by malicious family and learned the value of compassion through their righteous daughters.

Of course, this theoretical concept of King Lear concluding in peace would null the play from its tragic form, and reclassify the drama as a comedy Just like it’s companion play, The Tempest. Moreover, The elements of a tragedy illustrated in The Tempest are not as blatant as those described in King Lear, if anything, the hamster Lear suffers from is substituted by Prospered wisdom. The element of hope, however, is a strong tragic component that pulsates throughout the veins of both plays. The audience evidently sympathizes with both protagonists, as both elderly men have been “more sinned against than sinning. (3. 2. 1372), but Shakespeare ultimately scrutinizes the elderly men through their behavior as fathers-of-celestial women and Judges their fate by either condemning the protagonist to an agonizing death or rewarding him with the honor of restored monarchy and freedom. *Addendum: If given the fortunate opportunity to celebrate my 65th birthday, Judging by how I fleet on life the past 24 years, I can certainly see myself remembering Shakespearean work as the key to understanding hamster and the very-real danger it can demonstrate.

Aristotle coined the term hamster, but it wasn’t until I read Shakespearean Hamlet that I realized the consequences of your internal-flaws. Similar to Hamlet, I used to have an indecisive personality, (which hasn’t completely faded from my subconscious), and I frequently would think-before acting and find faux justifications in delaying my goals: applying for scholarships, working harder in grade school, daily exercise, healthy dieting, and managing finances.

Although I didn’t interact with the ghost of my father nor seek revenge against my treacherous uncle, I lost dozens of life-enriching opportunities due to being indecisive and it haunts me frequently. I can only assume, and hope, that the age of 65 will be a milestone for decades of utilizing a revamped proactive persona, as the tragedies will always remind me of the catastrophes that stem from personality flaws. After all, what better way can we pity a tragic figure than to express our own compassion towards their suffering?

Research and provide examples of the following literary terms: 1 . Simile- A simile is a direct comparison that always contains word as or like. Examples: He is as wealthy as 3111 Gate. Her personality Is like a bubble In a bottle to champagne. 2. Metaphor- A metaphor Is a comparison without the use of as or like. It refers to a person or object (as) being (like) another. The comparison Is Implied rather than stated directly.

Examples: He is a half witch. 3. Personification-A trope or figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is given human qualities or abilities. Examples: The wind stood up and gave a shout. The road isn’t built that can make it breathe hard. Litotes- Is a figure to speech consisting to an understatement In Welch an Attractive Is expressed by negating Its opposite. Litotes uses a negative and an opposite to understate what Is Intended. Examples: He is no Einstein. (He is academically weak) 5.

Hyperbole-An Hyperbole is an over -exaggeration, not meant to be taken literally. It aims to create humor or to emphasize a point. Examples: The teacher complained that she had had hundreds of interruption that ay. She prepared enough food to teed an army. E. Paradox- A paradox Is a seemingly absurd or contradictory statement when analyzed, Is found to be true. The opposites are not next to each other, but are found In the same sentence. Examples: You will kill him with your kindness. (Your kind deeds are doing more harm than good. She is only happy when she has something to worry about. (A happy worrier. ) 7. Euphemism – It expresses an unpleasant or uncomfortable situation in a more sensitive, kind and tactful manner, The purpose Is to soften the blow, protect feelings or to be politically correct. Example: The camp forbids any form of chemical stimulants. (Drugs and Alcohol) 8. Ellipsis- It is the act of leaving out a word or words from a sentence deliberately, when the meaning can be understood without them. The three dots (.. Are used to show that a word or words have been left out.

Example: “But, I thought he was Preposition- It raters to an event arising bettor the commencement to the bankruptcy case that Is before the filling of the bankruptcy petrol. This Is onto literary term because It Is not used In figurative or nonliterary sense, and it Is not used to express language by using its usual literal meaning. I believe that this is a typing error, made when the writer added a “m’ in front of a literary term “Repetition”. Repetition- Is the simple repeating of a word, within a sentence or a poetical line, with no particular placement to the words in order to provide emphasis.

Example: we must all hang together or assuredly we shall hang separately. ” 10. Pun- meaning is used to convey humor. They are used in headlines to grab attention and also in Jokes or riddles. Example: Cricket captain stamped. 11 . Suggestion- an idea or a plan that you mention for somebody else to think about. Example: “Children hooked refrain from criminal activity’ suggests the inspector general. 12. Irony- The use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning. The intention is for the opposite to be understood.

Examples: “l can’t wait for my detention on Friday afternoon. ” Walking into the empty cinema, the woman exclaimed,” fortunately, we booked” 13. Sarcasm- sarcasm, like irony, occurs when one thing is said, but something else is intended or understood. However, sarcasm is used with the express purpose of hurting, insulting or humiliating. Examples: Mimi must have worked very hard to be bottom of the class. 14. Rhetorical- is a figure of speech in the form of a question that is asked in order to make appoint.

The question is used as a rhetorical device, posed for the sake of encouraging its listener to consider a message or viewpoint. A rhetorical question expects no answer. Example: “Why are we allowing stress to become an invisible enemy? ” Task 2 poem: “LITTLE BOY CRYING” Relationship between the father and his son in this poem is shown in different ways, using different themes and literal devices such as personification, metaphor and imagery It depicts an angry, sad and frustrated boy whose mind is full of assessment, because of the heartless and cruel behavior of his father.

The poet use of a metaphor in the first stanza “your frame so recently relaxed now tight” (line 6) highlights the perplexed mind of the child. He is very unnerved by this unpleasant slaughter of his hopes of an ecstatic pastime, and his mind is full of spiteful feelings of his father. The poet use of imagery “swimming tears “, “splashing your bare feet” and “angling for a moment’s hint”, shows that the boys tries try to catch a glimpse and of guilt in his father’s eyes and to make his father realize the anguish he is going through.

The use of metaphorical phrase “ogre towers above you” and “grim giant” displays the father as a very dominant person over the child who is comparatively extremely defenseless and vulnerable and it also depicts the father as a negative person and his son unequivocally hates and loathes him. I do agree that the boy finally learnt a lesson from the father’s capital punishment. The father is extremely concerned about the boy and he does not take any pleasure in making his son cry but, even if he is in a great dilemma, he chooses to teach his child a lesson than appeasing him, “wavering hidden behind that mask”.

Play: KING LEAR Task 4 In this play many characters tend to value appearance above the reality, illusion want to see, hear and believe what they think it suits them most and they tend to turn a blind eye on reality. There are also those who present themselves falsely, either to gain advantage or to reveal truth. The play starts off with Lear, as he wishes to be treated as a king and enjoy the title, but does not wish to have to deal with the hassle of governing the country. This is mirrored in his test he gives to daughter, where he asks “which of you shall we say doth love us most? (l . 1. 48) the way this question is phrased already demonstrates that he values a flattering public display of love over real love. Despite the fact that Cornelia, Learns favorite daughter refuses to partake in his game causes him to banish her from the kingdom and his close ally Kent. He confuses declarations of love with love itself. He asks only for the appearance, he does not recognize the real love of Cornelia from her single word, ‘nothing. He mistakes Cordillera’s monosyllable, ‘nothing as an insult.

When he retaliates with the quip ‘nothing will come of nothing and he does not recognize that this truth will apply specifically to him. Instead he values Generic and Reggae’s fake sense of fawning over Cordillera’s demonstration of sincere sense of filial duty. He believes his two older daughters’ sycophantic professions of love, rewarding them with his kingdom. Lear does not recognize his good retainer Kent after long years of service because of Ken’s disguise. Lear is quick to accept him at face value, without any attempt to gain a deeper understanding of him.

Even after reconciliation with Cornelia, Lear mistakes appearance for reality. He believes Cornelia to be alive when she is, in reality, dead. Secondly, in this play we read about the second character that s also unable to establish the difference, in his mind, between what people are saying and doing, and what these people’s true motives are behind their action. His fate parallels Learns when his choice of appearance over reality puts him at the mercy of his evil, ungrateful child.

When Edgar, the good son in disguise as Poor Tom, a madman, pretends to lead his blind father to his blind father to his death at the cliff of Dover, Gloucester, through the illusion of death, is led to an acceptance of afflictions of life. Ironically, the truth kills Gloucester when Edgar reveals his identity. Gloucester sees himself differently from the people around him; he feels that he is a royal, respected man, holding some power and status. Learns evil daughters, however, decide that Gloucester is a traitor by advising Lear to escape to Dover; that is their reality.

For Lear and Gloucester, they allow the deception of their children to destroy them; they value people and situation by appearance, and they have perceptions for themselves which are not realistic. Similarly, we leant that a person cannot accept anything at a face value but must search for deeper truths and learn to recognize and avoid deceit. Task 3 Play: KING LEAR ‘Of all the plays villains in King Lear, Edmund is the most complicated villain character in this play. He is morally bad, evil and he is responsible for causing many harms and wreaking destruction upon virtually many character in this play.

He is a perfect schemer and an unscrupulous character that highly portrays his eagerness to seize any opportunity and does anything to attain his goal. In act 1, scene 2, line 1-22, Edmund delivers soliloquy expressing his dissatisfaction with society’s attitude toward bastard. He bitterly resent his legitimate half-brother, Edgar who stands to reveilles that society has denied him. In his soliloquy he talks of his forged letter which he will use to discredit his brother and deceives his father to place Edgar in a bad light.

His serial treachery is not merely self-interested; it is a conscious rebellion against the social order that has denied him the same status as Gloucester legitimate son Edgar. “Now, gods stand up for bastards” Edmund commands, but in facts he depends not on divine aid but on his own initiative (1. 2. 22). He rejects the “plague of custom” (1. 2. 3) that makes society disdain him and dedicates himself to nature”(l . 2. 1) that is raw and unconstrained existence. After his betrayal of Edgar and his father, Cornwall, Reggae’s husband, becomes like a new father to Edmund, as he also has an opportunistic bent.

Edmunds affairs with Generic and Reagan tie the two subplots together very well, although the relationships are not presented in detail, and they do not exist in the source material for Edmund, Plexiglas. He does not appear to have as much affection for the two sisters as they do for him, and although he was effective against his father and brother, he cannot effectively play the two sisters off against each other It is notable that when he speaks to Generic and Reagan, he does not speak well, whereas in other situations he speaks very well – this is partially due to his trying to conceal his involvement with both of them.

Edmund is the sisters’ lust object, rather than true love, although he himself does not realize this. The death of Oswald plays the main role in the disclosure of the truth and this highly results in the death of Edmund. In act 4, scene 6, after Edgar injures Oswald, he hopes to prevent bloodshed by unsealing his letter than killing him. This letter actually contains evidence that Generic and Edmund are plotting to murder Albany. Edgar is appalled at this discovery against the life of Albany he hands him the letter at right time.

Albany charges Edmund for capital treason and he challenges him to a duel. He calls forward any person to testify that Edmund is a traitor, the disguise Edgar enters, they fight and Edmund gets mortally wounded and he shows a flicker of weakness, and he eventually dies repenting to his villainy. Even if Edmund succeeds in deceiving his brother and betraying his father, he never finds true love. The community always regards him illegitimate. He is rare visible in peoples’ eye (2. 1. 1) “look, sir, I bleed” he wants his father pay attention on him and gives him the love he need. The two older daughters of Lear regard him as their lust object rather than true love, although he himself does not realize this. I do not find Edmund as sympathetic character because throughout this play Edmund is not kind to other characters and he does care about their problems. He is not showing sympathy towards Lear when he is not storm all alone without any shelter and he finally orders the killing of Cornelia without showing sympathy to Learns mental condition.

Fitzgerald, Shakespeare and Miller explore both setting and sound within their writing to mirror the current thoughts and feelings of the character which then allows the audience to understand and sympathise the characters. It could be argued that through the use of setting and sound, the authors dramatically present the extent to which the protagonists have ‘fallen’ mentally. Likewise, with the combination of both sound and setting, the erotic imagery stimulated presents a mirror image of the intense thoughts and emotions of the characters which then allows for the audience to attach themselves emotionally to the characters.

It could be interpreted that the reason behind the authors focus on both sound and setting was to convey their own individual thoughts and feelings of the society and its morals, through the use of the characters introduced in their texts. The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald’s modernist novel, explores certain traits that the characters carry through the use of the surrounding setting.

Through the use of prosperous connotations when describing Gatsby’s ‘colossal mansion’ and ‘enormous garden’, Fitzgerald establishes the protagonist to be royal and perhaps even optimistic as the excessiveness of his parties could symbolise his elaborate plans for himself and Daisy. A magical element is conveyed when the guests ‘whisper’ among ‘the golden food’ and ‘the champagne and the stars. ’ The noun ‘golden’ further portrays Gatsby’s supremacy and could be interpreted that all his possessions are excessive in every way.

The verb ‘whispering’ could be explored as the guests being extremely excited yet curious at the aspect of meeting this mysterious and powerful character, Gatsby. Similarly, Shakespeare’s tragic play King Lear, explores the aristocracy of a King through describing his palace as a place of order and elegance, ‘my fair kingdom, no less in space, validity and pleasure’. The term ‘fair kingdom’ enforces the idea that like Gatsby, King Lear also takes pride in his possessions and wealth and it could be argued that both protagonists share the same characteristic of intense pride towards the superficial and physical items in life.

As both The Great Gatsby and King Lear were written in societies where materialism controlled the citizens, the audience would have interpreted this one-dimensional attitude as traditional and in some senses valuable as it represented wealth and authority. Since The Great Gatsby was written during the domination of the American Dream, it would be fair to say that Gatsby achieved his dream in terms of his financial stability. On the other hand, many critics argued that ‘Gatsby’s dream was unattainable because it didn’t really exist.

He was in love with a memory…’ In the same way that Gatsby was classified as not having attainted his spiritual dream of gaining the love of Daisy, ‘Willy’ in Death of a Salesman didn’t reach his American Dream financially despite his efforts. Due to both Gatsby’s and Willy’s failure in achieving the dream, it could be argued that they both share the same unsuccessful nature. On the other hand, their efforts of trying to achieve the dream could also embrace their brave nature due to their determination.

All three texts present how the authors convey characteristics through the use of setting and by this, the audience are immediately welcomed to exploring the character on a personal and more individual level. In all three texts, the setting described by the authors mirrors the protagonist’s broken mind set. In Death of a Salesman, Miller portrays the character of Willy Loman as one whose mental health is fractured by his hunger to achieve the American Dream and through the use of setting; Miller heightens the building of dramatic tension as Willy’s mental health deteriorates.

From the first stage directions, it is evident that Willy is trapped both physically and mentally as he is surrounded by a, ‘”solid vault of apartment houses around the small, fragile-seeming home. ” Through the use of the word ‘around’, Miller implies that Willy’s escape is highly unlikely and this increases the sympathy that the audience has for the character of Willy. It could also be interpreted that the word ‘around’ metaphorically symbolises a trap or a cage which completely dehumanises Willy as his freedom is being eliminated from him.

The declarative description of ‘small, fragile’ parallels Willy’s emotional state thus creates the image of Willy being close to destruction. Furthermore, the use of the comma emphasises how much of a struggle it is for him to carry on, helping heighten his mental and physical brittleness. It could be argued that this also foreshadows the idea that if anything else triggers his emotions; his mental state will completely destruct. Ironically, Willy himself believes to be a ‘great man’ who is ‘known’ therefore this juxtaposition between ‘great’ and ‘fragile’ helps heighten the extent of his mental dysfunction.

Equivalently, Fitzgerald explores Gatsby’s mental deterioration through the use of exploring the theme of loneliness, ‘trying to touch what was no longer tangible, struggling unhappily, undespairingly, towards that lost voice across the room. ’ This creates irony as the character of Gatsby is known for the extravagant events he hosts therefore physically he is always kept company. The rule of three emphasises the extremity to which he has been broken mentally as he is imagining a ‘lost voice. ’ The ‘lost voice’ could also metaphorically symbolise the idea that Gatsby has been left soulless as all that remains of him is his physically body.

On the other hand, the ‘lost voice’ could also represent Gatsby’s mind telling him to give up on chasing Daisy as he is deluded in believing that he can recreate the past, hence the adjectives of ‘struggling, unhappily’. Opposed to both The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman, King Lear immediately informs the audience that he’s ‘not in my perfect mind’ which therefore comes as no surprise when the atmosphere is described as chaotic, ‘as though he’d burst heaven… the string of life began to crack.’

The onomatopoeic sounds of ‘crack’ and ‘burst’ symbolise Lear’s sanity expiring as his mind now becomes a catastrophe which Edgar refers to as ‘reason in madness’. Furthermore, the angelic imagery of ‘heaven’ contrasted with the vulgar sound of ‘burst’ creates a juxtaposition that could symbolise his sanity being on the virtue of defeat. All three texts exploit the tragic yet honest mind-set that the characters hold and this enables the audience to empathise with those characters as to some extent their mental self-destruction could be classed as relatable.

Despite all the characters being of different social status’ and backgrounds, they all have one thing in common; their insanity. This implies that regardless of your significance in society, you are the conduct of your own down fall and this is seen through the character of Lear as he became broken due to his hunger for status, Willy for his longing of being wealthy and attaining the American Dream and lastly, Gatsby for fooling himself into believing that he was able to retain Daisy’s love through a materialism approach.

Many would argue that within all three texts, the weather enforced pathetic fallacy which allowed the audience to have an insight to the characters emotions and thoughts. In the Era that King Lear was written, writers and poets put a lot of emphasis on the natural world therefore it comes as no surprise when Shakespeare conveys nature as an uncontrollable elemental force consisting of ‘cataracts and hurricanes’, ‘sulphurous fire’ and ‘all-shaking thunder. ’ The sibilance in this instance has been affected by the linguistic technique of hyperbole which then emphasises the anger that Lear was feeling.

A C Bradley states ‘’the storm in ‘King Lear’ coincides with the storm in the human affairs and also with the storm which is present in the heart and soul of ‘King Lear. ’’ Through the emphasis of a ‘heavy’ and ‘black wind’ storm that a ‘cub-drawn bear would couch, the lion and the belly-pinched wolf kept their fur dry’, Shakespeare portrays that this storm isn’t ordinary and could severely damage even the most powerful ‘kings of the jungle’. The dark and gothic imagery of the storm could mirror Lear’s empty soul as his one love, his daughter, was killed.

Furthermore, the storm could be interpreted as the symbol of madness within Lear’s heart and head however it could also imply his anger towards society and all those who had betrayed him. Ironically enough, towards the ending of the play, Shakespeare included more severe weather conditions in contrast to the beginning. Perhaps this indicates that now Lear is neither no longer in reign nor an ideal product of society, he has developed emotions like the rest of the citizens.

On the other hand, it could be interpreted that because he has become an ordinary man, he is feeling anger towards the situation and those around him. Adverse to King Lear, The Great Gatsby doesn’t refer to weather as much however when it is mentioned, ‘there was a pink and golden billow of foamy clouds above the sea’’, it directly correlates with the mood and atmosphere of that current moment. The description of ‘foamy clouds’ presents child-like and innocent imagery which could mirror how naïve his love for Daisy makes him.

On the other hand, ‘foamy’ could too present unsteadiness as the structure of this gas-like substance is rather weak. Furthermore, through the use of the colour ‘pink’, Fitzgerald portrays Gatsby’s romantic lust towards Daisy and the colour ‘golden’ could convey the idea of his love towards her as being precious and is worthy of treasuring. This could be interpreted as emphasising the depth to which Gatsby’s heart is set on Daisy however at the same time, it could imply Gatsby’s high ego as he believes she should be grateful of his efforts to try and secure her heart.

Conversely Miller uses the same technique of colour imagery within weather to parallel Willy’s thoughts and feelings, ‘’the surrounding area shows an angry glow of orange. ’’ The colour ‘orange’ holds many connotations, one of which is the expression of happiness. This completely differences to the emotion of ‘anger’ which could convey Willy’s emotional volatility. Many would argue that through this contrast, Fitzgerald foreshadows the character of Willy as one who is rather unpredictable, thus his suicide could affect the audience emotionally due to its randomness.

The technique of pathetic fallacy attributes human qualities and emotions to inanimate objects of nature. This helps the audience to explore the protagonist’s sincere feelings and thoughts which further establishes a more personal relationship between the audience and characters. Another literary device used to reflect feelings and emotions of the characters is each author’s use of sound, both musical and vocal. Fitzgerald and Miller focus more on the musical sounds produced by instruments whereas Shakespeare explores the technique of sound through vocals.

In Death of a Salesman and King Lear, both authors present the idea that as nature evolves; people tend to forget about the tragic deaths of the protagonists which present their true feelings and thoughts of the protagonists themselves. Fitzgerald embraces the character of Nick as the narrator to explore other characters feelings such as Daisy, Wilson and Jordan Baker etc. This is presented when he states, ‘I could still hear the music and the laughter, faint and incessant, from his garden’ right after the death of Gatsby.

This declarative sentence could be interpreted as a metaphor of people being the ‘music and laughter’ and as life progresses; they tend to become more ‘faint’ as they move on. It could be argued that this quote mirrors the disrespect other characters had towards Gatsby as they only used him for his glamorous parties. However due to this sound being heard in the ‘garden’ which presents nature, it could also be interpreted that mourning wasn’t very natural/common in the 1920’s thus the characters weren’t actually disrespecting Gatsby.

The nature imagery combined with the ‘faint’ laughter creates a very mellow yet pleasant atmosphere as though the characters are accepting his death and positively reminisce of the past. Similarly, in Death of a Salesman, Miller presented ‘a melody heard, played upon a flute, it is small and fine, telling of grass and trees in the horizon’. Like Fitzgerald, Miller uses nature imagery of ‘grass and trees’ alongside the sound of the ‘flute’ to explore the setting being rather calming and pure.

Furthermore, this is an anaphoric reference as at the end of the play Miller uses stage directions to explore ‘only the music of the flute is left on the darkening stage as over the house the hard towers of the apartment buildings rise into sharp focus. ’ The same melody of the flute could symbolize the fact that Willy is still the same failure as he was in the beginning. However, the contrast between the nature imagery and the ‘hard towers…apartment buildings’ could parallel Willy’s superficial nature and the idea that through the duration of the play he was only brought deeper into the American Dream.

Perhaps through this quote, Miller portrays his own opinion on the American Dream and the character of Willy as being idiotic in a sense that it can only lead to destruction as the American Dream would never be achievable for anyone. In contrast to this, Shakespeare uses the technique of sound; however he explores it focusing mainly on the vocal aspect to it. King Lear is a gothic tragedy and this is shown through the tone Shakespeare enforces. The powerful language of Lear cursing alongside with the ‘loud’ and ‘demanding’ dynamics of his tone, further explores the extent of rage that he is feeling towards what seems to be the world.

Frequently throughout the play, Shakespeare uses onomatopoeic sounds such as ‘clattering’ to further heighten the mad atmosphere as well as the emotions the protagonist is feeling. The sound of ‘clattering’ has some connotations to the game of dominoes as it would be heard when an item tips over. This sound could metaphorically mirror Lear’s deterioration both mentally as well as physically and the idea that he is aware of this cyclical cycle of negative events.

It could also be argued that this sound of ‘clattering’ foreshadows how rapidly everything will clatter downhill for the King himself. As a critic stated ‘’Lear’s final cry of grief that his daughter will never breathe again, ‘’never, never, never, never, never,’’ is the bleakest line of iambic pentameter ever written. ’’ The use of sound is explored very effectively by Shakespeare, Miller and Fitzgerald as it heightens the dramatic atmosphere, foreshadows upcoming events and reconnoiters the feelings and emotions felt by both characters in the text and the authors themselves.

To conclude, all three authors embrace the techniques of sound and setting to allow the audience to explore the characters feelings and thoughts which help build a relationship between the two. It could also be argued that the authors themselves portray their own individual thoughts on the society they wrote about and the characters. Both techniques also heightened the tension within texts and allowed for aesthetic pleasure for the reader. Shakespeare, Miller and Fitzgerald used setting and sound very effectively throughout their texts as it created a realistic atmosphere within their work which allowed the audience to relate to.

In the world of King Lear, being a shakespearean tragedy, suffering, loss, and injustice are all factors often expected before an audience enters the bottomless pit of complicated characters, varying agendas, and Shakespearean english these productions usually employed. However, despite its melancholy undertone and lack of warmer lighting gels on stage, King Lear is not without hope. Shakespeare in Lear, presents the notion that characters in great authority force suffering upon others in an effort to retain power, admiration, and status.

Initially, Lear himself demonstrates this, appallingly treating Cordelia with an irrational snap judgement when he is embarrassed in court by his youngest daughters silence and lack of praise; “Here I disclaim all my parental care. ” (1:1:107) This unjust sentence is highly ironic, especially for the audience, as dramatically we see transparent farce of Gonerill and Regan’s dedications of love, and the total truth of Cordelia’s.

Due to the “infirmity of his age” (1:1:284) (Lear) the unjust pain Cordelia endures for his mistake is greatened, and due to this dramatic irony the audience is forever hopeful for some form of justice and resolution to come. Hope comes in many forms in King Lear, and at first arrives in the character of Kent. Like the audience, Kent is able to see the mistaken ways of Lear, and is the first to step in and address Cordelia’s suffering. “See better, Lear… Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least.” (1:1:146-153)

In one dramatic interpretation of the play, Kent is positioned between Lear and Cordelia, symbolizing perhaps, a link between the mistaken mind of an old King, and the “more ponderous” (1:1:73) love of a young heir, furthermore acting as“the true blank of thine eye” (1:1:153) for his decrepit King. Kent brings the hope for justice to a tantalizingly close reality, however through Lear’s blind desire for admiration and respect of status, the audience is left with a even greater sense of bathos, and desire for resolution, when yet again our hopes our berried by more pain and disappointment.

This again portrays the notion that authority and all that follows leads to the lower statured characters enduring unjust suffering, and that “nothing comes from nothing” (1:1:85) linking back to the notion that suffering cant come from nothing. Hope can also presented in King Lear, in the way in which directors stage the characters on set. In one dramatic interpretation of the play, in act 1 scene 1, Lear is sat down solitary with Gonerill and Regan at his side. This not only portrays the Kings increasing age, but also the manipulative power Gonerill and Regan initially have over him.

During this first scene we see the gap between Cordelia and Lear increase progressively, again portraying a physical representation for their relationship and love for one another growing further and further apart. After this distancing, Cordelia, positioned front stage right, has both Kent, The Fool, and towards the end of the scene, France. The dramatic effect of this is clear to the audience; it physically highlights the allegiances of the characters, and is used also to portray other various notions in a more physical manner, one of which is hope.

Hope is presented in the way in which The Fool, Kent, and France side with Cordelia, implying to the audience she is not alone in her banishment, and that perhaps these characters may have a role in returning Cordelia later in the play. This idea is further backed up in act 1 scene 5 upon where we see The Fool speak the truth to the king; “Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise” (1:5:36) presenting hope in that the king might listen.

The allegiances formed in this scene contrast one another, clearly demonstrating to the audience their various agendas, and allows the audience to understand the alliances of characters without any dialogue required. Following on from this notion of unspoken alliances, characters relationships inspire hope in the audience as well. While Lear is initially the main spark of suffering for the other characters, and despite the fact that his own suffering is self inflicted, the audience does sympathize for his position amongst the rest.

The “infirmity of his age” (1:1:284) results in his malicious, self satisfying, daughters manipulating him with ease, and abusing the power he entrusts onto them. But in the same way we see Kent step in for Cordelia, we see him return to aid Lear at this stage in the play as well. The strength of there relationship is seen in Kent’s unfaltering loyalty for his King: “If thou canst serve where thou dost stand condemned, so may it come thy master, whom thou lov’st, shall find thee full of labours. ” (1:4:6) and as a result does instill hope into the hearts of the audience that Kent may in fact put things right.

Suffering comes in many forms during King Lear, however despite the darkly lit stage, black costumes of the characters, and general tragic story Lear follows – hope is always a present emotion amongst the audience. Dramatic irony, stage setting, character relationships and proxemics are all dramatic devices employed by the director of one particular dramatic interpretation of the play. They contrast the darker elements of Lear and without them, the play would loose the very key to its brilliance.

That key, that unlocks the particularly controversial entertainment value, being hope within the audience. Without the subtle hope shakespeare and modern directors try and install into the very weave of King Lear, the audience would find themselves simply enduring this seemingly deepening pit of death, despair, and disappointment. This is why I am able to conclude that by considering a few of the dramatic effects used in King Lear, despite the ever present tone of suffering, hope is always ingrained within the audience. Forever seeking resolution to the slope on which they travel down.

King Lear Act III Study Questions Scene I 1. Kent reveals to the Gentlemen that tension between Regan’s husband (Albany) and Goneril’s husband (Cornwall) could quite possible result in a civil war. However, aside from the war, the two may be united in plotting against the murder of King Lear. The King of France is preparing to make a move against these two divided house. He may have already sent spies to their households disguised as servants. 2. The mission that Kent asks the Gentlemen to complete is to go to Dover, the place where Cordelia lives, and inform her of how insultingly he was treated by Goneril and Regan.

Also, in order to make sure that Cordelia knows the message sent is from him, he instructs to the Gentlemen to also deliver his ring to her. Scene II 3. Shakespeare portrays the great emotional upheaval going on within Lear’s mind by showing us an iconic image of Lear as a white-haired man standing in the middle of a thunderstorm and literally yelling at the sky, “Blow winds and crack your cheeks! Rage, blow! ” When we see this, we are able to see the extent of his troubled mind since it seems like only a deeply impacted individual would commit to such task or wish to appear as he does.

The actual storm that is occurring on the outside is representative of the “storm” going on inside Lear’s mind. We see this when he talks about how upset he is with his daughters and that ungrateful children should cease to be born. 4. The comment about women that Lear makes in his speech is that “thou perjured, and thou similar of virtue, that are incestuous… that under covert and convenient seeming has practiced on man’s life” (3. 2. 57-60). 5. Kent’s opinion of the storm’s ferocity is that “such bursts of horrid thunder, such groans of roaring wind and rain I never remember to have heard,” showing the intensity of the storm. . When King Lear remarks that “I am a man more sinn’d against than sinning,” it reflects his development as a human being within the play because he comes to realize that he has lost everything. He went from being the King of Britain all the way down the ladder to an individual who has menial value in society. Finally, we come to see that he realizes the big mistake he made by disinheriting Cordelia from his inheritance and giving Cordelia and Regan his kingdom. He is losing so much confidence that he wants to play the part f the victim and believe that everyone is taking advantage of him, without withholding responsibility for the fact that he was the one who acted harshly when he disowned Cordelia. 7. The fool evaluates the state of Britain in his closing “prophecy” by foreshadow its dark future and when it “will come to great confusion,” when priests become corrupt, when pickpockets stop preying on large crowds, beer-makers will water down their beverages, and when “bawds and whores” build churches.

However, this if kind of funny because all this is already occurring in Britain and it has already began its decline. Additionally, he predicts that Merlin will make the same prophecy in the future. Scene III 8. Upon hearing Gloucester’s request to pity the king, Regan, Goneril, and Cornwall are not pleased but also have a nonchalant attitude towards it because they’re not going to let anything convince them of bringing back their father. Their cruel and ruthless come out when they ask Gloucester not to mention Lear’s name in pain of “perpetual displeasure. They are concerned with their own well-being and do not care whatsoever for the king. 9. The information that Edmund shares with the audience after his father tells him about the “dangerous” letter is that although it is against his father’s request, he will tell the duke that Gloucester is going to see the king, which is forbidden. Also, being the selfish and deceitful person as he is, Edmund states that Gloucester will get what he wants and he will get everything that is left behind. Scene IV 0. At the beginning of the scene, we see King Lear standing out in the storm with Kent (disguised). When Kent asks him to get cover from the storm Lear states that the pain that the storm is giving him is helping him lock out the pain that his daughters, Goneril and Regan, are bringing him. 11. Edgar’s speech is filled with alliterations when he is telling how he is being chased by the devil. He states some interesting things such as “the fould fiend follows me” (3. 4. 50. ) 12.

Upon seeing Edgar emerge from the hovel disguised as poor Tom, Lear immediately assumes that he is a madman and the reason he is in this state is because of his daughters. 13. Edgar responds to Lear’s assumptions by stating that he once used to be a rich courtier who used to drink wine all the time and have women with him. 14. Lear tears off his clothes in response to seeing Edgar (disguised as Tom) with an uncovered body. It’s the first time in his life that he actually sympathizes with someone other than himself.

As Lear is driven further and further into insanity, he starts to think more about humanity and the way the world perceives him. Lear has actually taken into account some of the things that Edgar says because he realized that the world doesn’t just revolve around him and that material possessions are not everything. This kind of ironic because along with being physically naked, he is also figuratively naked because he has lost all support and must face the cruelties of the world by himself. 15.

Gloucester’s appearance at the hovel illustrates the parallel structure between the Lear-daughters plot and the Gloucester-sons subplot because it symbolizes his growing level of compassion for banishing Edgar, his beloved son. He regrets his actions so much that he shows pity on King Lear by giving him shelter. This is a similar development to King Lear as the abandonment of Cordelia opens his eyes to his regretful actions, wishing that he could also go back and redeem himself, just as Gloucester is attempting to do so. 6. The trait that King Lear is developing in response to his daughter’s treatment is sympathy. We see this when he sees the Fool outside of the shelter and tells him to go first, pitying his condition. Additionally, he reflects on poverty, stating that “Poor naked wretches, whereso’er you are, That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm,” showing how his eyes have been opened to the fact that there do exist people that aren’t as rich as he supposed them to be (considering that he even thought about them, which I doubt).

This trait affects his status as a tragic hero because a tragic hero is always enlightened after realizing the mistake he has made. Because of this error of judgment, he develops a sympathetic trait that enhances his image is a tragic hero. Scene V 17. Edmund’s reward upon reporting Gloucester’s alleged sympathies for the King of France to the Duke is the position as the Earl of Gloucester. 18. Edmund represents his family obligations to the Duke when he talks about the treason Gloucester has committed.

He basically tells the Duke that he is regretful that he has permitted his love for his family to be brushed aside because of his desire to be loyal to him. Instead of protecting his family, Edmund is more concerned with being the Earl of Gloucester. His character is such that he will do anything to get what he wants, may it be to offend someone or completely defeat them. 19. Edmund’s attitude toward the concept of loyalty is that he would put all sense of loyalty to his family aside just so he could achieve some personal gain.

What this reveals about his character is that he has remained the same since the start of the play: greedy and a bastard (literally). He has no sense of morality at all as we see him continually accepting Cornwall’s request to keep misleading Gloucester. 20. The Duke promises Edmund that he will punish Gloucester for his treason and he will become the Earl of Gloucester. Scene VI 21. The imaginary event that Lear stages once he has entered the farmhouse chamber is a mock trial of Goneril and Regan. In the trial, Edgar, Kent, and the Fool server as the jurors while Lear pleads the case against his daughters. 2. During his trial, Lear accuses Goneril by stating that “she kicked the poor king her father,” basically stating that she has betrayed him. 23. Edgar fears that his true identity might be exposed because he’s showing traces of his sympathy for King Lear. The audience learns about his concerns in his aside when he states that “My tears begin to take his part so much, they’ll mar my counterfeiting. ” The fact that the character of Tom doesn’t suit him to show so much sympathy for the king worries Edgar. 24.

The news that Gloucester delivers upon his arrival is that someone is plotting to kill King Lear and that he must leave immediately. 25. Lear’s suffering impacts Edgar’s disposition cheers Edgar up. This occurs simply because of the fact that he sees someone so positioned in society as a king in a state as miserable as himself. Additionally, he points out that suffering is more bearable when it is shared with another individual. Also, since Lear is a little more humble now, he is open to conversing and relating with other people not of his status. Scene VII 6. Cornwall orders his servants to pursue Gloucester because he had helped King Lear and the Fool escape to Dover. He apprehends Gloucester at the gate of his own castle. 27. Cornwall vows to torture and inflict as much pain on Gloucester once he has been found because he’s aware that although he needs to hold a formal trial for him, he can still get away with a brutal punishment. 28. Gloucester considers Regan’s and Cornwall’s behavior toward him inappropriate because they have treated Lear immorally and don’t have the right to punish him without a trial.

However, being as cruel as they are, they find it appropriate to rip his eyeball’s out (Ouch! ) just for helping Lear. 29. The information that Regan and Cornwall demand from Gloucester is 30. The image that Gloucester evokes when he speaks to Regan is of Lear’s two daughters torturing and causing a lot of pain (both emotional and physical) towards their father. It is also a description of his coming punishment from Gloucester stating that instead of seeing Lear disrespected by his two cruel daughters, he would rather punishment or even death.

These words show his absolute loyalty towards the king. 31. This image of the two sisters compares to their words of affection they uttered in the opening scene of the play in that they are completely contrasts. In the beginning, all they did was flatter their father into getting the largest possible share of his inheritance (and that foolish old man wasn’t able to recognize it. ” However, in this scene we see the extent of their cruelty towards Lear. They cast him out of their castles and atop of that refuse to show any sympathy for their actions.

He is shown no love and honor whereas in the first scene, it was nothing but that. 32. The servant interferes with the proceedings in Gloucester’s castle because he states that he cannot watch Cornwall commit such an atrocity towards Gloucester. This reveals his supportive character and shows us that he doesn’t let his duty as a soldier get in the way of his morals. Although it’s kind of nice to see that someone is finally standing up against Cornwall, it is sad because instead of it being his son, Edmund, it is a complete strange who realizes that what is happening is incorrect and immoral. 3. The startling news about Edmund that Gloucester learns from Goneril is that Edmund was the one who turned him in. At this point, Gloucester realizes that Edmund is a traitor and has been all along in addition to the fact that Edgar is innocent. 34. The theme that is advanced by the gouging out of Gloucester’s eyes is vision and blindness. In the first act, Gloucester is “blinded” by anger as he listens to everything Edmund tells him and doesn’t take a step back to realize that Edgar is a loyal son. It is through the gouging of his eyes that his blindness and ignorance is represented.

It’s ironic because it’s not until he loses his sight that he realizes the traitorous Edmund had tricked him. 35. What is significant about the servant’s challenging Cornwall about his treatment of Gloucester because we finally see hope of the rise of good to challenge evil. Although it is not between two major characters, it is this spark that is necessary in order to ultimately win the fight for the good and defeat all the evil characters in this play. Shakespeare probably threw this in there in order to provide a sense of hope, therefore keeping us captivated.

How far do you agree that “The play of King Lear presents us with a bleak and cruel world and offers us no comfort at the end Much of Shakespeare’s King Lear follows themes such as betrayal on the part of the antagonists and the protagonist’s blindness of the events which have befallen them. For example in a rage with Kent Lear exclaims ‘Out of my sight! ’ with Kent’s retort simply being ‘See better Lear’ this motif of a characters blindness continues throughout the play.

Some of the characters can be seen to be prolifically cruel throughout the play and while many of the these characters die by the end of the play their actions still have ramifications. Gonerill and Regan for example strip their father of his self awareness and leave him to scrabble for his sanity on an unwelcoming and bleak heath. Lear is not exempt from blame for his circumstances but the disastrous and tragic consequences seem to out balance the flaws in his fragile mind.

This is a tragedy however so Lear’s downfall as the result his hamartia was expected for the katharsis of the Jacobean audiences to be achieved. The play has a sinister atmosphere but Shakespeare may have tried to include moments of comfort either for the tension of the drama or to give the audience a sense of hope. In Act 1 of King Lear Shakespeare seems to foreshadow the key themes of the play which often have sorrowful consequences for many of the characters.

For example when Lear decides that he will test his daughter’s flattery in exchange for their share of the kingdom, ‘Which of you shall we say doth love us most, that we our largest bounty may extend’ the contest seems to be an empty gesture as Gloucester and Kent had already discussed that both dukes could already expect an equal share of England ‘for qualities are so weighed that curiosity in neither can make choice of either’s moiety’.

The kings’ empty words are soon mirrored by his children’s as Gonerill remarks that ‘Sir, i love you more that word can wield the matter’ and ‘A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable’ her hyperbole contradicts her when she goes on to explain further. Regan too expresses her true feelings poorly by simply agreeing with her sister ‘I am made of that self-mettle as my sister’ this sounds as if it were just a shallow echo of Gonerill without out conviction of love Lear expected.

However Lear does not recognise this as the audience might and so when Cordelia decides that she must ‘Love, and be silent’ and says ‘nothing my lord’ Lear indicates his own future ‘Nothing will come of nothing’ Because of Gonerill’s lack of seniority her expressions of love are devalued and mean nothing so that when Cordelia characterises her feelings towards Lear as loving him ‘According to my bond, no more nor less’ she reestablishes the verbal integrity. To a Jacobean audience the theme of nothing may be more prevalent just from Lear’s initial speech ‘Know, that we have divided in three our kingdom… To a christian audience this may have emulated Matthew 12. 25 ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation’. Yet even when in the most dire circumstances compassion is shown by various characters. After he is thrown into a storm and in his words Lear’s ‘… wits begin to turn’ he still shows pity for the fool when he asks ‘Come on, my boy: how dost, my boy? art cold? ’ This is either one of few examples of Lear’s selflessness or his attempt to cling to his only symbol of reality. The injustice of many of the characters are obvious throughout the play.

But there are some signs of pity and compassion and of loyalty too. This is usually due to a possible feelings of obligation to family or superiority which contrastingly in other examples become treachery. For example Gloucester’s ultimate punishment for his trust in Edmond is that Cornwall puts out the Earl’s eyes. A servant protests at the brutality of Gloucester’s treatment ‘… But better service have I never done you’ Along with Cordelia and Kent the servant pays the ultimate price for this and is killed.

The King’s fool is mourned at the end of the play by Lear because of his selfless attitude towards helping Lear’s understanding ‘So out went the candle, and we were left darkling’. When Gonerill begins to undermine Lear’s sanity the fools says this to relay it to Lear. The loyalty of both the Fool and Kent to Lear can be seen as a comforting thought, suggesting that the king who had lost everything still maintained allies. The Fool used seemingly frivolous songs to try and guide Lear however unsuccessfully into a better situation.

Kent too remained loyal, even after Lear had banished Kent he felt a need to serve his master faithfully. Unfortunately in the final act Lear states that ‘my poor fool is hanged’ and after Lear’s death Kent says ‘My master calls me i must not say no’ suggesting he must follow Lear into death. In this instance the folly of humans are overrun by the divine goodness of nature. However the play may also send another spiritual point, a more nihilistic one; if in fact there is such a thing of gods then they are not sympathetic to the tribulations of human society and are as cruel to them as any animal.

This is perhaps inconceivable to Lear as he scorns Gonerill and Regan’s behavior as ‘unnatural’ and uses animal image and similes to describe them, her tongue is said to be ‘serpent like’ and whose gratitude is ‘sharper than a serpent’s tooth’. Both may be biblical references to the greed and wickedness of mankind. Edgar too describes himself as a ‘dog in madness’ and ‘wolf in greedines’ here we know that unlike Lear Edgar is not mad and so his word may be taken as a small parable of mankind’s fragility.

At realising his two eldest daughters are betraying him Lear calls to the heavens to take his side and strike them with a storm ‘ ‘O heavens ! If you do love old men, if your sweet sway, show obedience, if you yourselves are old, make it you cause. Send down, and take my part! ’ The cruel dramatic irony being that it will be Lear who suffers a terrible storm on the heath and in his mind. As well as this the audience may see that Lear’s language hasn’t changed from the beginning of the play when he still held a position of power.

Lears first words of the play is a command ‘ Attend the lords of France and Burgundy Gloucester’ This imperative sentence shows his authority which even when Gonerill and Regan reduce his only semblance of his kingship, his army to nothing he still clings to like a child, ‘Send down and take my part! ’. This may be the root of Lear’s downfall. At the time of King Lear’s first performance, England was in political and economic turmoil Elizabeth I’s still recent death and the Gunpowder plot scared Shakespeare’s time in history. King Lear then may be a partly a criticism of an inherently unfair society.

To an Elizabethan audience Edmond’s self interest to not ‘stand in the plague of custom’ and not uphold his loyalty to the king and his father was of a growing trend. At the time then Edmond may not have been seen as a villain but perhaps a free thinking individual who was prepared to do whatever it took to be successful. The apparent lack of justice in King Lear is shown by King Lear himself ‘ I am a man, more sinned against than sinning’ Lear often reaches for some wider reason for his misfortunes but perhaps finds little comfort in the end when he realises his mistakes too late to change the play’s resolution.

This aspect of the story follows the theories of tragedy from Aristotle and so Lear can be said to be a ‘tragic hero’. However if King Lear can be seen as a spiritual play then Lear’s ending is one of redemption and since both Gonerill and Regan die the kingdom can once again rise from the ashes. Cordelia too serves this metaphor embodying Christ’s noble crusade against evil with a french army and dying a martyr for her father but not without speaking with him and so restoring Lear’s jagged mind even if only partially.

King Lear depicts the cruelty of humankind and the breakdown of a man’s mind, the social and family ties around him and his kingdom. The token examples of compassion, shown to the audience to some extent only amplify the Shakespeare’s ‘darker purpose’ of a savage loss of morals. What little justice thats offered at the end, Edgar prevailing over his brother for example can not compensate for the punishment that Lear and the other characters endure. The very notion of ‘nothing’ is so significant by the end of the play the most of the characters are literally reduced to nothing.