Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Papers at Anti Essays

Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear is a detailed

description of the consequences of one man's decisions.

This fictitious man is Lear, King of England, who's

decisions greatly alter his life and the lives of those

around him. As Lear bears the status of King he is, as one

expects, a man of great power but sinfully he surrenders

all of this power to his daughters as a reward for their

demonstration of love towards him. This untimely abdication

of his throne results in a chain reaction of events that

send him through a journey of hell. King Lear is a

metaphorical description of one man's journey through hell

in order to expiate his sin.

As the play opens one can almost immediately see that

Lear begins to make mistakes that will eventually result in

his downfall. The very first words that he speaks in the

play are :-



"...Give me the map there. Know that we have

divided

In three our kingdom, and 'tis our fast intent

To shake all cares and business from our age,

Conferring them on younger strengths while we

Unburdened crawl to death..."

(Act I, Sc i, Ln 38-41)





This gives the reader the first indication of Lear's intent

to abdicate his throne. He goes on further to offer pieces

of his kingdom to his daughters as a form of reward to his

test of love.



"Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love,

Long in our court have made their amorous

sojourn,

And here are to be answered. Tell me, my

daughters

(Since now we will divest us both of...