Comparing King Lear And The Great Chain Of Being
King Lear and Great Chain of Being
The play ofKing Learis about the downfall of Lear from the highest place human being can possess to the lowest place almost to the level of the beast in The Great Chain of Being. The Chain of Being is a philosophical believedriven from Greek mythology to the Renaissance. It is about the concept of universe and how everything in the world has its position fix by God.Shakespeare is influenced by this concept and he uses it to develop the events of his plays:Macbeth,Tempest and King Lear.Shakespeare opens the play of King Lear with idealistic view of monarchy under the law of Chain of Being. King is superior and head of monarchy, well powered and respected. The wicked and illegitimate people are clearly identified and …show more content…
Then the disorder come to the monarchy for being the leading family of the monarchy, then gradually disorder speared like a rapid transit disease in the relations, nature and faith of other family and realms. In dividing his kingdom, he isdescended fromthe level of human being in the chain of being to the level of beast.By breaking the chain,?All bonds, all laws, whether divine, natural or human, are broken. Social order, from the kingdom to the family, will crumble into the dust. There are no longer kings and subjects, father and children, husband and wives. There are only huge Renaissance monsters, devouring one another like beasts of prey? (Kott153). Children start to follow their desire and emotion away from morality and reason.Theylose their spirituality andbeginto follow their instinct and worldly desire.?Lear attempts to escape his responsibilities as a ruler and father, while maintaining his privileges, with horrifying results. No matter how much the outcome disturbs us, Shakespeare implies that a king?s sins and errors may damage or destroy all around him?
The play ofKing Learis about the downfall of Lear from the highest place human being can possess to the lowest place almost to the level of the beast in The Great Chain of Being. The Chain of Being is a philosophical believedriven from Greek mythology to the Renaissance. It is about the concept of universe and how everything in the world has its position fix by God.Shakespeare is influenced by this concept and he uses it to develop the events of his plays:Macbeth,Tempest and King Lear.Shakespeare opens the play of King Lear with idealistic view of monarchy under the law of Chain of Being. King is superior and head of monarchy, well powered and respected. The wicked and illegitimate people are clearly identified and …show more content…
Then the disorder come to the monarchy for being the leading family of the monarchy, then gradually disorder speared like a rapid transit disease in the relations, nature and faith of other family and realms. In dividing his kingdom, he isdescended fromthe level of human being in the chain of being to the level of beast.By breaking the chain,?All bonds, all laws, whether divine, natural or human, are broken. Social order, from the kingdom to the family, will crumble into the dust. There are no longer kings and subjects, father and children, husband and wives. There are only huge Renaissance monsters, devouring one another like beasts of prey? (Kott153). Children start to follow their desire and emotion away from morality and reason.Theylose their spirituality andbeginto follow their instinct and worldly desire.?Lear attempts to escape his responsibilities as a ruler and father, while maintaining his privileges, with horrifying results. No matter how much the outcome disturbs us, Shakespeare implies that a king?s sins and errors may damage or destroy all around him?