Through ‘The Tragedy of King Lear’, Shakespeare represents a distinctive voice in which influences the way we perceive the role of power play in our world as it broadens our understanding of the universality and complexity of power play. Compared with the 21st century film ‘Brassed Off’, we are presented with an insight into the various means of attaining power and its ability to uncover the true nature of people within their struggle for supremacy and control. Shakespeare presents 'The Tragedy of King Lear' as the struggle for power and the political and filial machinations that the desire for power can create. Shakespeare focuses the distinctive voice around the central character King Lear who represents a conceited oppressor whose fall from power prompts the downfall of the Kingdom that he once controlled. The main cause of his demise is his failure to understand and possess a clear vision of the people around him. In Lear's eyes, he sees his eldest daughter Goneril’s facade to be a loyal and true expression, 'Sir I love you more than word can wield the matter/Dearer than eyesight, space and liberty', although Lear's inability to see the truth results in his manipulation and the banishing of his loyal acquaintances; his youngest daughter Cordelia and his dear friend Kent. Although Lear can physically see, it is the understanding, awareness and direction that he lacks and is blind to. In contrast to Lear being physically capable of seeing, Gloucester becomes physically blind but gains the form of vision that Lear lacks, and consequently Gloucester evades a corollary comparable to Lear's. Here Shakespeare presents his distinctive voice on power play through the depiction of the manipulation and motivation behind the characters struggle for sovereignty. His clever use of his characters and their relationships allows us to gain an insight into the condition of the human psyche throughout their individual attempts at power and highlights the complexities associated…
In many of the plays by William Shakespeare, the central character goes through internal and external changes that ultimately shake their foundations to the core. Numerous theories have been put forth to explain the sequence of tragedies Shakespeare wrote during this period by linking it to some experience of melancholy, anger, despair, and the antagonist 's ultimate fall from grace in their lust for power. But such theories overlook the fact that it is in this very same period and in the same tragic works that portray the heights to which human nature can rise and fall in its purest and noblest, if not happiest terms. Surely the creation of so much light alongside the darkness and the perfection of the artistic medium through which Shakespeare gives them expression argues against the idea that the greedy side of human nature is his chief concern. His efforts to portray human life in its rarest form and not only the dark depths, but also the treasure rooms of our being. He tries to pierce beneath the superficial motives and forces of surface behavior, social, and cultural expressions and to the deeper levels of individual character and human nature. Shakespeare then places these aspects of human existence in their true relation to the wider field of universal life. In relation to the tragic hero, there are many similarities between the tragic heroes in Macbeth and King Lear. However, the differences between the two outline the re-occurring themes in both plays. In Shakespeare 's plays the central characters ' own weaknesses and lust for power lead to corruption. The unchecked power in Shakespeare 's Macbeth and King Lear ultimately leads to corruption, tragedy, and the hero 's fall from grace.…
Shakespeare informs the reader of the modifications needed in society to prevent capitalism from overthrowing the traditional aristocratic ways. Through Goneril and Regan, the dangers of bourgeoisies and proteltarists are evident and the negative effects they cause. With the differing social orders, lineage becomes trivial. Blood no longer matters and wealth depends heavily on market exchange. Scholars highlight the difficulties and dangers of utopian concepts, especially when they are centered on bourse. He discusses the many social climbers who attempt to behave badly to gain status from the new capitalist power. The conflict between the idea of human liberty and the traditional order is resolved in the play by transforming the king into an item of pathos. By “humanising” the king, Shakespeare is able to fuse together the two ideas regarding absolutist authority and individual…
Living in the 21st Century, success and authority dominate the lives of many. People measure their lives by the amount of power and money they have. Without these factors, things become very difficult. In today’s time, passion no longer sets the precedent for ones life and career. Morals are disregarded in order to make room for the material. Without doubt, conflict between the two is inevitable. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Robert Bolt’s A Man For All Seasons, passion and power dominate the characters, therefore developing the recurring theme that power leaves no space for moral duty.…
Ambition and desire in itself are not bad traits, it is only when released from moral constraints that they can wreak havoc. These traits, which have been freed from any sense of morality and principles are explored through Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth. Shakespeare developed Macbeth as a noble character who gives in to the cravings of power and superiority over others, and not only goes on a murdering rampage, but drags his morally corrupt wife with him, ultimately signing away their lives.…
The sin of greed is perfectly exemplified in the character of Edmund. Throughout the play Edmund’s greed is the motivating factor behind all of the decisions that he makes. Edmund, as the illegitimate son of Gloucester plots against his brother in order to obtain his inheritance completely ignoring all familial responsibility in the pursuit of land and money. At the beginning of the play you see that he merely wants to take his brother’s inheritance but as greed gets the better of him he begins to plot against his father as well and gets him arrested for treason so that he can not only gain his brother’s inheritance but also his father’s land and money as well. Not only is Edmund greedy in terms of wealth he is also greedy with women. It is implied that Edmund had relations with both Goneril and Regan, he couldn’t choose one so he decided to have them both. As proven through Goneril, Regan and Edmund’s deaths, avarice continues to fuel a person towards their own ultimate demise. Through the character of Edmund, Shakespeare develops the idea that if humans allow greed to creep into their minds they will eventually develop a thirst for possessions that cannot be quenched thus resulting in the loss of everything.…
The unavoidable result is that tragedy is old fashioned; Tis for royalty. If the excitement of tragic action were honestly a asset of a high character alone, it is unbelievable that mankind should cherish tragedy above all, let alone understand that. Tragedy is invoked when a character is ready to die to secure his one objective. In Shakespearean tragedies, from Hamlet to Macbeth, the primary struggle is that attempt of gaining their “rightful” position in society. Furthermore, Tragedy then is the outcome of a man’s pressure to evaluate himself.…
In the play King Lear by William Shakespeare, King Lear is an old foolish man who suffers several flaws in the same way, he is blind to the truth, and his inability to see the truth impacts his decisions making and his poor judgment. Throughout act one and two, King Lear decisions lead to several consequences, which alter his life and the lives of those around him. A few of King Lear’s flaws which demonstrates the great deed of one man’s consequences are, his actions due to his blindness, rash decision making and exhibits a great deed of pride and arrogance.…
Throughout William Shakespeare's King Lear, many characters make mistakes that cost them greatly. The characters are all blind to something, misinterpreting other character's actions and emotions. Their disregard results in tragedy in the world around them and brings about the rise and fall of the kingdom of Lear.…
“‘Tis better to have loved and lost/Than never to have loved at all,” (Lord Tennyson, “Canto 27). Can one really say that loving and losing is better than never feeling that love, when both choices are riddled with error? The following stories referenced, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, “Pyramus and Thisbe” retold by Ovid, and “Duty” by Pamela Rafael Berkman, show the contrast between sacrificing love and sacrificing life. Romeo and Juliet, as well as Pyramus and Thisbe, sacrificed everything for love. Lady Capulet, on the other hand, sacrificed her love for the obligations she felt she had to her family. Neither resulted in the long-standing happiness, so who made the right choice? The star-crossed lovers, whose death brought them…
Emotions can severely influence ones' behavior, choices, and perception. Giving lead to dismissing your most humble, honorable servant, loved one, or true friend. King Lear doesn't learn this until he has been defeated both physically, and mentally, losing everything that was true and upright to him Kent and Cordelia. Gloucester loses both his eyes when he comes to the revelation about Edmund, and that Edmunds plot that played out so easily because of his emotions worked him into a blind and rash decision about a supposed…
Throughout William Shakespeare's enticing play, Macbeth, he explores several extremely interesting themes which perfectly correspond to our everyday lives. One of the most applicable of these many themes is the notion that wealth and power, both of which are created by ambition, are not the most important things to life. Furthermore, William Shakespeare even seems to express that aspirations, when taken to their extremities, can lead one to commit horrible acts in order to fulfill their ambitious goals.…
Shakespeare’s texts King Richard III explores humanities susceptibility to temptations of evil and how the lust for power and authority can lead to the degradation of the soul. The reflection of context within the texts is paramount as it enables individuals to shape a rich understanding of how Pacino’s docu-drama is able to re-iterate and adopt ideas presented in Shakespeare’s play. In King Richard III the obsessive desire for power is highlighted through the rhetoric questioning of the permanence of power “shall we wear these glories for a day?” to serve as the central motivation for Richard and catalyst for the social chaos and downfall of the York’s. His inner turmoil compounds in his self-destructive nature where Richard uses trickery in order to achieve his evil motives and endeavours to usurp the throne is emphasised through the internal conflict that Richard faces. Shakespeare further consolidates this notion of evil by accentuating Richard’s physical deformity conveyed through the…
Ignatieff is concerned about whether we can talk about the needs of others and to what extent. He meditates on King Lear’s fate, who is torn from familial obligation and forced to justify his own needs and is in the end reduced to bare nakedness. King Lear’s power deceives him into believing that this need is law over his daughter’s love.…
During Edmund’s rise to power, Edgar is forced into hiding, and his father is branded a traitor. Gloucester’s eyes are put out when he is caught by Regan and Cornwall, and dies later in the play, knowing what Edmund has done. It is Edmund who orders the death of Cordelia, Lear’s youngest daughter, and Lear. It is also because of him that Goneril and Regan are both dead, due to his promise of marriage to both of them causes them to fight over him, and ends up with Regan being poisoned, and Goneril committing suicide. Edmund’s power is short-lived, as he is defeated by Edgar shortly after taking the power for himself. Edmund realizes that what he has done is wrong, saying, “I pant for life. Some good I mean to do, / Despite of mine own nature” (5.3.280–81). In saying this, Edmund recognizes that the end results did not justify his actions, and that he wishes to repent for his wrongdoings. This is another example of how Albany’s quote comes into play, as when Edmund is “striving to better,” and become better than his brother, he made what was fine before into a tragedy.…