“Character is destiny” is a dominant theme that often appears in Shakespearean tragedy. In the play, King Lear this concept is portrayed through the characters of King Lear, Gloucester, and Edmund. The characteristics and the roles that each of the characters have within the society of the play determine the treatment that they receive from other characters as well as their destiny.
In the play, Lear demonstrates various characteristics that can be classified as his tragic flaws. In the opening scene, Lear’s irrational basis for distributing the kingdom between his daughters reveals that he is accustomed to hypocrisy, that he is quick tempered, that he is impatient, and that he is unaware of human limitation. By asking his daughters to publicly display their love towards him, he reveals that he is accustomed to flattery. This also demonstrates that he is proud of his ability to exercise his will quickly and effectively. A.C Bradely comments on this tragic flaw by stating that “A long life of absolute power, in which he as been flattered to the top of his bent, has produced in him that blindness to human limitation and that presumptuous self will” . In the opening act, King Lear also demonstrates his quick tempered nature throu
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By disowning Cordelia, he loses his protection against the evil deeds of Goneril and Regan. In addition, Gloucester’s superstitious beliefs are also used by Edmund to further the conflict between his father and his brother when describing Edgar as, “Have stood in the dark, his sharp sword out, mumbling of wicked charms, conjuring the moon to proves auspicious mistress”. C Bradely states, “In the circumstances where we see the hero placed, his tragic truth, which is also his greatness, is fatal to him” King Lear’s death follows this trend and can be compared to the destiny of another characters such as Macbeth or Othello in other Shakespearean tragedies. Gloucester is affectionate in his actions towards his two sons and towards Lear. ” When Lear is reduced to nothing, exposed to the harsh elements of nature and forced to regret his actions, he descends into mental solitude and insanity. This scene demonstrates that Lear has lost everything due to his irrational reasoning, his gullible nature, and his inability to see human limitations. In addition, when Lear hears what he expects from Goneril and Regan, he rewards them with a large portion of his kingdom. Gloucester dies at the end of the play because he has suffered a lot and because his weak character finally dominates over him. As a result King Lear is reduced to nothing; he loses his home, his comforts, and the last vestiges of his regal power. These characteristics allowed their ungrateful children to plan against them. (II, I, 37-39) Because of Gloucester’s credulous, hasty, and superstitious character, Edmund is able to cause physical as well as emotional strain on his father. When Lear does not hear what he expected from Cordelia, he disowns her as his daughter without any rational thoughts. As he persists to satisfy his interests, he regards men and women together with the bonds of friendship, family, and alliances as hindrances to his final goal. Edmund can be compared to another Shakespearean villain, Iago in Othello whose destiny is predetermined through his character.
Approximate Word count =
1535
Approximate Pages =
6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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