The subject of politics is a touchy one. It might be because of the essence of politics. The "right" things must be done or said if there is to be a benefit from the actions or speech. But, what is considered right? Knowing the answer to this is the trick. What is "right" in politics is in the eye of the beholder. Everyone has a different opinion about what is right and good. In order to succeed in the world of politics, one must agree, or at least outwardly show agreement, with the majority of the population - the people, the public - making the decision. Politics is defined as having practical wisdom, prudent, shrewd, and diplomatic. The same definition also admits, however, that politics is crafty and unscrupulous. These statements are proved through King Lear. Several of the characters are defined in the play by their use of crafty and unscrupulous methods to appear to be the "right" choice for those doing the choosing while others are punished for speaking and acting honestly. Each one's actions,though, were related to the position they held in their society.
             The opening scene in the play revealed that England's King Lear was preparing to divide his kingdom among his three daughters. In this scene Lear's two oldest daughters Goneril and Regan revealed their political charateristics. The king proposed that each of his daughters tell him how much each of them loved him. He bargained with them that the one who loved him most would receive the largest of the divisions of land, also meaning the most wealth. Goneril and Regan both responded to the test with extremely exagerated flattery. They both knew what the king wanted to hear and played to his emotions in order to win his favor, eventhough they did not mean what they said. Their selfish natures were greedy for the wealth and the power that would come with receiving large portions of land from their father. The olde...