“If Justice is only relative, depending on a personal point of view, how can it be justice?” In the light of this comment, how do you find justice presented in ‘King Lear’?
During the Elizabethan era, it was a common understanding for goodness to triumph over evil. Nevertheless, in ‘King Lear’, many of the good characters such as Cordelia are killed, and good doesn’t overcome evil without some element of suffering –which asks a chief philosophical question, ‘the existence of divine justice’. However debatable justice seems to be, it is one of the prevalent themes in ‘King Lear’ as there are aspects found in the play and it is presented by the views of good and evil characters.
There are many reasons for why Goneril and Regan could be viewed as victims of injustice. There are aspects in the play that could imply an ‘injustice to women’. Women are tools, being used as objects by men and when the two sisters object they are seen as evil. “I must change names at home and give distaff into my husband’s hands.” Goneril is seen as a ‘fiend’ because she is taking on a man’s role as she resents the idea of being powerless. They could also be seen as acting together, helping each other in a world that is biased against women. “If our father carry authority with such disposition as he bears this last surrender of his, will but offend us.” Goneril and Regan are defending themselves in a man’s world as they believe Lear is too rash and violent and are protecting themselves against Lear’s mistakes.
The Essay on King Lear A Man More Sinned Against Than Sinning
King Lear - A Man More Sinned Against Than Sinning? A King is supposed to have all that he needs without having to worry about anything in his late years. Yet King Lear, in Act 3, Scene 2, cried out in pitifully: 'I am a man / More sinned against than sinning.' ; Although Lear has made a huge mistake in the first scene of the play in dividing up his kingdom and banishing his two dearest people, ...
However, the representation of female evil can also be seen in ‘King Lear’. Goneril and Regan can be viewed as deceptive villains. Albany states “See thyself, devil: [Goneril] proper deformity shows not in the fiend so horrid as in the woman.” In the Shakespearean period, women were either classed either ‘Saints’ or ‘Devils,’ men blamed women for the spread of sexual diseases for instance. In keeping with this theme of female evil, is the notion that women are linked to ‘Eve’ from the Bible and are a source of evil, based on the event where Eve tempts Adam. The word ‘Evil’ can also be seen as the route of the name ‘Eve’.
The two sisters can justify their actions at the beginning of the play yet; the ultimate acts of evil are shown when their desire for power leads them to banish Lear from the kingdom, lock him out in the storm, and finally, lead his troops against him. After these cruelties he has suffered, Lear exclaims, “O, reason not the need!” depicting humans would be no different from animals if they did not yearn for more than the fundamental necessities of life to be satisfied or happy, such as power.
Shakespeare does not prolong Goneril and Regan’s death, no emotion is used to empathise with the two characters. Even Albany, Goneril’s husband, only responds to his wife’s death by suggesting to “cover their faces.” Because the two sisters were becoming more wicked and manipulative as the play progressed, the lack of empathy to their death contributes to the idea that it was just for them to die and their death meant nothing to the characters or the audience.
Cordelia can be seen as a simple character or a symbol of goodness – making her interesting in what she stands for rather than what she is like. An example of this would be ‘altruism’. Cordelia stands for altruistic goodness; she tries to help Lear even though he has made no amends for his actions against her with no intent for personal gain. Cordelia excuses this behaviour by saying “No cause, no cause.” Because of this forgiving nature, when she dies at the end of the play for no reason, the death of this blameless character erases the belief there could be justice.
Albany comments that “all friends shall taste the wages of their virtue, and all foes, the cup of their deserving,” suggesting that order and justice will triumph over villainy and cruelty. Yet, Albany’s suggestion does not seem true when the audience is confronted with Cordelia’s unreasonable death. Lear mourns over her body: “why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life and thou no breath at all?” In nature of this, the Gentleman questions if there should be justice, “Thou [Lear] hast one daughter, who redeems nature from the general curse which twain have brought her to,” because all the good people get killed, such as Cordelia.
The Term Paper on King Lear Cordelia Gloucester Play
King Lear: Sequences Which Display The Varying Perceptions of Different Characters In Shakespeare's King Lear, there are several sequences which display the varying perceptions of different characters. The perceptions of the characters often differs because of what they are able to see and also in their nature. Such factors obstruct their vision, not allowing them to see clearly. One sequence ...
However, the Christian representation of Cordelia’s death suggests you gain your reward in heaven. This way, goodness survives despite what you do to it and therefore, in killing Cordelia, goodness hasn’t been overturned.
In ‘King Lear’, there is a connection between Cordelia and the Fool. Lear comments that his “poor fool” is “hanged” linking the death of Cordelia and the Fool. He represents Cordelia’s goodness by trying to help Lear to combat his madness. The Fool does not follow any beliefs and ignores all form of justice and moral order so, doesn’t seek support in any natural or supernatural power, i.e. the reward of goodness. When Lear reaches madness, the fool cannot follow him as he cannot adapt to insanity and therefore finds the limit to his wisdom, “but I will tarry, the fool will stay, and let the wise man fly” and leaves Lear.
The duel between Edgar and Edmund is a symbolic conflict between good and evil, when Edgar defeats Edmund it is seen as a victory of righteousness over immorality, showing a more optimistic approach to the existence of justice and some sense of hope that divine justice intervenes and goodness is rewarded.
Edmunds villainy can be interpreted as a trigger from his status that denied him the love Edgar received from Gloucester. His moment of weakness is shown when Regan and Goneril are dead, and he says “Yet Edmund was beloved” in realization that he has been loved, Edmund, in a sense, repents his soul by admitting to his malicious antics such as sentencing Cordelia to be hanged. Because of this change of heart, it supports the idea that Edmund desire to be loved fueled his immorality. Nevertheless, there is no intervention of any higher power of justice in relation to Edmund apart from the duel. He is successful in all of his treachery to other characters, even when he has admitted to Cordelia’s sentencing she still dies.
The Essay on King Lear The Role Of The Fool 2
In Shakespeares, King Lear, the Fool plays three major roles. One of these roles is of an inner-conscience of Lear. The Fool provides basic wisdom and reasoning for the King at much needed times. The Fool also works as amusement for Lear in times of sadness and is also one of the only people besides the Duke of Kent and Cordelia who are willing to stand up to the King. The Fool works as the inner ...
Because of the succession of dire events seen in ‘King Lear,’ it is difficult to presume there are higher powers than man, such as ‘Gods,’ whom intervene to overturn unfortunate events or to believe in their existence. After having his eyes plucked out, Gloucester describes the Gods to act like destructive children, “As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport” Here, Gloucester is suggesting there is no good order or justice in the universe, merely cruelty of the god’s “sport” causing suffering to man-kind. A just god could not account for the deaths of the faithful and innocent Cordelia, or the other prosper and virtuous characters. Therefore, if there is this higher power that can torment humanity, how can man impose any moral ideas upon the world?
Yet, Edgar believes the “Gods are just” and man gets what he deserves and after hearing about Cornwall’s death, Albany offers, “This shows you are above, you justicers.” However, after the death of Cornwall, Goneril and Regan, evil is destroyed but good is then also destroyed with the death of Cordelia, Lear and Gloucester and presumably Kent and the Fool, implying there are no boundaries between the virtuous and evil in relation to justice, they are all human and will still die alike anyway – it is the natural law, the justice of nature.
In addition, Albany considers that if left alone by the gods, “Humanity must perforce prey on itself like monsters of the deep” commenting on that if there was no justice in the universe, humanity would have no order in the natural world so, there must be some elemental justice for life to have any purpose or meaning.
Gloucester and King Lear’s fate is paralleled in the play. They both misjudge their trust in their own children and they both end up dead. Whether their death is acceptable or not is debatable, it’s hard to measure whether their sins where bad enough for it to be just that they were punished by being blinded, losing their children and kingdom and dying. Yet, their misfortune seems extreme as they repent themselves by the end of the play even though they were unaware of their mistakes earlier. Gloucester’s blindness symbolises his and Lear’s moral blindness of their dealings with their children.
The Essay on Of Mice And Men Character Analysis
The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry. This statement explains a major theme in the novel Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. Everyone has dreams, and the characters in the novel are no different. But sometimes these dreams and aspirations can be shattered. The theme of broken dreams reoccurs in this novel through many characters, such as Lennie, George, Candy and Crooks. Lennie and ...
King Lear is the most progressive character in ‘King Lear’ as he ventures on a journey of ‘self discovery.’ The Fool is used as a tool by telling Lear his mistakes enabling Lear to become aware of his unjust actions; he is a key factor in Lear’s evolution as a character. Lear is either a victim of himself or of justice – for committing his harmartia – as he states in anger that he is a “man more sinned against than sinning,” implying that he believes he is being punished unjustly signifying there could be some higher power. Yet his constant whining of being a victim and the more just he sees himself as a victim, makes the audience sympathise with him less because it was his arrogance that caused him to commit his harmartia.
Gloucester prays to the Gods to punish lustful men as they have punished him, “Let the superfluous and lust-dieted man that slaves your ordinance, that will not see because he does not feel, feel your power quickly;” His attitude from beforehand, referring to the gods as “boys” is temporary as he now is praying to them again. This quick change in attitude suggests he didn’t fully realise the extent of his mistake because he does not agree with his punishment, like Lear.
Lear develops a nihilistic philosophy, where he comes to believe there is no justice and no standard of morality or order in life. Therefore, if there is no justice or meaning in life, Lear must create hope himself, an example of this would be when Lear expresses to Cordelia, “We will sing like birds i’ the cage.” The ‘cage’ symbolises Lear being trapped on earth, therefore he has to make best of his existence creating his own happiness, even with all the chaos and suffering that is occurring.
This multifaceted play by Shakespeare contains a succession of tragic events ending with the malicious characters killed and the good characters whom were victims of evil, along with them. This cruel notion provokes many questions to the audience about the existence of justice and morality. In conclusion, because justice can be interpreted in so many ways I believe it to be a product of man-kind. I believe that the measure of punishment is debatable against a sin, therefore each individual thinks differently of justice depending on their own personal morality and therefore, it is dispensed unevenly through the play. This is because there are aspects of both justice and injustice, and each character has conflicting views on the subject which interlink. As a result of this complexity of the existence of justice, I think Shakespeare presented it that man is governed by social law.
The Essay on King Lear Fools Character
Many directors argue over the importance of the character of the Fool in the play. Discuss whether or not you feel the Fool is essential to the play or whether or not the character could be removed without damaging the overall impact. Make a reference to the text to support your ideas. William Shakespeares genius came from how closely he intertwined the two seemingly mutually exclusive realms to ...