Shakespeare's King Lear

Shakespeare's King Lear

William Shakespeare's King Lear had downfalls in character which later on

caused him to suffer extreme consequences. if anyone knows the true meaning of

suffering it is King Lear.

King Lear's downfalls are his pride, selfishness, and blindness to truth.

Pride as one of Lear's first downfalls, in the beginning Lear disowns his lovely daughter

Cordelia, because Lear is to blind to realize that cordelia loves her father for who he is

and NOT what he has in his possession. Lear sees his daughters for what they have as

far as quantity not quality. This is his downfall of selfishness. Lear offers his two

greedy and selfish daughters, Coneril, and Regan his entire kingdom, simply because

he is so damn conceded and thinks he is so great that he can not possibly see anyone

not loving him, and what he owns as far as land and power. His greedy daughters

realize this and then decide to kiss a little of their father's butt. Cordelia, and Regan

go and kiss their father's butt hoping to get all his power, and his kingdom.

On the other hand, his one daughter who loves him for what he is, not what he

is or has, realizes that she must play on her fathers side just to receive a little respect

from the king.

Lear, by toying with loved one's emotions endues consequences upon

himself. Even at his age ,he was still perfectly capable of living up to his duties

as king. A tragic mistake Lear made was dividing his kingdom between his two greedy

and evil daughters, and by dis owning his only true daughter, whom he left with nothing.

After a short while Lear starts to become insane, his mind begins to slip caused

Marriner 2

by losing both his kingdom as well as his daughters who were supposed to have loved him.

Lear