Literary Analysis Essay of William Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’
William Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’ is considered one of his famous plays. It is a tragedy that depicts the story of King Lear and his family. In this piece, Shakespeare combines the use of prose and poetry in order to convey inputs to audiences. Also, through the use of powerful dialogues, the setting and evidence of death and betrayal depicts its dark tone. Bearing in mind the eventual aftermath of the play, Shakespeare is able to create important features that highlight the struggle for power, chaos and authority and the corresponding consequences for these actions.
One of the themes that stand out corresponds to the struggle for power and authority. It presents specific factions with their own individual objectives. For example, there is Goneril and Regan who continuously corrupts their father with lies and deceit in order to gain control of the Kingdom. Equally, there is also the scheming Edmund who plays on the emotions of both Regan and Goneril in order to achieve his own ulterior motive (Walsh 1). With King Lear’s departure from the Kingdom, he is able to recognize the necessity of political control and find ways to respond to the chaos that is happening in the kingdom.
Another significant theme in this play is the promotion of reconciliation. Though the piece is a tragedy, Shakespeare provides opportunities for character development, especially to King Lear. In particular, he is first described as a self-centered King who severed his personal relations with Cordelia despite the reality that it was her who loved him the most (Shakespeare 1). However, as the play progressed, there are different situations that prompted him to realize his mistakes and recognize the love of his daughter. The same can also be seen with the relationship between Gloucester and Edgar. Here the level of distrust shifted to appreciation of the sacrifices Edgar had to make in order to find his father.
Shakespeare’s use of motifs also remains to be evident in the play. One particular perspective that enables readers to appreciate the piece comes from the concept of betrayal. Arguably, there remains to be multiple instances where treachery is portrayed by characters in the story. The most severe of this case is the reality that this happened within families. For instance, Shakespeare expands this to Goneril and Regan’s betrayal to King Lear and Edmund’s deceit to Gloucester and Edgar (Schneider 1). Also, the most notable of betrayal and arguably the tipping point of the conflict is when King Lear banished Cordelia, the only daughter who loved him unconditionally.
Another important motif that connects the characters together comes from madness. Evidently, this can be seen in King Lear’s character as he undergoes this phase in his life. Arguably, this demonstrates not only in his physical capacity but also reflects that of the kingdom that continues to suffer from chaos and disorder (Walsh 1). It is through King Lear’s madness that he is able to recognize the mistakes committed in the past and develop the humility to recognize these shortcomings despite his position and power in the kingdom. By accepting his fate, King Lear also develops the wisdom and a deeper perspective of what remains to be important in life apart from riches and power.
Overall, the play King Lear’s ability to depict the chaos and death amidst the struggle for political control makes it a perfect fit as a tragedy. Employing the use of prose and poetry, Shakespeare is able to dwell deeper into the lives of characters and enable audiences to embark on King Lear’s madness, epiphany and eventual reconciliation provides a deep and profound story not just of the characters in the play but also life in general.
Works Cited
Schneider, Ben Ross. ‘King Lear in Its Own Time: the Difference that Death Makes.’ Early Modern Literary Studies, 1995. Web. Accessed 5 August 2014.
Shakespeare, William. ‘King Lear’ MIT.edu. n.d. Web. Accessed 5 August 2014.
Walsh, David. ‘The element of social tragedy in King Lear’ World Socialist Web Site. 21 Nov. 2002.Web. Accessed 5 August 2014.
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