Preview

Comparison Of Shakespeare's King Lear And Frears The Queen

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
174 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Comparison Of Shakespeare's King Lear And Frears The Queen
Throughout my study of Shakespeare’s King Lear and Frears’ The Queen, I have observed that that there are a number of similar concepts and ideas throughout these two texts, since both are people in monarchal power and therefore experience similar issues. While these texts are the result of very different contexts, they both integrate many key elements of the human experience, all the while retaining their corresponding ideas and concepts.

In Shakespeare’s King Lear, King Lear is brought down by one fatal flaw, his pride. It is Lear’s selfish demand for his daughters love that proves to be his downfall. It is almost ironic in the way that his youngest Daughter Cordelia is the daughter who loves him the most but it is the other daughters Regan
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Comparing King Lear's Detteorating Mental And Physical Health
    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Comparing King Lear's Detteorating Mental And Physical Health

    King Lear is an 80 year old ruler of ancient Britain. He is a head strong old man and decides he will retire from the throne and divide his kingdom among his three daughters- Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. He is blind to his weakness and misjudges, believing that the two evil…

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Progress In Shakespeare's King Lear
    • 1499 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Progress In Shakespeare's King Lear

    It has always been in human nature to want to progress. Wherever we go, we always hear about the “next big thing,” whether it be a new smartphone or a breakthrough in medicine that touches on many social issues, bringing up a debate on whether or not the end justifies the means. This will for progress sometimes ends with negative results, however, no matter what the original intention may have been. There are many examples in Shakespeare’s King Lear that expertly demonstrates that, although the goal may be aiming for improvement or progress, the end does not justify the means.…

    • 1499 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Using integrated linguistic and literary approaches compare how sibling relationships are presented in King Lear and The Godfather.
    • 1556 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Using integrated linguistic and literary approaches compare how sibling relationships are presented in King Lear and The Godfather.

    King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare in the Jacobean period after King James I of England came to the throne. Tragedies, which centre around dysfunctional families or couples such as Euripides’ Medea, focus on human suffering and require a high status protagonist to make a tragic mistake due to a flaw in his character which makes him human. King Lear’s tragic character flaw is arrogance and in some ways gullibility as he believes his daughters, Regan and Goneril, when they flatter him to gain a share of the kingdom. The key element for tragedies is the protagonist has to die shortly after recognising his error. It is typical for the audience to cry, giving them a cathartic experience.…

    • 1556 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    King Lear Research Paper
    • 867 Words
    • 4 Pages

    King Lear Research Paper

    One of the most notable instances of unfairness in the play is shown through Lear's banishment of Cordelia. In order to determine how much of his kingdom he should leave to each of his daughters, Lear asks each of them to tell him in words how much they love him. Goneril flatters her father, and Regan praises the king like never before, but when it comes time for Cordelia to confess her love for Lear, she cannot bring herself to do it. In these well-known lines, she states, "Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth. I love our majesty according to my bond, no more nor less." In reaction to Cordelia's refusal to act as a sycophant towards her father, Lear is caught up in a rage.…

    • 867 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    King Lear: The Parallel Journeys Of Families
    • 2231 Words
    • 9 Pages

    King Lear: The Parallel Journeys Of Families

    The infamous playwright, William Shakespeare’s, King Lear relays the story of a tragic hero and his family while paralleling it to the sub-plot within the tragedy. The story of these two reflecting groups of characters displays the obliteration of once potent characters’ power, and the inversion of social order. King Lear, the father of Goneril, Regan and Cordelia experiences a digressing journey comparable to that of Gloucester, the father of Edmund, his illegitimate son, and Edgar. Both Lear and Gloucester make a reprehensible decision in confiding in their children that they thought were the most honorable, but were faced with…

    • 2231 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    King Lear essay, exploring the notion of hope.
    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages

    King Lear essay, exploring the notion of hope.

    In the world of King Lear, being a shakespearean tragedy, suffering, loss, and injustice are all factors often expected before an audience enters the bottomless pit of complicated characters, varying agendas, and Shakespearean english these productions usually employed. However, despite its melancholy undertone and lack of warmer lighting gels on stage, King Lear is not without hope.…

    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    King Lear Research Paper
    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages

    King Lear Research Paper

    King Lear is a story full of greed, betrayal and the want for power. These three qualities is what leads to the disasters. King Lear is reaching the time when he is getting to old and needs to give his power and land to someone else. Lear has three daughters Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. Lear’s method on choosing one of his daughters to inherit his power and land is to recite their love for him but in a way that would be suitable for a husband/lover and not a father. Out of all sisters Cordelia is the only sincere one and expresses her love in an honest and father/daughter suitable way. The other two daughters tragedy happens due to their jealousy towards eahcother for the…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The Integrity of the Tragedy of King Lear
    • 1443 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Integrity of the Tragedy of King Lear

    The character of King Lear possesses the fatal flaw of hubris. He is arrogant, self-absorbed, an imperious king who is unbelievably unrealistic. Especially in the division of his kingdom, his title always came first and he had little or no understanding of what it meant to be a father or to love as can be seen in Act One nothing will come of nothing. Speak again. Hence Lears suffering from Act Three onwards is a large part of his journey…

    • 1443 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    King Lear Parallel Points
    • 892 Words
    • 3 Pages

    King Lear Parallel Points

    The first theme of the subplot in King Lear is to resonate with the main plot. It reinforces the idea that fathers should be wary whenever their offspring sweet talk them to convince them that their other children are plotting against them. King Lear, first of all goes against nature by dividing his property while being alive. The more flatter from his daughters the larger the land they would attend, despite the warning of his advisers he listen two his eldest daughter praise him of being the best father and king the world has ever seen, with this he gave them a handsome amount of wealth. Nonetheless Cordelia does not find this amusing, she tells the king “she loves him no more and no less a daughter loves her father”, being the king’s precious daughter and angry clouding his judgment he banish her without a second thought and the two other daughter are extremely joyful with this as they could easily manipulate their father more since he is in an emotional state of mind. With Gloucester its starts off when Edmund come to live with his half brother Edgar the legitimate son of…

    • 892 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analyzing King Lear's Speech
    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Analyzing King Lear's Speech

    In Shakespeare’s tragedy “King Lear”, Lear finds himself in a poor situation where he has given up everything, divided up his kingdom between his daughters, and is left with nothing. His daughters, Goneril and Regan, however, have turned against him so that he is now standing alone. Lear delivers this speech after he has been infuriated by his daughters. He is devastated by his daughters’ betrayal and swears revenge against them.…

    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    King Lear
    • 1159 Words
    • 5 Pages

    King Lear

    Lear’s hamartia is primarily exposed through his unappeasable need for self-appraisal. His narcissistic conduct is brought on by his need for flattery and is the reason for his vulnerability to extreme reaction. As Lear seeks self-appraisal in the first act, he is gravely disappointed in his youngest daughter’s response: “… I cannot heave / My heart into my mouth. I love your majesty / According to my bond, no more nor less.” (I.i.90-92) Her sheer honesty and refusal to give in to his test expose the King’s tragic flaw, as he acts rashly in banishing Cordelia along with his loyal friend Kent. Not only is Lear insulted by her refusal of appraisal, but his vanity inhibits him from being reasonable as he cannot accept that his daughter does not love him more than a daughter ought love her father. Lear tragically misinterprets reality and his injured pride leads him to anger, causing him to act without contemplation. The King’s unbridled fury leads to his unbearable suffering as it unfolds through further action. Through the effect of his hamartia, the King acts without reason and consequently loses his most beloved daughter.…

    • 1159 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    King Lear Essay
    • 640 Words
    • 3 Pages

    King Lear Essay

    At the beginning of the play, King Lear’s loss of the throne is his responsibility and entirely his own fault. Lear had hopes to rid himself of the burden of the throne by giving away the power of his kingdom to the daughter whom he feels loves him most. When speaking with his three daughters, Lear inquires “which of you shall say we doth love [me] most” (I.i.49), both Regan and Goneril shower Lear with flowery words and exaggerated lies. Upon delivering these lies to their father, Regan and Goneril are both granted power over parts of Lear’s kingdom. When it comes time for Cordelia to express her love she speaks the blatant truth enraging her father with her love for him only going so far as to cover “[her] bonds, no more, no less” (I.i.92-93). Lear’s excessive pride and arrogance does not allow for him to accept the truth, thus causing him to “declaim all [his] paternal care” (I.i.113). Lear’s injustice towards Cordelia, his only honest and loyal daughter is proof that a civilization needs justice to be a functioning society.…

    • 640 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    King Lear Research Paper
    • 1112 Words
    • 5 Pages

    King Lear Research Paper

    The study of literature, through any medium, is done to further improve a student’s understanding of the values that were prevalent during the context of that era. The works of William Shakespeare explore universal concerns that affect all and therefore his works remain timeless. Shakespeare’s characters all displays the basic faults and follies within human nature. Through the plays such as ‘King Lear’, students can gain an understanding of how a monarch, who abuses his power, can be forced to question fate and destiny, suffer at the hands of people, and then gain redemption through an acceptance of his mistakes. King Lear questions…

    • 1112 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Describe King Lear and the Elizabethan Era
    • 721 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Describe King Lear and the Elizabethan Era

    King Lear was a supposedly one of the first monarchs in prehistoric Britain. He had come down to Shakespeare's time as a Figure of myth and folklore. King Lear knew to divide sovereign power would be to undermine the peace of the commonwealth and to infringe the biblical precept that no one should serve two masters. (Bossulet qtd in) Sommerville 350) Although such an act would have been considered illegal at the time and Queen Elizabeth asks her advisors if she can give away some of her land (Foakes 17) They told her that land is not personal property to give away, but land is by a formal letter sealed with the monarchs patent (Foakes). In other words, the monarch is limited and must ask for permission before distributing land. Elizabeth is obviously not an absolute monarch and will never be. In King Lear, land and power are divided and given away, without the king having to seek counsel. Most importantly, under Shakespeare’s worldview, kings are divinely appointed, chosen by God. That makes kingship a charge that Lear does not have the right to lay down, To believe that he can divest himself of what he was divinely invested with is arrogance that involves placing himself above God, which is sort of the very definition of hubris.…

    • 721 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Symbolizing Ignorance In King Lear
    • 1381 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Symbolizing Ignorance In King Lear

    Since Regan and Goneril have had their chance to speak, Lear’s third and youngest daughter, Cordelia, is called upon to tell her father how much she loves him. Cordelia says that she can’t describe her love for her father; she feels that her love for her father is too deep put into words, and she does not want to attempt to explain it: “Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave / My heart into my mouth. I love your majesty / According to my bond, no more nor less,” (I.I.91-93). Since King Lear is blind to the truth and can only understand what he sees or hears, Lear becomes angry at Cordelia because he assumes that if she can’t describe her love for him, she doesn’t love him. He then orders Cordelia "out of [his] sight," because she is “ungrateful”, and his advisor, Kent, tells him: "See better, Lear," (I.I.179, 181). Lear then rewards Regan and Goneril with the honor of ruling his kingdom. From the beginning of the play, almost everyone sees Lear’s ignorance and the way he avoids seeing the truth; everyone except for Lear. Eventually, Regan and Goneril take over the kingdom and kick out their father. At this point, Lear starts to realize that his daughters had tricked him out of his kingdom; his sight is becoming more clear.…

    • 1381 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics