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King Lear - Analyzing A Tragic Hero - Online Paper

King Lear - Analyzing A Tragic Hero

Tragedy is defined in Websters New Collegiate Dictionary as: 1) a medieval narrative poem or tale typically describing the downfall of a great man, 2) a serious drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force (as destiny) and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that excites pity or terror.
The play of King Lear is one of William Shakespears great tragic pieces, it is not only seen as a tragedy in itself, but also a play that includes two tragic heroes and four villains. I felt that a tragic hero must not be all good or all bad, but just by misfortune he is deprived of something very valuable to him by error of judgment.
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pity for him and feel that he does not deserve the severity of his punishment. His actions are not occasioned by any corruption or depravity in him, but by an error in judgment, which, however, does arise from a defect of character. Lear has a "tragic flaw" - egotism. It is his egotism in the first scene that causes him to make his error in judgment - the division of his kingdom and the loss of Cordelia. Throughout the rest of the play, the consequences of this error slowly and steadfastly increase until Lear is destroyed. There must be a change in the life of the tragic hero; he must past from happiness to misery. Lear, as seen in Act I, has everything a man should want - wealth, power, peace, and a state of well-being. Because a tragic character must pass from happiness to misery, he must be seen at the beginning of the play as a happy man, surrounded by good fortune. Then, the disasters that befall him will be unexpected and will be in direct contrast to his previous state.
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King Lear - Analyzing A Tragic Hero. (2008, May 30). Retrieved January 10, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/King-Lear-Analyzing-A-Tragic-Hero/84423

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 5/30/2008 02:46:00 AM
Category: Arts
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 871
Pages: 4

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