King Lear: King Lear A Tragic Hero
King Lear had been discussed by many critics of the play of this name,
with some taking the position that he was a tragic hero. However, there
are a few who believe that he was not, and that in effect, he might even be
a comic figure. This paper attempts to discuss whether King Lear is a
tragic hero or not, looking at the works of two critics, each taking
opposite sides. On the one hand, there is A.C. Bradley, who takes the
position that King Lear is a tragic hero because he demonstrates all the
characteristics of a tragic hero as Bradley saw it. On the other hand, G.
Wilson Knight believes that the play King Lear is really a comedy of the
grotesque, and that King Lear is really a ...
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goes beyond him. The tragic hero also takes
the action that produces the suffering and calamity which leads to death.
Other characteristics of a tragic hero are as follows. The tragic hero is
a person who is of high degree, and his welfare is intimately tied up with
the welfare of the state. The hero is an exceptional being, of high degree,
whose actions and sufferings are of an unusual kind, who possesses and
exceptional nature. His nature is exceptional in the sense that it is very
much like our nature, except that it is intensified.
The tragic hero is also involved in conflict, which could be either
conflict with someone else, or conflict within himself. The tragic hero is
also described as inspiring pity on the part of the viewer because of the
intensity of the suffering that the tragic hero is undergoing. Furthermore,
the tragic hero is seen as wretched, nevertheless, the audience does not
see him as contemptible. Instead, the audience sees the tragic hero ...
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things taking place, and thus leading to a
resolution of the pressure that is created through pain or crying. Knight
does not see tragedy and comedy as being very different in the sense that
they both view incongruity.
In the case of King Lear, Knight believes that while the character of
King Lear is tragic in the sense that he suffers that there is something
comic in the situation because King Lear brings it upon himself because of
the incongruity of King Lear's behavior. King Lear is mad, and his
behavior from the very beginning of the play, where he tries to see which
one of his daughters loves him more is incongruous. Knight sees this
situation as comic, where King Lear has " . ...
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King Lear: King Lear A Tragic Hero. (2004, April 20). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/King-Lear-King-Lear-Tragic-Hero/6570
"King Lear: King Lear A Tragic Hero." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 20 Apr. 2004. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/King-Lear-King-Lear-Tragic-Hero/6570>
"King Lear: King Lear A Tragic Hero." Essayworld.com. April 20, 2004. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/King-Lear-King-Lear-Tragic-Hero/6570.
"King Lear: King Lear A Tragic Hero." Essayworld.com. April 20, 2004. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/King-Lear-King-Lear-Tragic-Hero/6570.
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