King Lear: Lear The Tragic Hero
The definition of tragedy in the Oxford dictionary is, "drama of
elevated theme and diction and with unhappy ending; sad event, serious accident,
calamity." However, the application of this terminology in Shakespearean
Tragedy is more expressive. Tragedy does not only mean death or calamity, but
in fact, it refers to a series of steps which leads to the downfall of the
tragic hero and eventually to his tragic death. Lear, the main character in
King Lear was affirmed as the tragic hero because the play meets all the
requirements of a tragedy. In order for a character to be qualified as a tragic
hero, he must be in a high status on the social chain and the hero also
possesses a tragic ...
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knowing when fortune or something else would happen on them.
Lear, the king of England would be the tragic hero because he held the
highest position in the social chain at the very beginning of the play. His
social position gave him pride as he remarked himself as "Jupiter" and "Apollo".
Lear out of pride and anger has banished Cordelia and Kent and divided his
Kingdom in halves to Goneril and Regan. Lear's hamartia which is his
obstinate pride and anger overrides his judgment, thus, prevents him to see the
true faces of people. As in Act One, although Cordelia said "nothing", she
really means everything she loves to his father. However, Lear only believed
in the beautiful words said by Regan and Goneril. Although Kent, his loyal
advisor begged Lear to see closer to the true faces of his daughters, he ignored
him and became even more angry because Kent hurt Lear's pride by disobeying his
order to stay out of his and Cordelia's way Lear had already warned him, "The
bow ...
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because he was smart enough to
tell the truth of Lear's blindness.
" Why, after I have cut the egg I' the middle and eat
up the meat, the two crowns of the egg. When thou
clovest thy crown I' the middle and gavest away both parts,
thou borest thine ass on thy back o'er the dirt. Thou hadst
little wit in thy bals crown when thou gavest thy golden one
away." ( Fool, I, iv, 155-160)
Because Goneril realized the wit of the fool who could see through the nature
clearly, she kicked him out together with Lear. " You sir, more knave than
fool, after your master!" ( I, iv, 312)
Lear's exceptional suffering and calamity after his realization of his
true character ...
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King Lear: Lear The Tragic Hero. (2004, June 14). Retrieved November 22, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/King-Lear-Lear-The-Tragic-Hero/9429
"King Lear: Lear The Tragic Hero." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 14 Jun. 2004. Web. 22 Nov. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/King-Lear-Lear-The-Tragic-Hero/9429>
"King Lear: Lear The Tragic Hero." Essayworld.com. June 14, 2004. Accessed November 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/King-Lear-Lear-The-Tragic-Hero/9429.
"King Lear: Lear The Tragic Hero." Essayworld.com. June 14, 2004. Accessed November 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/King-Lear-Lear-The-Tragic-Hero/9429.
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