King Lear Conflict Analysis - 1109 Words

In the play The Tragedy of King Lear, William Shakespeare conveys a power struggle between Lear ´s good and loyal subjects, and those who were greedy and manipulative. King Lear split his kingdom among his two eldest daughters who relied on flattery rather than genuinity to portray their love for him, and banished his kind and honest daughter, Cordelia, for defying his expectation of insincere praise. From then on, there was a great deal of tension between the characters who wanted to take Lear down, and those who would try to protect him with their loyalty. The tension spiraled into a war. Shakespeare intentionally neglects details about the time period of the conflict in order for it to be portrayed as a quarrel between the virtues and†¦show more content†¦Instead, he transferred his land and power to the eldest daughters, Regan and Goneril, who did not love him. They deceived Lear into believing that they loved him by stroking his ego so that they could further their ow n personal agendas. Goneril and Regan represented similar characteristics, as they both exemplified cruelty, ruthlessness, and greed throughout the play. Lear ´s best friend, Kent, pleaded with him to see that he had been wrong, saying,  ¨And in thy best consideration check / The hideous rashness (1.1 167-168). ¨ Lear was angered by his honesty and banished him as well, refusing to admit to his fault. He cast off the two characters that represented the goodness of his sole, and therefore, these virtues were unable to stay in order to fight off his vices. This allowed all of the evil aspects of his mind to consume him. He finally realized that he made a mistake when his remaining daughters began to undermine his minimal authority and plot against him. At the end of act II, they refused to even house him anymore when Goneril said  ¨entreat him by no means to stay (2.4 342). ¨ This was followed by Lear being kicked out into a harsh thunderstorm with no means of protection from the weather. TheShow MoreRelatedKing Lear and the Genre of Tragedy Essay960 Words   |  4 Pagesof the hero. Written between 1604 and 1606, ‘King Lear’ falls into the genre of tragedy, depicting the destruction and downfall of the main character (Abrams). The play centres on Lear, an aging king who, in his retirement, decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters while retaining the title and privileges of being king. 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