King Lear

Introduction:

King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is brutal play filled with cruelty and
awful disaster.It concerns with the downfall of King Lear and Earl of Gloucester due to the downfall of
their children.We can observe the lack of unity in this play. It is one of the most readable and gripping
dramas of Shakespeare.

Characters:

King Lear: he is the main protagonist of the play . he is the aging king of Britain who is used to enjoying
to be flattered by others.

Cordelia: She is Lear’s youngest daughter, disowned by his father when she refused to explain her love
for father. King of France marries him.

Goneril: Lear’s cruel and pitiless oldest daughter.she is wife of the duke of Albany.She is
jealous,unfaithful and amoral.

Regan: Lear’s middle daughter.she is just like her sister Goneril.She is married with Cornwall.

Gloucester: A nobleman who is very loyal to his king. His rank is earl which is lower than the duke.

Edgar: He is gloucester’s older legitimate son.he plays many roles in this play.

Edmund: Gloucester’s younger,illegitimate son He dislikes his status as a bastard. He tries to take all the
wealth of Gloucester from Edgar.

Kent: A nobleman of the same rank as Gloucester.

Albany: The husband of Lear;s daughter Goneril. He is good at heartand opposes the cruelty of his wife.

Cornwall: The husband of regan.He is opperessed,cruel and violent.

Fool: lear’s jester who uses double meaning jokes to give important advice.

Oswald: A chef at Goneril house.

Critical Appreciation:

In king Lear Shakespeare has basically explained the flaws in “good people” which are the
main reason of their downfall.

King Lear is essentially a tale about human flaw of faulty perception. As we talk about King Lear , hi is
fundamentally portrayed as nobleman in this play but his flaw is that he loves to be flattered by the
people.
“Nothing comes out of nothing” it is mentioned by Lear in this play but in actual he didn’t know its
meanings he only see this in terms of money; he ignores its literal meaning.

At the start Lear possessed the whole authority and power but he misused his power when he left
Cordelia with nothing.This thing also happens in modern world.

The theme of loyality and trust are also discussed in this play . These are the main concepts due to whch
the Shakespearean playwrights endured through the time.

Through the outcomes of King lear it is evident that the themes of power, loyaltyand trust which are so
common in modern era were also being tested back in Elizabethian era. In short Shakespearean play are
still valued today