King Lear As A Man Of Great Power And Authority - 902 Words

Recognised easily is King Lear being the main character in this script. At the beginning of the play, Shakespeare had introduced him as a man of great power and authority. Lear adopted use of pronouns such as ‘we’, ‘our’ and ‘us’ which showed he believed his regal character to be monumental. Therefore the part he played in this tragedy was the tragic hero. Although he was the most authoritative character in the play, it became highly evident that he was not as astute and quick-witted as others and as he would like to have believed. This was all made apparent in Scene 1 when he thoughtlessly divided his kingdom and fortune amongst his daughters, all of which he had greatly misconstrued, acting as the catalyst of the chain reaction of events that could lead to his death. A ‘love-test’ betwixt his kin ultimately leaving him homeless diminished his authority. Act 1 introduced Aristotle’s aspects of tragedy which greatly helped us to understand Lear’s role. Hamartia and Hubris were present, and an appearance of Anagnorisis surfaced slightly. The Hamartia was King Lear’s misjudgement of Gonoril and Regan’s intentions and loyalty as they had an ulterior motive behind their professed love: to gain the kingdom and power for themselves. This misjudgement became key for Lear’s part in tragedy, as all tragic heroes must have their downfall. Aristotle’s Hubris showed us how Lear’s excessive pride caused him to ignore warning signs. In Scene 1 after King Lear had disowned Cordelia forShow MoreRelatedKingship and Leadership in William Shakespeares King Lear Essay1452 Words   |  6 PagesKingship and Leadership in William Shakespeares King Lear Jonathon Dollimore (1984) focuses on Lear’s identity throughout the play. ‘What makes Lear the person he is, is not kingly essence, but among other things, his authority and his family. 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