King Lear - Analyzing a Tragic Hero
King Lear - Analyzing a Tragic HeroTragedy is defined in Websters New Collegiate Dictionary as: 1) a medieval narrative poem or tale typically describing the downfall
of a great man, 2) a serious drama typically describing a conflict
between the protagonist and a superior force (as destiny) and having a
sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that excites pity or terror. The
play of King Lear is one of William Shakespears great tragic pieces,
it is not only seen as a tragedy in itself, but also a play that
includes two tragic heroes and four villains. I felt that a tragic
hero must not be all good or all bad, but just by misfortune he is
deprived of something very valuable to him by error of judgment.
We must be able to identify ourselves with the tragic hero if
he is to inspire fear, for we must feel that what happens to him could
happen to us. If Lear was completely evil, we would not be fearful of
what happens to him: he would merely be repulsive. But Lear does
inspire fear because, like us, he is not completely upright, nor is
he completely wicked. He is foolish and arrogant, it is true, but
later he is also humble and compassionate. He is wrathful, but at
times, patient. Because of his good qualities, we experience pity for
him and feel that he does not deserve the severity of his punishment.
His actions are not occasioned by any corruption or depravity in him,
but by an error in judgment, which, however, does arise from a defect
of character. Lear has a "tragic flaw" - egotism. It is his egotism
in the first scene that causes him to make his error in judgment - the
division of his kingdom and the loss of Cordelia. Throughout the rest
of the play, the consequences of this error slowly and steadfastly
increase until Lear is destroyed. There must be a change in the life
of the tragic hero; he must past from happiness to misery. Lear, as
seen in Act I, has everything a man should want - wealth, power,
peace, and a state of well-being. Because a tragic character must
pass from happiness to misery, he must be seen at the beginning of
the play as a happy man, surrounded by good fortune. Then, the
disasters that befall him will be unexpected and will be in direct
contrast to his previous state.
In King Lear the two tragic characters, a king and an earl,
are not ordinary men. To have a man who is conspicuous endure
suffering brought about because of his own error is striking....
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