Justice in William Shakespeares King Lear Essay - 1038 Words

Justice in William Shakespeares King Lear The question of the origin of true, virtuous, and impartial justice has plagued mankind over the millennia and continues to do so today. In Shakespeare’s King Lear two potential forms of justice predominate: human examination through trial and divine supernatural recourse. Both systems emerge fundamentally flawed in practice, however, and by the end of the play a world of unjust chaos reigns supreme. Over the course of three â€Å"trials,† Lear’s daughters competing for his love, the blinding of Gloucester by Cornwall and Regan, and Lear’s imagined cross-examination of Goneril and Regan, Shakespeare strikingly illustrates the concept that human justice is essentially blind and the maintenance†¦show more content†¦Nevertheless, Lear fails to heed Kent’s voice of reason and continues down the path of â€Å"hideous rashness† (1.1.67-69). Thus, through rewarding the flattery of his two dishonest serpents of daughters and the banishme nt of the virtuous Kent and Cordelia, Lear plainly demonstrates that just decisions are impossible when made through the cloudy lens of flawed human nature. In the trial and interrogation of the â€Å"filthy traitor† (3.7.39) Gloucester by the unscrupulous duo of Regan and Cornwall, the idea of the imperfection of human justice is further illustrated. Cornwall and Regan, led by their unbridled avarice and jealousy, come to the conclusion that Gloucester must have his eyes torn out for aiding the King without their consent and receiving a letter warning him of France’s impending invasion. Because Gloucester’s good and honest nature would not let him stand aside and watch â€Å"[Regan’s] cruel nails / Pluck out [Lear’s] poor old eyes, nor [Regan’s] fierce sister / In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs (3.7.67-71), the superstitious old man is branded a traitor through a travesty of a legal process and forced to part with his dear eyesight. The fact that his prosecutors seem to believe in the sanctity of due process and fair justice only further highlights theShow MoreRelated Artistic Form in King Lear1240 Words   |  5 Pages King Lear has remained one of Shakespeare’s best works, and one of the best tragedies of all time, since the beginning of the 17th century; however, some early critics believe that certain elements of the story do not satisfy the criteria for a proper tragedy. The two plot elements under speculation are the subplot and the catastrophic ending. The primary focus of the story is set on the elderly King Lear, whose pride and greed blinds him, causing him to banish his only pure daughter, Cordelia,Read MoreKing 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. However, King Lear ’s actions lead to the destruction of his family, tearing up his kingdom and creating a war. ‘King Lear’ is a tragedy as it follows the codes and conventionsRead MoreKing Lear Character Development Essay1662 Words   |  7 PagesKing Lear is understandably one of William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, it encompasses the journey through suffering and explores, in detail, the idea of justice. Each character in the play experience s one or the other throughout the progression of the plot, it is evident that through compositional features such as these, the play write is trying to convey this meaning. Through methods such as intense imagery, motifs, repetition of words and rhyming the play write has given intensity to certainRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Life And The Elizabethan Age Essay1474 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeare was the great poet, actor, and playwright from the Elizabethan age. William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564 and woul d then die exactly fifty two years later. Throughout time, his plays have continued to grow in popularity and notoriety. Many of the saying first penned by William Shakespeare, we still use today. Such lines as; â€Å"As good luck would have it (The Merry Wives of Windsor), Dead as a doornail (2 Henry VI), Full circle (King Lear), and Milk of human kindness (Macbeth)†Read MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear1480 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction William Shakespeare wrote the play of â€Å"King Lear† in 1986. This is a typical play of human coarseness and vengeance. The play challenges the audience through the contradiction of the goodness and primordial evil of a man. Many characters in this play demonstrate the tendencies of virtuous or vicious throughout the play. There are many themes in the play, but the most prevailing relates to the subject of justice. Shakespeare demonstrates this thematic deception of themes through instancesRead MoreEssay The Foolishness of Fools in Shakespeares King Lear1706 Words   |  7 PagesThe Foolishness of Fools in Shakespeares King Lear Shakespeares tragedy King Lear is comprised of many distinct themes. His contrasts of light and dark, good and evil, and his brilliant illustration of parallels between the foolishness of the plays characters and society allowed him to craft a masterpiece. Just as well, Shakespeares dynamic use of linguistic techniques such as pun and irony aid this illustration of the perfect microcosm, not only of 16th century Britain, but of all timesRead MoreOedipus As A Tragic Hero1445 Words   |  6 Pagesfulfilled. Consequently, due to the underlying corruption in Thebes, the people are perishing of a plague that will not cease until the man responsible for the death of the previous Theban King, King Laius, is identified and brought to justice. This urgency propels Oedipus to discover that his biological father is not the King of Corinth who raised him, rather Laius himself. This crisis is furthered by the reveal that not only did Oedipus assume Laius’ title, after he murdered him, the two men also shareRead MoreWhat Is Love, a Comparison of Love in Othello and King Lear1488 Words   |  6 Pagesepicenter for life, what is the point of living if there is no love, ironically love is the cause of many a down fall. William Shakespeare has single handedly captured and embraced this necessary feeling and has allowed us to view in on it through the characters in his two masterpieces, Othello and King Lear. Three different kinds of loves explored in both Othello and King Lear, sharing both similarities and differences are a love for a significant other, the love a father holds to his childrenRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear1470 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeare’s tragedies accentuate the qualities of human behavior and interactions with others when faced with adversity where the emotions of greed, ambition and madness are strongly expressed. Insight into the character’s psyche and moral values is explored to give understanding of the logic and r easoning behind the ways humans act. Harboring a universal and timeless quality, Shakespeare’s plays have the ability to exceed the restraints of the cultural values during the Elizabethan era, makingRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear922 Words   |  4 PagesInsanity occupies an essential place in William Shakespeare’s King Lear, and is associated with both disorder and hidden wisdom. As King Lear goes mad due to dementia, the turmoil in his mind mirrored the chaos that has descended upon his kingdom. He initiated the unnatural sequence of events when he proclaimed that he desires to relinquish his duties as a monarchy and conferring them onto his children. At the same time, Lear’s dementia provided him with important wisdom by reducing him to his bare