King Lear Essay - Age versus Youth; Good versus Evil; Vision and Blindness :: King Lear essays

Themes of Age versus Youth; Good versus evil; Vision and Blindness; and Fortune in King Lear "The theme of King Lear may be stated in psychological as well as biological terms. So put, it is the destructive, the ultimately suicidal character of unregulated passion, its power to carry human nature back to chaos.... The predestined end of unmastered passion is the suicide of the species. That is the gospel according to King Lear. The play is in no small measure an actual representation of that process. The murder-suicide of Regan-Goneril is an example. But it is more than a picture of chaos and impending doom. What is the remedy for chaos? it asks. What can avert the doom? The characters who have mastered their passions give us a glimpse of the answer to those questions." -Harold C. Goddard, The Meaning of Shakespeare, 1951 Good King, that must approve the common saw, Thou out of heavens benediction com'st To the warm sun Approach, thou beacon to this under globe, That by thy comfortable beams I may Peruse this letter. Nothing almost sees miracles But misery. I know 'tis from Cordelia Who hath most fortunately been informed Of my obscured course, and shall find time From this enormous state, seeking to give Losses their remedies. All weary and o'erwatched, Take vantage heavy eyes, not to behold This shameful lodging. Fortune, goodnight. Smile once more; turn thy wheel. Shakespeare's tragedy, King Lear, is often thought of as not only one of Shakespeare's best works, but also one of his best "poems". The language follows in Shakespeare's trademark format using iambic pentameter in much of the play. Shakespeare's It is well known for its many universal themes. Some of these themes are: Dealing with he folly of old age and the ingratitude of youth; Good versus evil; Nature; Vision and blindness; and Fortune. These themes have been examined for hundreds of years in many different forums, but what makes this play so unique is the fact that Shakespeare incorporates all of these issues in just one tale. One character that examines some of these issues is a character named Kent. Kent is a significant character in King Lear, as he is involved from the beginning to the end. King Lear Essay - Age versus Youth; Good versus Evil; Vision and Blindness :: King Lear essays Themes of Age versus Youth; Good versus evil; Vision and Blindness; and Fortune in King Lear "The theme of King Lear may be stated in psychological as well as biological terms. So put, it is the destructive, the ultimately suicidal character of unregulated passion, its power to carry human nature back to chaos.... The predestined end of unmastered passion is the suicide of the species. That is the gospel according to King Lear. The play is in no small measure an actual representation of that process. The murder-suicide of Regan-Goneril is an example. But it is more than a picture of chaos and impending doom. What is the remedy for chaos? it asks. What can avert the doom? The characters who have mastered their passions give us a glimpse of the answer to those questions." -Harold C. Goddard, The Meaning of Shakespeare, 1951 Good King, that must approve the common saw, Thou out of heavens benediction com'st To the warm sun Approach, thou beacon to this under globe, That by thy comfortable beams I may Peruse this letter. Nothing almost sees miracles But misery. I know 'tis from Cordelia Who hath most fortunately been informed Of my obscured course, and shall find time From this enormous state, seeking to give Losses their remedies. All weary and o'erwatched, Take vantage heavy eyes, not to behold This shameful lodging. Fortune, goodnight. Smile once more; turn thy wheel. Shakespeare's tragedy, King Lear, is often thought of as not only one of Shakespeare's best works, but also one of his best "poems". The language follows in Shakespeare's trademark format using iambic pentameter in much of the play. Shakespeare's It is well known for its many universal themes. Some of these themes are: Dealing with he folly of old age and the ingratitude of youth; Good versus evil; Nature; Vision and blindness; and Fortune. These themes have been examined for hundreds of years in many different forums, but what makes this play so unique is the fact that Shakespeare incorporates all of these issues in just one tale. One character that examines some of these issues is a character named Kent. Kent is a significant character in King Lear, as he is involved from the beginning to the end.