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Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 4.2.97: Top | Help
I personally think the plot of King Lear is based on the degenaration and the collapse of morality.The play starts just like a historical play; sharing of a kingdom; and ends -like the former one- with the setting of a new authority.However historical plays and/or tragedies usually include strong-willed people who are crowned in the end.On the contrary there is not a new world that is to be set in "King Lear".There is not a Malcolm,Octavius or a Fortinbras to save this world of desolation.All the important people are either dead or in terrible situation.Albany,Edgar and Kent are only minor reflactions of life from this dying world..This so-called collapse reveales around two planes.The fisrt plane, involves in human to human relations, is a plane of murder.This is Goneril's,Reagan's,Cornwall's,Edmund's and Oswald's world of cruelty and betrayal.But these are not the only ones who create this world.Lear and Gloucester also shares the responsibility.None of these can manage to escape from the universal justice,though.Only cordelia cannot be held responsible for anything.But she is a victim of her honesty.Her death, in a prison, is terribly tragic.It can even be called the most tragic event of the whole story.
The second plane involves in human-nature relation,is a plane of universal ethics.In this world there are ironic,painfull and grotesque scenes(for example the scene in which Lear suffers in the storm and eventually loses his mind,the scene that Gloucester tries to kill himself by jumping from cliffs of Dover but fails to do so.) that are based on human nature.This second world is the decaying world of morality that you asked for...
I think all the characters should be examined separetely but I don't have much time right now and this is already too long.I'm trying to finish this homework about King Lear and I'll be gratefull if you can tell your views on this...But don't mail me cause I've got problems with this server and this mail thing always sends my letters to irrelevant people.Anyway hope you reply before my deadline on May 4...Posted by Pan on April 19, 1997 at 11:11:26
In Reply to "Info on Main and Sub plots in King Lear" posted by Gareth Pelly on April 17, 1997 at 11:52:14
Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 4.2.97: Top | Help