King Lear by William Shakespeare explores many ideas relating to pain and suffering. Throughout his play, Shakespeare explores the idea that it is both meaningful as well as meaningless, and as much as it can have an impact, it can also be pointless, as it offers nothing to our lives. The main ideas that Shakespeare explores include the idea that pain and suffering can shape a person’s character and that it is required to reveal the truth. However, he also explores the idea that it is meaningless due to the inevitability of death.
Shakespeare explores the idea that pain and suffering can help shape a person’s character. Throughout the play, this idea is evident through characters such as King Lear and Gloucester. Lear’s suffering was mostly …show more content…
Gloucester, contrastingly, suffered a more physical pain, as he had his eyes gouged out by Cornwall. Shakespeare utilises parallel plots to explore the similarities and differences between these two men, the similarities being that both men are fathers, both with one child that truly loves them, and both have children that wish to only use them for the money and power that they possess. The differences are then the different types of suffering that the men endure. In addition, Shakespeare utilises the symbolism of blindness to demonstrate the way that Lear and Gloucester become aware of what is happening to them, which in turn, causes them to develop into different people. Shakespeare also explores the idea that the pain and suffering of Lear, causes him to become a much more compassionate and caring person, although as he realises, it is too late to act upon this. Shakespeare shows this through characterisation, in a scene where Lear is sitting in a hut with Old Tom, where he declares “poor fool and knave, I …show more content…
This therefore demonstrates the idea that pain and suffering are ultimately for nothing. This idea is explored mostly through the denouement of the play, through the death of Lear and Cordelia. Lear goes through extreme pain and suffering, through the loss of his power, status, money, and his most loyal daughter. Lear is “a man more sinned against than sinning”, yet the play still ends in the tragedy of his death. However, Shakespeare also utilises the supernatural and religious imagery to demonstrate not only the idea that pain and suffering is meaningless, but to extend this to express his idea to the audience that life itself is meaningless. He explores the idea that people are “as flies to wanton boys are we to th’ gods… they kill us for sport”, indicating that anything that happens in life is simply for entertainment, and nothing more. It also demonstrates that once someone dies, the gods will just move on to their next victim, further exhibiting the idea that pain and suffering and even life is meaningless.
Throughout his play, King Lear, Shakespeare effectively demonstrates the way that pain and suffering in human life is both meaningless as well as meaningful. Shakespeare explores such ideas as pain and suffering shaping a person’s character and pain and suffering being required to reveal the truth, therefore making it meaningful. However, he also explores
Shakespeare explores the idea that pain and suffering can help shape a person’s character. Throughout the play, this idea is evident through characters such as King Lear and Gloucester. Lear’s suffering was mostly …show more content…
Gloucester, contrastingly, suffered a more physical pain, as he had his eyes gouged out by Cornwall. Shakespeare utilises parallel plots to explore the similarities and differences between these two men, the similarities being that both men are fathers, both with one child that truly loves them, and both have children that wish to only use them for the money and power that they possess. The differences are then the different types of suffering that the men endure. In addition, Shakespeare utilises the symbolism of blindness to demonstrate the way that Lear and Gloucester become aware of what is happening to them, which in turn, causes them to develop into different people. Shakespeare also explores the idea that the pain and suffering of Lear, causes him to become a much more compassionate and caring person, although as he realises, it is too late to act upon this. Shakespeare shows this through characterisation, in a scene where Lear is sitting in a hut with Old Tom, where he declares “poor fool and knave, I …show more content…
This therefore demonstrates the idea that pain and suffering are ultimately for nothing. This idea is explored mostly through the denouement of the play, through the death of Lear and Cordelia. Lear goes through extreme pain and suffering, through the loss of his power, status, money, and his most loyal daughter. Lear is “a man more sinned against than sinning”, yet the play still ends in the tragedy of his death. However, Shakespeare also utilises the supernatural and religious imagery to demonstrate not only the idea that pain and suffering is meaningless, but to extend this to express his idea to the audience that life itself is meaningless. He explores the idea that people are “as flies to wanton boys are we to th’ gods… they kill us for sport”, indicating that anything that happens in life is simply for entertainment, and nothing more. It also demonstrates that once someone dies, the gods will just move on to their next victim, further exhibiting the idea that pain and suffering and even life is meaningless.
Throughout his play, King Lear, Shakespeare effectively demonstrates the way that pain and suffering in human life is both meaningless as well as meaningful. Shakespeare explores such ideas as pain and suffering shaping a person’s character and pain and suffering being required to reveal the truth, therefore making it meaningful. However, he also explores