Sunset Boulevard and King Lear are both dramas that contain melodramatic characters who have lost all wits and gone insane. Norma Desmond of Sunset Boulevard and King Lear of King Lear are driven to state of complete paranoia. Although Norma and Lear come from different backgrounds, they have similarities in their mental illnesses, and there are people that significantly alter their paths to psycho mania. Max, is the character most responsible for Norma’s hysteria while Goneril and Regan, in King Lear, appear to be at fault for Lear’s delusions. Max, the faithful butler, is most to blame for the downfall of silent film star Norma Desmond. Although, he was the only one there for Miss Desmond, he was the one that kept Norma stuck in the past.
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Even though his failure is all his fault, the beginning started with a web of lies woven by his daughters. King Lear has three daughters that he loves more than the world. His plan is to split his kingdom into three parts for each of his daughters to rule, the only requirement is for each of them to profess their love and thoughts of their father. The issue is, is that Lear is not an amazing king, and his first two daughters do not love him as much as they say. “And I am alone felicitate, In your dear Highnesses’ Love” (Regan, King Lear), this proves to be a lie along with the following quote from his other daughter, “A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable. Beyond all manner of so much I Love you”. Thinking of the love he had from his daughters led Lear to believe that he was fully supported by them, in his mind his kingdom was in the loving hands of his children. Lear had created a small reality of how things would work out for him and his family. Lears eldest daughters did not hold up their end of the promise, they both kicked their elderly Father out of their homes and into the rain. The shock of finding out the truth about his daughters drove him to insanity. Alone and in the rain he was almost a wreck. His youngest daughter quickly came to his rescue, but by that time it was too late. Goneril and Regan had caused too much damage to the kingdom and to Lear’s mind. Lear had …show more content…
Each of these characters, Norma Desmond and King Lear, were driven to this point of madness and absence of understanding reality by other characters in their stories. Max, although loyal and faithful, drove Norma into a fictitious life that eventually made it impossible for her to change or adapt to the realities of the new Hollywood. Goneril and Regan, the eldest daughters, professed their lies of love to King Lear and created a false sense of security that came tumbling down around him after he disowned his throne. Both Norma and Lear have some fault in losing their sanity, but the catalysts of their destruction was Max and Goneril and
Even though his failure is all his fault, the beginning started with a web of lies woven by his daughters. King Lear has three daughters that he loves more than the world. His plan is to split his kingdom into three parts for each of his daughters to rule, the only requirement is for each of them to profess their love and thoughts of their father. The issue is, is that Lear is not an amazing king, and his first two daughters do not love him as much as they say. “And I am alone felicitate, In your dear Highnesses’ Love” (Regan, King Lear), this proves to be a lie along with the following quote from his other daughter, “A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable. Beyond all manner of so much I Love you”. Thinking of the love he had from his daughters led Lear to believe that he was fully supported by them, in his mind his kingdom was in the loving hands of his children. Lear had created a small reality of how things would work out for him and his family. Lears eldest daughters did not hold up their end of the promise, they both kicked their elderly Father out of their homes and into the rain. The shock of finding out the truth about his daughters drove him to insanity. Alone and in the rain he was almost a wreck. His youngest daughter quickly came to his rescue, but by that time it was too late. Goneril and Regan had caused too much damage to the kingdom and to Lear’s mind. Lear had …show more content…
Each of these characters, Norma Desmond and King Lear, were driven to this point of madness and absence of understanding reality by other characters in their stories. Max, although loyal and faithful, drove Norma into a fictitious life that eventually made it impossible for her to change or adapt to the realities of the new Hollywood. Goneril and Regan, the eldest daughters, professed their lies of love to King Lear and created a false sense of security that came tumbling down around him after he disowned his throne. Both Norma and Lear have some fault in losing their sanity, but the catalysts of their destruction was Max and Goneril and