Examples Of Justice In King Lear

A disturbing amount of evil, cruel and unjust treatment is displayed throughout Shakespeare’s King Lear. So much so that it can be a challenge to look beyond and recognize the occasions where justice is served. Although not as consistently as it should have been, justice is served in its own unique ways, for both the characters with good intentions and those with evil. Due to the lack of goodhearted characters in the play, more opportunities for justice naturally came to the evil characters, or those with malicious intent.
Contrary to what it may seem, there are multiple occasions on which the bad characters get a taste of justice, even if just temporarily. Throughout King Lear, Edmund is disloyal to everyone, and plots evil plans that end …show more content…
Regan, Lear’s youngest daughter, betrays her father and lies about how much she loves him just to get his land, then turns on him after getting what she wants. As well, she urges Cornwall’s brutal behaviour by telling him after he gouges one of Gloucester’s eyes out, “One side will mock another—th' other too.” Regan eventually ends up getting killed in an unexpected manner, by someone who she teams up with throughout the whole story. Her sister Goneril poisons her, ending her life. Similar to Regan, Goneril is disloyal to her father as well. She too lies about loving him just to obtain land, then turns him away when he needs a place to stay. Goneril is jealous and aggressive, which results in her killing her sister over a man which claims to love them both. Goneril poisons her sister, then ends up killing herself when the guilt of all her evil actions catches up with her. It is evident that Goneril begins to go mad before committing this crime, as during her last exit from the scene Albany says to one of his soldiers, “Go after her. She’s desperate. Govern her.” Albany is recognizing Goneril is begging to go crazy and doesn’t want her to be unattended to do something stupid. Both these sister’s foolish actions wind up getting them justice in the harsh form of death. King Lear, the father of Goneril and Regan, seems to follow this same pattern of …show more content…
Kent gets justice in a strange way that may be hard to recognize, however at the end of the day it is what he wants. Throughout King Lear, Kent is loyal to Lear and lives for the sole purpose of serving him and protecting him. After being banished, Kent returns in disguise to protect Lear, without him even knowing. When Lear eventually dies of a broken heart, Kent states “I have a journey, sir, shortly to go. My master calls me. I must not say no.” Kent believes his journey on earth has ended now that Lear is no longer here, and wishes to join him in heaven. Although it’s a strange way to have justice served, Kent is getting what he wants in the depth of his hearts. Like Kent, Edgar was loyal throughout the play, yet got banished and pushed to the lowest social status due to Edmunds tricks, but persevered and dressed as a poor beggar to fit his newly acquired roll. He is loyal to his father, for when he comes across him trying to commit suicide while dressed as Poor Tom, he convinces him that he has fallen off a cliff yet somehow survived, so he must be blessed and deserves to live! He tells his father, “Thy life’s a miracle. Speak yet again.” He convinces Lear that his life is in fact a miracle, and he survived for a reason. This makes his father have hope and not feel like he is meant to die. Edgar is rewarded for his actions throughout the plays when he ends up not only being one of the few