The Three Villains In King Lear

The Three Villains and Their Character in King Lear King Lear is a play written by William Shakespeare in the Renaissance era. Set in ancient Britain, King Lear is about King Lear retiring from his post, and deciding to separate his kingdom into three parts, one for each daughter. In order to swell his ego, Lear puts his daughters through a test of telling him how much they love him. Lear’s youngest daughter, Cordelia, does not go through the scheme and is disowned. Cordelia leaves to France, with the King of France without the blessing of her father. The decidedly older, villainous daughters flatter their father and his ego, becoming most deserving of the kingdom. As the play goes on, Lear starts to understand what he had done when his eldest …show more content…
Intelligence and mastery of manipulation is a common trait between the three. Goneril and Regan are intelligent enough to know just how to flatter their father into giving the kingdom over. Their ability to know their father well enough to know his weak spots, shows not only their intelligence in the matter of politics and people, but also great observational skills. Goneril and Regan are also masterful manipulators in dealing with their father and his one hundred knights. They are able to abuse their father’s authority, shake his countenance, and usurp him from his position as the country’s and family’s leader. Their ability to weigh on his psyche just through the discussion of servants, managed to shake Lear so strongly, that he lost his mind. Edmund is quite similar in his machinations, he knows the exact method of making his father believe in him, and uses his analytical and observant mind to come up with a convincing letter for evidence. He does not speak of his plans with anybody, and is careful with how he talks to others in positions of power. Despite his intellect, Edmund, appears quite blind to his potential; Edmund had many opportunities for the time, he was able to grow up as a noble man, and had a good career ahead of him. While he would not have been able to become the Earl of Gloucester, he would have been better off than a large portion of the population. All of