Ian McKellen

Power Destroyed (The Prologue) King Lear was the King of Britain. He had three daughters to take over his kingdom. He had a long white beard which showed his age, patience, and his wisdom. He also had glossy blue eyes. Showing that his vision was becoming clouded. Since he could no longer see truth himself, he believed the flattery of others. He dresses lavishly wearing a fancy red robe and heavy gold crown. Over time the crown puts too much pressure on the sides of his brain and causes…

However, Cordelia’s reckless behaviour gets her in trouble, and she moves away so her performance in school can improve. When Elaine and Cordelia meet again, Elaine is surprised to see Cordelia’s current state. She is described as “a wreck. Her hair is lusterless, the flesh of her face pasty. She’s gained a lot of weight, not solid-muscled weight, but limp weight, bloated and watery. She’s gone back to the too-vivid orange-red lipstick, which turns her yellowish.” (275) Cordelia still maintains…

(Bevington, 2014)King Lear and elderly King of Britain decides to step down from the throne and wanting to divide his kingdom between his three daughters. Before he divided the kingdom among the three daughters, he required them to show their love for him in words. Lear waits with a prideful heart and expecting to hear kind words from his daughters it was far from what he expected. Two of King Leer’s daughters Goneril and Regan manipulates him speaking highly of him and makes him proud. His…

While nearly all aspects of Lear’s behavior in the initial scene of King Lear are far from respectable, it is his disregard for the two characters present who are arguably the most noble and well-intentioned that give him the honor of meeting his tragic fate. In short, the banishment of Cordelia and Kent act as the catalyst for Lear’s tragedy. In a way these two characters are vehicles for Lear’s mistakes; regardless of Cordelia’s actions, she live within Lear’s story, and while her father grows…

Lear’s place on the balance of good and evil however, is not quite as clear. Ian Johnston of Malaspina University places the blame Hence, the accuracy of Lear’s self-proclamation of being ‘a…

“Don't shut yourself up in a bandbox because you are a woman, but understand what is going on, and educate yourself to take your part in the world's work, for it all affects you and yours.” Louisa Alcott, a known and outspoken female rights activist, write what all women are desperate to hear. You see, in society today, there is no mistaking that women’s rights have come a long way from what they were in the times of, oh, let’s say Shakespeare. However, that does not mean that women are treated…

Shakespeare's Macbeth is meant to trace the detrimental effects of rampant ambition and greed, whereas King Lear is intended to show how good intentions and generosity can reveal the true nature of humans and lead to madness. The themes are best shown through Shakespeare's use of the motif of clothing. Through the motif of clothing, corruption and treachery are shown to run rampant in Macbeth. After receiving the Thane of Cawdor’s robes and title which had been stained by Cawdor’s treachery,…

The first act promptly begins with Lear’s surprising announcement about relinquishing his power to his three daughters. He pledges “our largest bounty may extend” (1.1.57) to whomever loves him the most. Beginning with Lear’s major discourse throughout the play, we get the sense that power is the dominant force that's at the centre of this family. Lear states first “to shake all cares and business from our [Lear’s] age”(1.1.41) and then taking that boundless power to his children, where he can…

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,…

The fracturing of the kingdom into three and it’s poor state help Goneril and Regan to further paint a façade that Lear is easily misled by. Therefore, the craftiness and desire for power from both Goneril and Regan are clearly shown when they both shower King Lear with praises. Goneril goes first and says, “Sir, I love you more than word can wield the matter” (1.1.55). It is interesting when Goneril addresses her father as sir, as it shows a divide between Lear and his daughters; similarly,…