King Lear Power Corrupts Essay - 1247 Words

King Lear; Power Corrupts Absolutely For years, power has been known to blind people from what really matters in life; it can lead to the demise of a person if it is not used responsibly. Shakespeare’s King Lear demonstrates how, because it is a sign of dominance and control, power becomes the poison behind the character’s actions. The lengths they are willing to go to in order to obtain this power are the cause of their problems. The play takes place in an era of hierarchy, where everyone has a societal role. Power’s intoxicating influences the characters to act rashly, disregard the feelings and opinions of others, betray one another, and break tradition. It is for these reasons, and because power is so enticing, that it becomes†¦show more content†¦Ignorance causes one to disregard the feelings and opinions of another. King Lear, who has fallen for his eldest daughter’s empty words, disregards Cordelia who refuses to take part in his ridiculous methods for choosing inheritors. Lear decides to send Cordelia away to France; a decision that angers a long-time friend and servant of Lear, Kent. Kent sums up the courage to speak against the King, â€Å"This hideous rashness. Answer my life my judgement/ Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least/ Nor are those empty-hearted whose low sound/ Reverbs no hollowness† (I.i.154-158). Kent encourages Lear to wait a while longer and allow destiny to take its course. Kent believes Lear’s daughters’ actions will speak much louder than their words. Lear was so self-empowered and prideful; however, that he solemnly believed love can be expressed through words. With this belief in mind he exercised his power on those who should matter the most; he sent his beloved daughter Cordelia, and faithful servant Kent, away, â€Å"Hear me, recreant! On thine allegiance hear me. / That thou hast sought to make us break out vows/ Which we durst never yet, and with strained pri de/ To come betwixt our sentence and our power† (I.i. 170-183). Lear’s power causes him to act ignorantly and rashly against the opinions of others, and therefore left him a blind man. Betrayal can become a powerful weaponShow MoreRelatedKing Lear - Power Corrupts798 Words   |  4 PagesPower is the ability to manipulate and control whatever one desires; to do what one pleases to do without answering to authority. The power that corrupts the characters plays an extensive role throughout Shakespeares play, King Lear. Goneril and Regan are corrupted by the power that Lear offers them. Edmunds corruption comes from the trust of his father. Absolute power corrupts absolutely with the characters, because once have full control, they are so cold that they will do anything to keep theRead More King Lear - Power Corrupts Essay773 Words   |  4 Pages Power is the ability to manipulate and control whatever one desires; to do what one pleases to do without answering to authority. The power that corrupts the characters plays an extensive role throughout Shakespeare’s play, King Lear. Goneril and Regan are corrupted by the power that Lear offers them. Edmund’s corruption comes from the trust of his father. Absolute power corrupts absolutely with the characters, because once have full control, they are so cold that they will do anything to keepRead More Tragedy Through Misreading in William Shakespeares King Lear975 Words   |  4 PagesTragedy Through Misreading in William Shakespeares King Lear Shakespeare’s tragedy, King Lear, portrays many important misconceptions which result in a long sequence of tragic events. 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This is definitely the case for the character of Edmund in Shakespeare’s play â€Å"King Lear.† Edmund betrays and dec eives both his brother Edgar and his father Gloucester in order to achieve wealth and power. While his actions are corrupt and wrong, he should not be considered as entirely evil. His personality and his social status are contributing factors to his villainous actions. Throughout the play, EdmundRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear1320 Words   |  6 Pagesothers. Having strong communication skills allows one to better understand the situation at hand. Proper communication is essential to working out problems because of this reason. In the play King Lear by William Shakespeare, Lear communicating with his daughters, Gloucester communicating with his sons, and Lear communicating with Kent are all examples of failure of communication, which later lead to consequences and hardships that the characters must face. Without proper communication, people willRead MoreUnchecked Power in Shakespeares Macbeth and King Lear1458 Words   |  6 Pagescore. Numerous theories have been put for th to explain the sequence of tragedies Shakespeare wrote during this period by linking it to some experience of melancholy, anger, despair, and the antagonist s ultimate fall from grace in their lust for power. But such theories overlook the fact that it is in this very same period and in the same tragic works that portray the heights to which human nature can rise and fall in its purest and noblest, if not happiest terms. Surely the creation of so muchRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of King Lear963 Words   |  4 PagesA Child King At first glance, King Lear appears to be simply a selfish man who loses his wealth, his mind, and his life in that order. Sure, he learns a lesson, but it does not do much good because both he and his daughter, Cordelia, die before really making amends. In fact, most everyone dies before really getting anything good done. So why did Shakespeare bother writing this play? Well, Shakespeare was well known for having a deep understanding of mankind and portraying that understanding inRead MoreFemininity Of Shakespeare s Macbeth And King Lear1241 Words   |  5 PagesFemininity in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and King Lear William Shakespeare, arguably the greatest English writer of all time, uses his plays and characters to teach moral lessons. Often, he uses extreme examples and circumstances that seem excessive and unrealistic, but he seems to abide by the rule that Flannery O’Connor later articulated: â€Å"†¦to the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost blind you draw large and startling figures† (Collected Works). In order to ensure that he got his point across