By the fact that death constantly occurs, it is quite fair to say that most Shakespearean plays contain tragic themes. For the most cases, the characters within the plays bring up the unfortunate incidents to create tragedy. The most well-known plays such as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and King Lear have certain characters that make the play to be tragic. I believe that King Lear from the play King Lear could possibly create tragedy due to his obsession of superficial aspects.
The protagonist of the play, King Lear does not reveal his typical image of “the good king” from the beginning. He enjoys his absolute power and expects respect from his people. Since Lear values fawning from his people, it is quite predictable that Lear wants to maintain his image of reputation and respect. His question to his daughters: “which of you shall we say doth love us most?” (Shakespeare 11) evidently informs that King Lear is more of a shallow person. It is important to ask a question whether King Lear would develop as a moral character or not. Would he ever become a more insightful person and change his image? Would he abuse is title and cause any tragic event?
With the glimpse of King Lear from the first act, it became clear that King Lear is seeking for the obedience and respect from his people. His current life style encloses the potential of catastrophe and crisis. I feel that Lear also has a potential to realize his weakness and his shallow characteristics.
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