King Lear College - Book Report/Review Example

The Body. There are two characters in the drama that are simple and well meaning, artless, and incapable of judging human nature. One is Lear, the king of Britain, and the other is the Earl of Gloucester. The king, a simple old doting man was incapable of understanding the wicked and unscrupulous nature of his two elder daughters, and the kind, loving, affectionate nature of his youngest daughter. Similarly, Gloucester was incapable of understanding the absolute goodness of Edgar, his royal son and the absolute baseness of Edmund, his illegitimate son.

It is from the incompetence of these two people who were otherwise basically good, that all the tragedies in the drama spring. What the quotation suggests is that Gods consider human beings so cheap and insignificant that they don't hesitate even to kill them for mere fun. It is like boys killing flies for passing time; not to gain anything, but just as a pastime. The quotation is of what Gloucester says in Act IV, scene 1. He had to witness a plethora of blood -curdling misfortunes and disasters one after another in quick succession.

There is a saying that misfortunes come in battalions and this seems true of both Gloucester and Lear. Gloucester is made to believe by his crafty bastard of a son that his legitimate son is planning to murder him. What a horrifying prospect for an old father, weak and infirm! Lear also has problems. After he divides his kingdom among his two elder daughters, his position is reduced to worse than a beggar's. The two elder daughters each of whom has acquired half the kingdom conspire against him.

They insult him and order him to reduce his retinue. The king unable to bear the insult curses the daughters and quits the palace. Kent whom he had sent to intimate his visit, is put in the stocks by his daughters. The king goes mad. The elder daughters are planning to kill him. Simultaneously, Edmund also is plotting to kill his father. As part of this scheme, he tells Cornwall that Gloucester is assisting Cordelia to invade England. Cornwall and Regan arrest Gloucester, and his eyes are plucked out.

He is driven out of his own castle. Blind and helpless, he wanders aimlessly. The extra-ordinary inhuman spate of atrocities occurring in quick succession must have shattered the Earl of Gloucester and it was only natural for him to have felt that Gods didn't care much about humans after all. He considered himself blameless, and so must have felt Gods were insensitive and thoughtless.There are plenty of instances in the drama that disprove the view of Gloucester that Gods kill men for mere sport.

The cases of Gonoril, Regan, Edmund, and Cornwall are good examples. These were wicked, unscrupulous, inhuman individuals and they get their punishment in an exemplary manner. These are examined below:Gonoril. This is the eldest daughter. She conspired with Regan against their father, insulted him by ordering him to reduce his retinue. She was responsible for Lear becoming mad and his leaving the palace. When Albany was inclined to take her father's side, she peremptorily ordered him to stop.

She clashed with Regan over marrying Edmund, poisoned her sister and wanted to kill her own husband. She got her punishment, when her husband understanding her plot to murder him, disowned her.Regan. This daughter of Lear is also a hardhearted woman. She also insults her father and is responsible for his madness, and his leaving t