King Lear As Tregedy

Quest Journals
Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science

Volume 7 ~ Issue 3 (2019)pp.:03-05
ISSN(Online):2321-9467
www.questjournals.org
Research Paper
Study of Tragic Elements in King Lear

Kailas Vijayrao Karnewar
ABSTRACT: King Lear is one of the furthermost legendary tragedies by the pronounced Elizabethan
dramatist William Shakespeare. KingLear is categorized as a chronicle play (a sort of drama which lures its
English past materials from the sixteenth-century chronicles—such as Holinshed’s), Shakespeare practices
origins of Senecan tragedy sometimes called Classical tragedy, and the morality play. This is the supreme
unique drama by Shakespeare not only for its hero's being an old-aged man who is almost at the end of his life,
but also for its artistic unification of virtuous and wicked forces through the entire action-line of the play. The
basic aim of this paper is to present different misdeeds ofKing Lear as a king and as a parent at the same time
we have to consider ungrateful attitude of his three daughtersGoneril, Regan and Cordeliawhich enhances to
tragic elements.
KEY WORDS-tragedies, Elizabethan, King Lear, Shakespeare, follies
Received 28 March, 2019; Accepted 08 April, 2019 © the Author(S) 2019.

Published With Open Access At www.Questjournals.Org
I. INTRODUCTION-
Shakespeare was a genius who according to Ben Jonson‟s phrase, was not of one particular age but “for
all time”. Is literary work tells us that Shakespeare was a steadfast individualist .who sought a calm and peaceful
life. He was real child of his livelyage. With its conviction, confronting old control.
King Lear develops its tragic roots from numerous forms of tragedies that were widespread during the
Elizabethan Renaissance. Even though King Lear is categorized as a chronicle play (a form of drama which
lures its English historical resources from the sixteenth-century chronicles—such as Holinshed‟s), Shakespeare
practices features of Senecan tragedy occasionally termed Classical tragedy, and the morality play
Shakespeare expertly reveals the anarchy, illness and turmoil of Lear‟s realm with pure realism of his
art. In the commencement of the play, Lear looks to be as an old king intended to misuse his influence and
position. The same mighty king, by irony of fate, is condensed to a modest mad man, moving about in the dark,
helplessly showing to the furies of the elements. This kind of deprivation of Lear is partially due to his own
irrationalities and egoism and also somewhat due to the hypocrisy, lack of gratitude and betrayal of his „pelican
daughters‟.
A)Separationof empire on falsesupposition

At the early stages of the tragedy king Lear was correct that he has decided to split the kingdom due to
old age. This was his realdecision as monarch, as father and as man of acting according to his own principles.
But his assessment by definite assumptions which are far away from authenticity and that keep away from
understanding the settings and people nearby him. Lear assumesthat “father loves their children and that
therefore children love their fathers.”And further he assumes that children are always truthful and they directly
express what they feel in their heart. They are capable of conveying their affection for their children. He has
faith in that affection can rewardin the form of measurable things. These incorrect assumptions make him
reckless, obsessive, and egotistical. He lack judgment and is unable to understand the true nature of his
daughters in this way the king falls from his power and prosperity to the abyss of unendurablewretchedness and
thereupon, encounters with his own fate. It is also clear that King Lear in rule and sanity seems to be exclusively
bound up in egoism. Obviously he looks sightless to the fatalities of life and obligates reckless mistakes that
result in not only his downfall but also other good and virtuous character are crushed and ruined[1].
B) Lack of Gratitude
Cordelia is tender and generous. She is obedient to her father and her affection is genuine though she
was simple, straight forward. Besides her simple devotion and self-control, she is at fault she was well familiar
with her father‟s nature and his excited mood. She was well familiar with hypocrisy of her sisters. But she kept
Corresponding Author: Kailas Vijayrao Karnewar 3 | Page
quiet. She was at fault in upholding a proud and obstinate standby. She ought to have spoken out her love if not
for herself, at least for the sake of her father who psychologically and physically weakened by oldness in this
manner she could have save her father from the clutches of her evil sister but her reserve and philosophical
nature makes her to keep silent. This designates that she was ungrateful at that moment and this lead in further
tragedy.
The play‟s leading mockery is that the children that Lear and Gloucester consider to be thankless are
truly loyal, while those whom they trust to be loyal are plotting against them. Goneril and Regan, King Lear‟s
two elder daughters, and Edmund, Gloucester‟s illegal son, are the children who turn against their elderly
fathers. Their actions, in both the main plot and the sub-plot of the play, run in parallel with each other, and
convey about the collapse and ultimate demise of both Lear and Gloucester
C) Tragedy due to escaping from duty.

King Lear, king of England having touched the old age of eighty he decided to give up the
accountabilities of kingship.Instead of separating kingdom he has to hand down his kingdom tothe eldest
daughter, Goneril. Secondly he used false, illusionary assumption to divide the kingdom.
It is duty of every son or daughter to take care of his or her father in his old age but here Goneril and
Regan two double-dealer daughters by cheating her father by flattering. Goneril remarked, “Sir i love you more
than words can wield the matter” (Act I, Scene I, and Lines: and so gaining more shares in kingdom. When
Lear goes to halt with Goneril and Regan they both drive him away instead of taking care of old father so in this.
Cordelia is also accountable for the tragedy, because she is well aware of the nature of her father and
this in situation to state the reality was not onlyresponsibility. Cordelia was essentiallyconscious of false and
disloyal nature of her sisters. It was also her responsibility to preserve her fanciful father from her
untrustworthysisters. Sheought to have spoken out her love.If not for her but at least for the sake of her father
who was mentally and physically fatigued by age. She could have professed her love without losing her dignity.
But she fails to do so by her stubborn refusal. She upset the well-made plane of her father .that “oppose less
will”, Lear, records into fierceanger and loses all his self-control and the result is pain and misfortune both for
him and Cordelia.So in this way everyone tries to escape from their duty and which leads to tragedy.
D) Moral carelessnessof central character

In King Lear Shakespeare display the prominence of the theme of blindness by depicting it all over
play .Blindness gives the impression in various forms, Blindness means the capability to understand through
one‟s eyes but conferringto Shakespeare, blindness is not physical quality rather than mental flaws. InKing Lear,
Lear was a morally blinded character and this moral blindness demonstrated as the leading theme of this play[2].
King Lear is not really blind in anyway at the start of the play but is morally blind because of their wealth and
power.
The King has three daughters and no sons, an uncommoncircumstance which makes problems already.
Probably, giving the land to the eldest daughter Goneril and Albany would closest fit the pattern of
primogeniture (1)
King Lear has fallen into completesanity after both of his daughters rejected to treat him with esteem
and love that he didn‟t justify. Ultimately both the daughters did throw him out of their houses as well as from
their lives. The moment Lear gets understood about Cordelia‟s real love, and the dishonest attitudes of Goneril
and Regan, he became mad. After going through the stage of insanity Lear screamed,“ No rain, wind, thunder,
fire are my daughters; I tax not you, you elements, with unkindness I never gave you kingdom, called you
children; You owe me no subscription”. (Act III, Scene II, Lines: 15-18) Here it has been shown that, Lear did
able to admit his wrong judgment towards his daughter Cordelia as he exiled her and instead of believing
Cordelia‟s real words, Lear supposed his evil daughters deceitfuldisputes. He shouted to the storm and didn‟t
blame the storm for coming down on him. Because he anticipated that he never gave the storm his kingdom or
considers edit as his child, on the other hands he also considered on his wrong decision and thought he gave
everything to Goneril and Regan and instead of giving him respect they treated himwith disrespect, ingratitude
and disloyalty. The tragic story of Shakespeare‟s king Lear: Astudy of moral blindness andmadness which are
the two striking forces behind King Lear‟s ultimate demise
II. CONCLUSION-
Shakespeare skillfully exposes the chaos, illness and turmoil of Lear‟s dominion with unadulterated
realism of his art. In the beginning of the play, Lear looks to be as an old king intended to misuse his impact and
position. The same mighty king, by irony of fate, is condensed to a modest mad man, moving about in the dark,
helplessly showing to the furies of the elements. This kind of deprivation of Lear is partially due to his own
irrationalities and egoism and also somewhat due to the hypocrisy, lack of gratitude and betrayal of his „pelican
daughters‟.

Beside moral blindness of core character (King Lear) some of the other factors which enhance the tragedy like
separation of Kingdome on false assumption, ungrateful attitude of all daughters of King Lear. Goneril and
Regan who takes their share by cheating their father so gaining more share in kingdom. When Lear goes to halt
with Goneril and Regan they both drive him away instead of taking care of old father so in this.Tender and
generous Cordelia also shows lack of gratitude This shows the ungrateful attitude of king Lear‟s daughter.
REFERENCE-
[1]. Andrew S. Keener;the Paternal Dilemma: Fathers, Sons and Inheritance in Shakespearean Drama: 2010Boston College Electronic
Thesis or Dissertation.
[2]. Farhana Haque, THE TRAGIC STORY OF SHAKESPEARE‟S KING LEAR: A STUDY OF MORALBLINDNESS
ANDMADNESSWHICH ARETHETWO SALIENT FORCES BRHINDKING LEAR‟S ULTIMATEinternational Journal of
Information Research and Review Vol. 03, Issue, 10, pp. 2862-2865, October,2016
[3]. Ahmad Mahbub-ul-Alam, King Lear: Amalgamation of Good and Evil Visions, Manarat International University Studies, (Journal
of Manarat International University), Vol. 07, No. 01, December 2016, ISSN 1815-6754, e-ISSN 24414-6773.
Kailas Vijayrao Karnewar" Study of Tragic Elements in King Lear" Quest Journals Journal of
Research in Humanities and Social Science , vol. 07, no. 3, 2019, pp. 03-05

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Quest Journals

Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science

Study of Tragic Elements in King Lear

Received 28 March, 2019; Accepted 08 April, 2019 © the Author(S) 2019.

A)Separationof empire on falsesupposition

C) Tragedy due to escaping from duty.

D) Moral carelessnessof central character

Corresponding Author: Kailas Vijayrao Karnewar 4 | Page

Corresponding Author: Kailas Vijayrao Karnewar 5 | Page

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