Abstract
This paper briefly compares the characters of Hamlet and King Lear, the main characters in two of Shakespeare's plays. It shows how both are very powerful characters yet use their power in very different ways.

From the Paper
"In William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, the title character is a young, brooding man in his early twenties who is faced with the murder of his father by his Uncle, who becomes his stepfather. Despite being well aware of the terrible actions of his mother and his stepfather, Hamlet takes quite a lot of time deciding what measures need to be taken. On the contrary, King Lear (of Shakespeare's play titled King Lear) begins the play in the exact opposite mindset. His reign as king is drawing near, and his vision regarding the circumstances of those around him is quite clear. However, King Lear almost immediately begins his downfall into madness, while Hamlet's journey to clarity begins."

Tags:reign, action, powerful, tradgedy, brutal, conflict

Abstract
This paper discusses two of Shakespeare's plays that portray evil female characters, "King Lear" and "Macbeth". The paper describes the daughters in "King Lear", Goneril and Regan, as ungracious and self-centered and capable of great evil. The paper contends that this notion of the independent, aspiring woman is further emphasized in the calculating, power-hungry character of Lady Macbeth in "Macbeth". The paper claims that, with these strong characters, Shakespeare is expanding the role of women by recognizing them as capable of the same desires and motivations that inspire men. These images of women not only contrast the traditional image of the medieval damsel in distress, but they mortify and embarrass their male counterparts.

From the Paper
"That King Lear could have two daughters so dissimilar from Cordelia is an issue that Shakespeare explores within this family dynamic. The contrast between their affection for their father only intensifies King Lear's awful mistake. It is important to note that all of his daughters violate traditional expectations in one way or another. Clearly, Cordelia's recalcitrant answer is the least offensive of these violations--but it is the action that moves the entire plot of the play. We know that she loves her father, which makes Goneril and Regan's speeches so hard to swallow. The most despicable aspect of Goneril and Regan's evil is the fact that they seem to have no love or respect for King Lear as a father, a man, or a king. Clearly, they have no interest in him as soon as they acquire their inheritance."

Tags:cordelia, goneril, regan

Abstract
This paper looks at the way King Lear only attains humility when he has lost everything. It starts by describing his pompous manner, followed by his first awareness of his lack of importance when he visits his so-called loyal daughters and is later rescued by Cornelia.

From the paper;

"In many historical works of literature we are given a glimpse at what living a royal life was like in days of medieval history. Kings are often presented as pompous and full of self-assurance that borders on conceit. We come to understand that it is the position that they are born into that causes this overblown ego display, but we shake our heads at how fully the self-importance impacts their lives. A classic example of this phenomenon is the story of King Lear by William Shakespeare. King Lear is a pompous and self-absorbed man until he loses everything and everyone. He learns the lesson of self-awareness and humility and the essence of what is truly important in life only after losing everything that he believed to be vital."

Tags:pompousness, ego, self-absorbed, self-sacrifice, compassion

Abstract
This paper examines the similarities and differences between King Lear of Shakespeare's "King Lear" and Prospero of Shakespeare's "Tempest". Through critical analysis, they can almost be seen as two scenarios for the same man whereby Prospero becomes a better man through self-realization and Lear discovers himself too late.

From the Paper
"The doomed title character in Shakespeare's King Lear and the magical Prospero in The Tempest may at first seem to not have much in common. Contrary to first glance, one is in fact the opposite of the other. Each represents an elderly man's interactions with his surroundings; his loved ones, and even himself. It can even be said that if King Lear had lived, he might, because of the transformation brought about by so many painful realizations and experiences, have turned into a Prospero-like character. This is to say a man who, after having been through painful ordeals over which he has no control, finally uses these experiences to manifest his own destiny and create his own domain."

Tags:analysis, comparison, king, lear, prospero, shakespeare, tempest

Abstract
A look at the events that lead up to the madness of King Lear. The author examines the character's deterioration throughout the play and the events that eventually lead to his downfall and madness.

From the Paper
"In Shakespeare's play King Lear, Shakespeare introduces many themes. One of the most important themes shown in King Lear is the theme of madness. During the course of this play madness is shown in the tragic hero, King Lear. King Lear develops madness right in the beginning of the play but he actually shows it later to Gloucester and Edgar."

Tags:king, lear, mad, madness, shakespeare, tragedy, death

Abstract
This paper is an analysis of "King Lear" centering on Shakespeare's thematic use of various conceptions of nature as structured by definitions of the word found in the Oxford English Dictionary. This study shows how exploring word meanings aids in understanding the theme.

From the Paper
"A consideration of NATURE in its many definitions as revealed in the OED and as applied to the use of the word NATURE as utilized by Shakespeare in King Lear proves vast and revealing. Shakespeare's characters use this word in its many meanings to suit their own needs. Observing Shakespeare's varied uses of this word through King Lear aids in understanding the tragic complexity of the play and its title character. What Lear has always believed about NATURE gets turned upside down in the course of the action of this drama. Characters like Kent and Edgar must disguise themselves to hide their true identities and honest NATUREs. Others like Goneril, Regan, Cornwall and Edmund turn what appear to be their true NATUREs inside out into falseness. As readers and audience consider this word NATURE in its many implications we begin to realize the immensity of meaning available for our contemplation."

Tags:dictionary, english, nature, oxford, shakespeare, study, thematic, word

Abstract
The paper analyzes the differences between the two stories that make them unique and important in their own way. According to the writer, Smiley's modern version of the King Lear tale is easier for a reader today to understand. The paper gives examples of Smiley's more feminine point of view. The writer also brings passages from Shakespeare's text to illustrate the style of the classic master.

From the Paper
"When reading a tragedy it is necessary to know what constitutes a tragedy in plays. A tragedy usually involves some sort of disaster such as death or plague. The plot of the tragic story focuses around the reaction of the characters to the disaster. Usually a tragedy will be about the main character, or protagonists struggle with moral issues, (as with Hamlet in Hamlet, or King Lear in King Lear). Tragedies raise questions about the morality and psychological stability of human kind. The outcome of a tragedy often seems to be inevitable if the reader is aware that they are reading a tragedy. The main almost always dies along with the main characters nemesis and others along the way. Good does not always win in tragedies either, and that is another aspect of tragedies that makes them more tragic in those cases."

Tags:tragedy, feminism, character, nemesis, morality

Abstract
This paper examines how although "King Lear" by William Shakespeare, "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald and "Fifth Business" by Robertson Davies, are all very different works from different times and places, the main characters all possess a similar downfall or fatal flaw: They cannot distinguish true love from false love. It attempts to show how as a result, King Lear loses his kingdom and his life and how Nick Carraway, the narrator of "The Great Gatsby", gets involved with a dangerous, immoral crowd and undergoes a personal struggle with his own morals and lifestyle. It also looks at how Dunstan Ramsay, the narrator of "Fifth Business, tells the tale of his life, throughout which he suffers because of his inability to let go of a woman from his past.

From the Paper
"In the Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway goes through his own hardships and makes his own mistakes. Most of these, like those of Lear, stem from his inability to distinguish between true and false love. He has an infatuation for Daisy Buchanan (one shared by many characters in the novel), and begins an affair with Jordan Baker, a cynical golfer. The problem, of course, is that he mistakes the infatuation or lust he has in the presence of these two women for real emotion, for real love. Because of this, he believes that they care for him, in some way at least, and that they are good people. As he finds out later, however, this is not the case."

Tags:cordelia, dunstan, nick, carraway, ramsay

Abstract
This paper discusses how the plot of Cordelia in "King Lear" does not follow the generic pattern of either a romance or a tragedy and how this is in opposition to the male characters of Lear, Gloucester, Edmund and Edgar, whose plot trajectories all conform to the generic structure of tragedy, romance or a combination of both. It examines how, by comparing Cordelia's lack of adherence to a generic plot with the male characters' conformity to genre, it becomes apparent that Shakespeare is emphasizing Cordelia's agency and free will and how, unlike the male characters, Cordelia does not blame the Gods or fate for her misfortunes. The paper looks at how Cordelia's plot is not depicted as arbitrarily arching up and down as if on a string that is pulled at the whim of an indifferent God and how rather, it is her choices and actions that directly cause the events of her plotline. The paper also argues that ultimately, the failure of Cordelia's plot to follow a generic structure is employed by Shakespeare to disavow the existence of fate in shaping the course of human existence.

From the Paper
"The trajectory of Cordelia's plot does not conform to the generic structure of either romance or tragedy because there is never a significant change in her status. Cordelia's plot functions on a system of tradeoffs, meaning that she never suffers a loss or a misfortune without also receiving a gain. This plot structure of tradeoffs results in her status never changing and her action never really rising or falling since a fall is always cancelled out by a rise and vice versa. The first trade-off occurs at the beginning of the play when Cordelia is disowned by Lear for her failure to falsely flatter him (1.1). Initially, Cordelia has suffered a significant loss of status, both in an economic sense by losing her inheritance and in a social sense as she is no longer the daughter of a king. However, this initial loss of status is soon countered by the gain of a new position when France decides to marry her despite her banishment and loss of inheritance. "

Tags:Gloucester, Edmund, Gods

Abstract
This paper illustrates the specific idea that appears to be evident in a majority, if not all, of Shakespeare's works - that the works are mainly concerned with the concept of the disruption and restoration of order at various levels. Examples are provided of this "breakdown" at various different or parallel levels, including personal, intimate, political and spiritual. The paper examines several Shakespearean tragedies including "Hamlet", "King Lear" and "Macbeth".

From the Paper
"Hamlet at the very moment of killing Claudius and thus restoring both personal and political order himself dies. He then cannot take his rightful place on the throne, nor as head of his family. This has been denied him as the price for its very restoration. This also holds true for Lear. His kingdom is restored and those who sought to destroy him are no more. Yet it is Albany who now rules. In addition at the personal level, Lear finally discovers his love for Cordelia only just before her death. Having finally found her, she is now lost to him for eternity. Lear has also paid the ultimate price for restoration."

Tags:Claudius, Cordelia, Antony, Cleopatra