King Lear Characters & Character Analysis

King Lear Character Studies

Lear

Lear is the central figure of the play, and evaluations of his character inevitably lead to broader questions. By the same token, discussions of thematic issues nearly always include critiques of the play's protagonist. Considerations of Lear's actions and speculation about his motives necessarily move from the level of a specific personality to issues of universal significance. He raises basic questions about human existence, and the answers-or lack of answers-have universal implications.

One principal issue is whether Lear is a victim of other people or impersonal forces, or responsible for his own tragedy. To what degree does his own nature or temperament determine his destiny and to what degree is it affected by events or other characters? Why does he test his daughters' love in the first scene of the play? Many commentators have asserted that his abdication of rule is a violation of natural order, an act that...
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