In King Lear, written by William Shakespeare, the most important and emphasized theme is madness. Madness is developed by the protagonist and the tragic hero, King Lear. Lear plays a role of a father figure and the almighty King of England whose weaknesses dominate his mind. He demonstrates his madness at the beginning of the play and it develops throughout The events that lead King Lear into his downfall and madness are his desires; flattery, power, and love.

King Lear values appearances more than reality. When he cannot deal with reality he seems mad. Lear shows his "darker purpose" of human nature at the beginning of the play, by testing the love of his daughters. In Act I, Scene i, the king seems to value a flattering society. This is why he asks his daughters "which of you shall we say doth love us most" (I, i, 53), as...