Skepticism in King Lear

"As flies to wanton boys are we to th' gods; / They kill us for their sport." (4.1.41-42) So bemoans the blinded and despondent Earl of Gloucester in King Lear. Whether his claim deserves merit, while intriguing, is far beyond the scope of this paper. What I do intend to explore, however, is whether Shakespeare's play supports or opposes these and other skeptical ideas. I will argue that King Lear strongly advocates a skeptical worldview, not just in regards to belief in theism, but in all areas. A skeptical, humanistic philosophy pervades the entire text of Lear; I do not believe this is incidental.

First, an important distinction must be made. Skepticism is not atheism, and it is not nihilism. By "skepticism" I simply mean the philosophical position whereby all claims and belief systems, particularly, although not excluded to...