5 of 19

Write now Article Tools

King Lear is probably the greatest example of Shakespeare's genius. It has immense appeal to readers and audiences of any background, from the most knowledgeable critics to recalcitrant high school students having it shoved down their throats.

First, the plot is intense and engaging. In the very first act, Lear cedes all of his property to his two evil daughters. This immediately makes him powerless and puts England in control of two heinous and selfish women. The entanglement of loyalties and Lear's alliance with the King of France provides for exciting drama.

The characters are also magnificent. They are properly exaggerated and vivid, but a reader or audience member can still identify with them. A reader can feel immense sympathy for Cordelia and Edmund, who are wrongly estranged, as well as the bumbling and near-sighted but nonetheless well-intentioned Lear. In sharp contrast are the villians: Lear's two evil daughters Goneril and Regan, Regan's husband Cornwall, and the archvillain Edmund. Despite the fact that they are rotten to the core, they are characters readers love to hate. Caught in the middle are characters like Albany, caught between his conscience and his subordination to Goneril.

The analytical value is immense. The central idea is the question of whether there is any benevolent force in the world. For much of the play, the good characters suffer and the evil ones prosper, and we are left with a good deal of uncertainty at the end of the play- characters on either side perish, although the country is left in ultimately good hands.

Check this play out. Experts will love the rich languange and analytical vaue. The rest of us will enjoy the plot and characters. If you read anything by Shakespeare, make it this.

Learn more about this author, Dupont.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Best Shakespeare plays?
We want to hear your view. Write now!