"The theme of King Lear may be stated in psychological as well as
biological terms. So put, it is the destructive, the ultimately
suicidal character of unregulated passion, its power to carry
human nature back to chaos....
The predestined end of unmastered passion is the suicide of the
species. That is the gospel according to King Lear. The play
is in no small measure an actual representation of that process.
The murder-suicide of Regan-Goneril is an example. But it is
more than a picture of chaos and impending doom. What is the
remedy for chaos? it asks. What can avert the doom? The
characters who have mastered their passions give us a glimpse of
the answer to those questions."
-Harold C. Goddard,
The Meaning of Shakespeare, 1951
Shakespeare's tragedy, King Lear, is often thought of as not only one of
Shakespeare's best works, but also one of his best "poems".
The language
follows in Shakespeare's trademark format using iambic pentameter in much
of the play. Shakespeare's It is we ll known for its many universal
themes. Some of these themes are: Dealing with he folly of old age and the
ingratitude of youth; Good versus evil; Nature; Vision and blindness; and
Fortune. These themes have been examined for hundreds of years in many dif
ferent forums, but what makes this play so unique is the fact that
Shakespeare incorporates all of these issues in just one tale.
One character that examines some of these issues is a character named
Kent. Kent is a significant character in King Lear, as he is involved from
the beginning to the end. Kent is the ideal first mate to the commander of
the ship of state. From the moment we meet him and observe his tactful
response to Gloucester's bawdy...