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A review by bookm0l
King Lear by William Shakespeare
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The question we were debating on was: in King Lear, is there more cruelty or kindness?
And in the end, we were pretty divided. Even if, in the beginning, we believed there was more kindness, the more people talked the more we started to switch.
There is so much cruelty but most would agree that it serves the purpose of making the kindness shine through lighter.
However, with that question other elements of the play get shoved in the background, unsaid.
William Shakespeare asks the audience: Is man no more than this?
When confronted with power and its influence. We are to wonder about the impact of greed, lust and honour. The figures of the two sisters yearn for a man who does not want them and only yearns for power. Kent — the good servant and Edgar — the good son. And when we see Cordelia one last time, we are meant to scream that fate is unjust. But with Goneril and Regan, it’s justice? It certainly feels like it.
In typical Shakespearean fashion, the messenger arrives too late. Life isn’t a fairytale. No happy ever after.
And in the end, we were pretty divided. Even if, in the beginning, we believed there was more kindness, the more people talked the more we started to switch.
There is so much cruelty but most would agree that it serves the purpose of making the kindness shine through lighter.
However, with that question other elements of the play get shoved in the background, unsaid.
William Shakespeare asks the audience: Is man no more than this?
When confronted with power and its influence. We are to wonder about the impact of greed, lust and honour. The figures of the two sisters yearn for a man who does not want them and only yearns for power. Kent — the good servant and Edgar — the good son. And when we see Cordelia one last time, we are meant to scream that fate is unjust. But with Goneril and Regan, it’s justice? It certainly feels like it.
In typical Shakespearean fashion, the messenger arrives too late. Life isn’t a fairytale. No happy ever after.