The Integrity of Humanity Explored in The Tragedy of King...

In our world, there are people like the woman who yells at her children and disciplines them with physical punishment, but also the boy who talks to the student that always sits alone at the lunch table and is socially different than others. Some people may lead a life based upon universally established morals, while others tend to let out a side of their being that is more beastly than human. Humans have the ability to make choices based on reason, while the animals of the earth have only the capacity to choose the best option for their own survival. Human reasoning, both gracious and grave is witnessed in the words of William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of King Lear. Through both provocative and seemingly angelic characters,†¦show more content†¦Belief in the expression of love through action and not flattery or wealth identifies Cordelia as greater than the acquisitive and inconsiderate Lear who proves his deficiency of a moral conscience and that he has room t o deepen his understanding of human worth. A more literal form of nakedness is taken on by Edgar as he lives the seemingly degrading life of a beggar. At his worst, he declares, â€Å"Thou unsubstantial air that I embrace!/ The wretch that thou hast blown unto the worst/ Owes nothing to thy blasts.† (Shakespeare IV. I. 7-9), and realizes that for hope of a more righteous future, sometimes people must be stripped down to the core and be at their worst in order to eliminate deep-rooted habits. This interpretation of Shakespeare’s references to â€Å"nothing† suggests the importance of removing the essentially meaningless aspects of life that hold back the integral traits of humanity, and reveal the treacherous corruption that all humans are capable of. Likewise, the labels of foolishness and wisdom that are placed on characters are a false recognition of identity because of the misconception of what it means to be wise and noble or to be a foolish knave at the bas e of society. King Lear thinks of himself as wise at first, but ironically his fool proves to be wisest and claims that Lear’s actions regarding his daughters have only confirmed his folly. This makes Lear a clear example of what it means to be ignorant to the human ideaShow MoreRelatedKing Lear1057 Words   |  5 PagesShakespeare’s King Lear is a timeless play whose textual integrity lends itself to a variety of interpretations and in exploring the human condition the text remains relevant across a wide range of contexts. It is possible to present the text as exploring and affirming the human condition, where humanity is defined as the ability to love and empathise. However, in the same instance, a nihilist perspective, such as Peter Brooke’s 1971 production of King Lear, challenges this by outlining that humanity as anRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Much Ado About Nothing And King Lear3685 Words   |  15 PagesName: Instructors’ Name: Course: Date: Analysis of Shakespeare’s powerful female characters in the play â€Å"Much Ado about Nothing† and â€Å"King Lear Introduction Shakespeare is seen to value the role of women as his plays often portray women as heroines. These women have strong characters that endear them to readers. Readers in our current world, and especially women, are encouraged to be self-assertive in demand for equal treatment in our society. This has been the tradition for women in the Western