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Divine Justice In King Lear - College Paper

Divine Justice In King Lear

Divine Justice in King Lear

King Lear inspires many philosophical questions; chief among them in the existence of divine justice. This concept was particularly important during the Elizabethan era, because religion played such a significant role in everyday life. Religious leaders directed people to expect that they would have to answer a higher authority, expressing some hope that good would triumph and be rewarded over evil. But throughout King Lear, good does not triumph without honorable characters suffering terrible loss. In fact, at the play�s conclusion, many of the good characters lie dead on the stage- Lear, Gloucester, and Cordelia. In addition, the audience hears that Kent ...

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is that which Gloucester suffers. The plucking of Gloucester�s eyed can be perceived into another instance in which divine justice is lacking. Gloucester has made several errors in judgment, as has Lear; but the brutal nature of Gloucester�s blinding � the plucking out of his eyes is surely in excess of any errors he might have made.

Both Lear and Gloucester endure terrible physical and mental suffering as punishment for their misjudgment, but before dying, both men are reunited with the child each earlier rejected. This resolution of the child-parent conflict, which earlier tore apart both families, may be seen as an element of divine justice, although it offers little gratification for the audience.

Throughout King Lear, the audience has witnessed Edmund�s growing success as a reward for his evil machinations. But when Edgar and Edmund meet in Act V, the duel between these two brothers is very different from the traditional match for sport:

�Draw the sword,
That if my ...

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PAPER DETAILS
Added: 4/27/2011 02:57:53 PM
Submitted By: graziella93
Category: Shakespeare
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 641
Pages: 3

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