Tragedy of King Lear

The Tragedy of King Lear

King Lear is a tragic story by William Shakespeare is a story of a man King Lear and his decision that led to his fate and the fate of others. With every tragic story comes a tragic hero. The tragic hero of the story is King Lear. According to the definition of a tragic hero one must be born into nobility, endowed with a tragic flaw, doomed to make a serious error in judgement, fall from great heights or high esteem, realize they have made an irreversible mistake, and faces and accepts death with honor meets a tragic death. King Lear meets all of these qualities.

King Lear was a tragic hero that was born into nobility, endowed with a tragic flaw and doomed to make a serious error in judgement. King Lear was born into nobility. "He owned vast amounts of land and ruled over many people. Give me the map there. know that we have divided In three our Kingdom." Not only was King Lear born into nobility he was responsible for his own fate. He disowned his daughter Cordelia and made his other two daughters rulers of his land once divided into three now divided into two. His two daughters really did not love him they just wanted the land and power. They turned against their father and had him sentenced to death by Edmund. Lear's death was his own fault. This reason came about because of King Lear's tragic flaw, his pride. Pride is also his reason of how he is a tragic hero. "Tell me, my daughters,-- Since now we will divest us both of rule, Interest of territory, cares of state,-- Which of you shall we say doth love us most, That we our largest bounty may extend Where nature doth with merit challenge?" King Lear was egotistic in the first act where he asked his daughters who loved him most. When he found out his favorite daughter Cordelia did not have much to say about his love for him he disowned her and divided his land to his two evil daughters Regan and Goneril, "From whom we do exist, and cease to be; Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity and property of blood, And as a stranger to my heart and me Hold thee, from this, for ever." This was also the error in King Lear's judgement. Disowning his daughter was the worst thing he could do. This mistake led to many outcomes the division of his country to his two evil daughters, the loss of his armies and men, and the loss of his own life.

Eventually all tragic heroes fall from great heights or high esteem, realize they have made an irreversible mistake, faces and meets a tragic death. King Lear eventually met all these outcomes. What made King Lear a tragic hero was that he fell from great heights or high esteem. King Lear was a great king that had everything, he had his love of his daughters, money, power, and contentness. But eventually he has to lose everything. He is stripped of his money and power and is ordered to death because of his two daughters Regan and Goneril who once claimed they loved him more than their husbands. "I tax not you, you elements, with unkindness; I never gave you kingdom, call'd you children, You owe me no subscription: [why] then let fall Your horrible pleasure: here I stand, your slave, A poor, infirm, weak, and despised old man: But yet I call you servile ministers, That have with two pernicious daughters join'd Your high engender'd battles 'gainst a head." He was no longer the high and mighty King he use to be. What made King Lear a tragic hero as well was that he realized he made an irreversible