The Death Of A Man Of High Power - 1241 Words

Amy McLaren Ms. Malek ENG4U – Period 2 Monday March 7th, 2016 Justice is a word that seems to be taken for granted by many in modern times. Contemporary people have grown accustomed to the thought of rules and laws set in place to ensure justice throughout the world. Whenever acts of injustice occur, people become outraged and appalled. However, in William Shakespeare’s King Lear ¬, justice is not equitably administered. Defined as a â€Å"story of human actions producing exceptional calamity and ending in the death of a man of high power,† (Bradley), King Lear must be considered one of the most heart-wrenching Shakespearean tragedies ever written. It’s degradation of honourable individuals through a plot line that demonstrates betrayal and†¦show more content†¦In the play, characters were frequently betrayed by those closest to them, and more specifically by their family. Parents betrayed their children, while children deceived their parents, and siblings turned against one another all in the hope of gaining m ore power. It became a vicious cycle where people ended up betraying one another, only to be deceived by someone else. King Lear and the Earl of Gloucester, two of the most powerful characters at the beginning of the play, were both betrayed by their children. In King Lear, social status was everything, as it helped to determine a person’s rank and respect. The eldest son of the Earl of Gloucester, Edmund, should have been able to take over the position of Earl when his father died, however, due to his illegitimacy, he was denied his inheritance. During Edmund’s first appearance in the play, he delivered a soliloquy in which he spoke about how he had not believe it to be fair that, simply because of his illegitimate status, he should be stripped of these rights. This anger and resentment against his father and his legitimate half-brother, Edgar, lead to his betrayal against them both. Edmund carried out his plan to become Earl of Gloucester by tricking his father into believing that Edgar was