King Lear by Shakespeare Literary Analysis Essay Sample

Within the extract we witness a re-enactment of the original trial scene in act I, i. In this re-enactment Edgar, disguised as Poor Tom and the Fool are Lear’s support, the other judges. There is irony here as madmen and fools are in charge, reflecting just how corrupt and unnatural the legal system is and the use of prose is to strengthen the effectiveness of insanity, it being either real or a façade. ARGUMENT. There is an obvious yet significant change in language from the original trial scene in act I to the mock trial presented in the extract. It’s as though Shakespeare uses these characters to freely voice his critiques of society at the time without consequence, as he played it off as just the rantings of lunatics. Possibly giving weight to what the characters are saying about social and moral injustice throughout the play. 

Shakespeare’s king Lear explores the themes of legal, social and divine justice throughout. I believe that this statement is true as firstly the kingdom is unnatural and immoral as it has a corrupted legal system and it’s filled with poverty and deception. EVIDENCE This all stems from Lear failing as King. Shakespeare almost seems to mock the idea of divine justice as the Gods seem indifferent to man’s suffering. Elizabethans were told by religious leaders that God was just and good would triumph over evil. Yes, the evil suffer and die in the play, but so do the pure. Showing that the Gods either don't exist or simply don't care, suggesting that divine justice does not exist in the world. It is also important to note that the only characters we see challenging the lack of justice in all aspects are beggars, fools and madmen. Furthermore, Shakespeare’s audience would expect there to be justice by the end of the play, which is not the case. Shakespeare tries to break the mould by not including a typical happy ending for the good characters; so, in turn justice does not occur for those most deserving, making the play unjust.  In the extract language of justice used numerously exhibiting it as a key theme here, ARGUMENT. While in the original trial scene only transactional language and language of wealth was used,” beyond what can be valued rich or rare” “self mettle” and surprisingly there is no mention of justice in the court. Elaborate. This mock trial occurs possibly as Lear is trying to gain some justice for what his daughters did to him,” False justicer, why hast thou let her ‘scape?”. Lear is hallucinating here ADD ABOUT REPITITION AND EXCLAMINATORY HIGHTENED EMOTION, DISTRESS. showing us that he is still blaming his daughters. There is irony here as his injustice is caused by his abuse of the legal justice system through the court for his own hubris/flattery. So it is Lear who is at fault for the corruption and this lack of justice in the court. This all reflects his powerlessness and also his blindness as it was his actions originally that caused this suffering at the hands of Goneril and Regan. both trials are mockeries of true justice. proving that true justice cannot exist in a society as corrupt as this.  Gloucester suffers much more than most and I believe his punishment surpasses his crime. Yes, his punishment may seem fitting as he loses his eyes which caused him to lust, but we must consider that Gloucester’s storyline as subplot is used by mimic or ‘shadow’ to emphasis Lear’s story, so if Lear’s suffering has far exceeded his crimes Gloucester’s must follow suit. An example of when I feel that Gloucester was legally unjustly punished was when he is tried and found guilty by Regan and Cornwall for treason resulting in his eyes being gouged out. In correlation to Lear’s mock trial, this trial is deeply unjust as it is barely a trial to begin with. Elaborate. Cornwall tells Edmund that he will punish Gloucester in ways that ‘are not fit for your beholding’. There is also a lack of divine justice as he calls on Gods for help, but they don’t answer resulting in him being brutally blinded. This ordeal turns Gloucester from a deeply religious man to a man who sees the Gods as malevolent: ‘As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods. / They kill us for their sport’ (IV.i.36-37) and he blames this unjustness on the gods. Though we must note Gloucester’s faith is constantly wavering throughout king Lear as he continues to call upon the God after his blinding.  ‘The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices Make instruments to plague us: The dark and vicious place where thee he got Cost him his eyes.  

Once Lear is at the receiving end of such injustice, he begins to realise that he could have been a better King, ensuring social justice for the poor. In Act IV, vi, Lear remarks bitterly that the world is unfair, and that justice does not exist. Those in power make judgements, but that does not mean they are correct. A judge may berate a thief, but if they switched places, it would not be possible to tell one from the other. He believes the judicial and political systems are corrupt in that they rely on power only, saying bitterly ‘a dog’s obeyed in office’. Those who are wealthy can buy their way out of trouble, while the poor men are punished to the full extent of the law. This is a deeply bitter and pessimistic view of justice. 

Lear’s prays to the heavens when his daughters strip him of his retinue: ‘You see me here, you gods, a poor old man, / As full of grief as age, wretched in both’. The only answer from the heavens is a violent storm. Animal imagery used by lear referencing his daughters Even divine justice fails – sometimes the Gods don’t reward the good and punish the wicked.   

An example of this would be Cordelia. Shakespeare’s audience expect happy ending but due to the hatred from the English towards the French here is no way Cordelia could be queen as she’s married to king of France. luckily, she reaches a point of justice when she reconciles with her father and is honest and they’re forgiving though this moment of peace/justice is cut short as Cordelia is hanged. Her death is the ultimate unjust as she as a character did nothing to deserve such a punishment, another point is Lear seeing his beloved Cordelia hanged causes him in his fragile state, to spiral back into madness before he too dies of grief. So there is no evidence of divine justice in Cordelia’s death. Cordelia’s death is why King Lear can have no justice. Many times gods are called on to protect Cordelia, but they don’t  

When considering Edgar, at the beginning of the play there is serious miscarriages of legal justice occurring as he is declared guilty of plotting murder his own father with no evidence and no trial. Edgar represents new beginnings and through his ascension up the great chain of being now being king he can re-establish natural order to the kingdom. Corrupt king, shown by lack of connection with the gods give examples of lear calling on gods but no answer = unnatural balance Edgar views the gods as dispensers of justice, telling Gloucester that they have saved him from suicide: ‘thou happy father, Think that the clearest gods, who make them honours Of men’s impossibilities, have preserved thee.’ (Act 4 Scene 6)  

In Act 4 Scene 1, Edgar believes he has hit rock bottom and that things can only improve: The lamentable change is from the best; / The worst returns to laughter’. Edgar is ever hopeful that the gods will be just and urges Gloucester to ‘pray that the right may thrive’ when Cordelia’s French army faces the English. However, he soon returns with the news that the just end he wished for has not occurred, but that Lear and Cordelia have lost and been taken prisoner. 

For the evil characters such as Edmund, Cornwall, Regan and Goneril it can be accepted that justice has been served as their punishment was death. Both Goneril and Regan are punished for their lustful ways: one is poisoned and the other kills herself and Edmund is slain by Edgar in battle. Lear and Edgar finally get the justice they deserve. Although death can be considered the greatest punishment of all, it can be argued that its more just for the characters to live on with the burden of their guilt/regret as a way to further punish them. In Edmunds case it can be argued that he just wanted justice for his mistreatment, but the way he does this is unjust as he doesn’t care who he hurts to get what he wants, which is the worst kind of Machiavellian scheming. While for Cornwall there is moral justice in his death for what he did to Gloucester. Though there is an extent of social injustice in the death of Cornwall as he was murdered by a servant, which was someone of a lower stature who challenged him to a duel. This wasn’t allowed at the time as only someone of an equal or higher social position could legally challenge you to do duel. There is no justice in King Lear 

To conclude I can understand and acknowledge that there is an element of justice served within the play though by the very end too many good characters are unjustly punished. so I find it hard to disagree that there’s no justice in the play, especially after the hanging of Cordelia, it was excessive and unendingly cruel. Yes, by the end all of the corrupt characters also die, but we have to consider this is mainly due to the action of revenge and not justice. Furthermore, from the very beginning and throughout King Lear we are shown that the kingdom is unnatural and in an unnatural world justice would be reversed making it unobtainable or worse unjust. So until nature order and balance is restored justice cannot occur and this does not occur till the very end making the play unjust.