Family Themes in Shakespeare :: essays research papers fc

Some of Shakespeares most well known works are his tragedies. One of the reasons they are exempt read worldwide is Shakespeares study of character and the relationships, which these characters are involved with. In order to get the full tragedy the characters must represent base morals or nouss. A common theme among a lot of Shakespeare works is the idea of family and what it means to be within and part of a family. This idea of a natural law, in which it deals with societys and familys expectation of what is to be given from parent to child as well as the cling which is made. In Shakespeares poof Lear, the two plots revolve around a parents dealing with children who are not proper to what is expected of them.King Lear is a story, which deals with the idea of familial expectation and the roles in which parents and children play. Lears madness and his obsession with being praised blinded him to the child who was really the only one who love him, Cordelia. The same with the Earl of Gloucester, he was blinded by his illegitimate child, Edmund, who set out to turn him away from his heir, Edgar. Within the story, these two children and a few loyal servants yield to help and eventually try to save the King and Gloucester, but they are both too stubborn to recognize the goodness and true bond in these people. The story of King Lear deals with the turmoil of a chaotic world began by the boundaries of family and personal relationships being turn upside down.The story opens with King Lear, ready to retire, commerce his three girls to the room. When everyone had assembled, Lear made the grand announcement that he would divide the kingdom three ways, a piece to each daughter. However, he added that the larger pieces were to go to the daughter who loved him most. He based this not upon their actions but the speech they gave. The first two daughters, Regan and Goneril, made a flowery and obviously fake speech in which Lear preened and awarded them their kingdoms. Wh en it came to his third daughter, Cordelia, she answered, Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth. I love your majesty according to my bond, nor more nor less. (Abrams, pg. 893) In that she tells her father she loves him but pass on not participate in the game he had arranged for the dividing of his lands.