King Lear is a play without any hope. Do you agree with this statement Essay Example

King Lear is a play without any hope. Do you agree with this statement? Essay Shakespeares King Lear is a play that focuses on the close relationships of certain characters. Some of these characters are good, while some of them are evil. These characters raise and sink the audiences hope throughout the play. In King Lear, there are some aspects of the play that appear to have no hope. This is shown through families being destroyed, madness, and the death of certain characters. However, some characters, including Lear, Kent, Edgar and Cordelia show there are signs of hope, through their realisations of their mistakes and their loyalty. As soon as the play begins, Shakespeare immediately gives the impression that this is a play without hope. In the first scene an unstable Lear abdicates his throne, leaving the country to his daughters. Two of the sisters speak in prose at the end of the first scene. Speaking in prose usually means a character is not very well educated. However, in this occasion Shakespeare probably used the prose to show the audience not that they were low in society, but they are of low character, which highlights their character faults. The sisters only speak in prose though when they are alone, which is where they reveal their true selves. Shakespeare uses language throughout the play to help the audience distinguish between characters qualities and their true intentions. Another example of this is when Shakespeare highlights the honourable characters by making them speak in rhyming couplets. We will write a custom essay sample on King Lear is a play without any hope. Do you agree with this statement? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on King Lear is a play without any hope. Do you agree with this statement? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on King Lear is a play without any hope. Do you agree with this statement? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When Goneril and Regan were asked to make a speech they said what Lear wanted them to say not what they really thought. This meant the sisters words were exaggerated and very insincere, though they still manage to fool Lear. In the first scene though, the most important thing that shows the play has no hope, is when Lear banishes Cordelia and Kent, probably the two most loyal people in the country. In this scene Lear is also displaying sign of blindness, which suggests that worse is yet to come. The hints of blindness are shown on lines 153 when it says The true blank of thine eye. Also on line 119 Lear says Hence, and avoid my sight! Blindness plays a huge part in the play and is one of the things that make King Lear a play without hope. Though it is Gloucesters blindness and Lears madness that makes them realize their tremendous errors. The audience may also see the premature abdication of the king as hopeless, as during that period of time they believed God chose the king and abdicating would be interfering with the natural forces. Therefore no good can come of Goneril and Regan gaining control of the country. Through the events of scene one, the audience sees an example of a close family being torn apart. Not only is an example of close families being torn apart shown when King Lear banishes Cordelia but also when Edmund manipulates his father and brother to gain power. At the same time the families were being torn apart, so was the nation. This is because the sisters were more concerned about increasing their power hold, which descends the kingdom into civil strife. This was probably because the sisters, who were running the country, were fighting against each other, which eventually lead the country to be divided and the country going into a state of war. I feel there is no sign of hope as families were consumed by power, which led them to destroy each other. Edmund and the sisters betray their families, which break up the families beyond repair. It is true that Regan, Goneril and Edmund join forces for a short while before letting jealousy and hatred get the better of them, but this un ion is not a sign of hope, as the sisters and Edmund unite to become an unholy trinity, which is worrying for their enemies, as there seemed no possible way to defeat them. While the sisters are sidetracked by their own problems the stable and peaceful country falls apart as disorder engulfs the realm. On the other hand, near the end of the play there is a small sign of hope, when Lear meets up with Cordelia and she forgives him. Even after all that Lear has done to Cordelia; she still shows forgiveness by praying for him, to restore her fathers senses. When Lear awakes, he humbles himself before Cordelia, which makes the audience realise that Lear has learnt his lesson and become a better person because of it. During the storm Lear had to confront his failings and while witnessing the powerful forces of the natural world, Lear realised how insignificant he is in the grand scheme of things. This led Lear to reprioritise his values. Lear shows how much he regrets what he did to Cordelia by falling on his knees, which is very humbling for Lear. Lear shows how humble he has become by saying When though dost ask me blessing, Ill kneel down And ask of thee forgiveness. So well live This is the point that shows hope as Lear has got what he most wants; to be reunited with his daughter. This leads to Lear being treated like he was king again, as the words that are addressed to him were respectful. The audiences feeling of hope is heightened when the characters kneel before Lear and he is treated as a powerful monarch. However, news of the battle at the end of the scene, suggests the harmony that is achieved here is already under threat. This could have shattered the audiences hope once again. One of the strongest signs of hope in the play is shown in Cordelia. She is true and honest, which is shown when she refuses to take part in the competition to gain her part of the country. She believes that falsely flattering Lear is wrong, which shows that she loves her father with more depth and sincerity than her self absorbed sisters. Instead, Cordelia says Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth. I love your majesty According to my bond; nor more nor less This shows that even though she wants to obey her father, she cannot, as she wants to stay true to her beliefs. Unfortunately, staying true to her beliefs led her to be banished from the kingdom, as Lear could not read between the lines. Even though Cordelia has been banished, there is still hope for her, as Shakespeare rewards her with the king of France. He still accepts her as his bride, as he can see how good she is. This is a glimmer of hope for the audience as Shakespeare has introduced a character that is good hearted, which is well needed, as there is plenty of morally deprived members of society in the same scene. On the other hand Cordelia being banished is also a sign of no hope as it has disrupted the societal order, which inevitably will result in the country being in chaos. Characters similar to Cordelia are inserted in the play to give the audience hope that the evil characters will eventually get what they deserve. I feel though that throughout the play the loyal char acters are often undermined by those evil characters, which have the most power. Shakespeare painted in Cordelia as an image of light in the darkness for the audience. The fact that Cordelia dies in the last scene, seems to take away any of the hope the audience may have begun to feel. Therefore, this play can be considered a play without hope. However, towards the end of the play, there were some positive signs of hope. This is because the characters that have schemed and manipulated throughout the play, come face to face with Frances army. The outcome of this is that the sisters and Edmund get their just desserts, as all three of them end up dead. The jealously and rivalry between the two sisters eventually led to their downfall, as Goneril poisons Regan when she finds out Regan plans to marry Edmund. Regans poisoning comes as a shock, as the first clue the readers get that there is anything wrong is when Regan says Lady, I am not well; else I should answer From a full-flowing stomach. The fact that it ends up with evil fighting evil gives hope to the audience that evil can never triumph forever, as unlike good infighting is always their undoing. This proves to the audience that eventually good will prevail, as good can work together in harmony. In my opinion Goneril, Regan and Edmunds deaths seems to be richly deserved and is only suitable punishment for all harm they have done. This is a sign of hope, because after those three characters die, order can now be restored in the country and all the trouble they caused can be mended. This is also a sign of hope as all the people that have sinned have certainly been rightfully punished. All the hope that is accomplished throughout the play is shortly dissolved after Shakespeare kills off both good and bad characters. Though it is a sign of hope when the sisters die, any hope raised is demolished when Cordelia, Lear and Gloucester die. This is because Lear and Gloucester have learnt the error of their way and learnt from their mistakes. Therefore it could be argued the play has not achieved anything. Lear and Gloucester are also willing to make up for their wrong doing and becoming better people on the whole. However, what is the point in them learning all of this, if in the end they never get to live to become better people? This also shows a lack of hope for the country. If Lear had lived he would have gone back on the throne and had become a better king because of what he experienced throughout the end of the play. At the beginning of the play he was spoilt and used to no one disagreeing with him. However he would have probably been more considerate to the poor pe ople of the country. This is shown when Lear has been reduced to madness and has later been reunited with Cordelia as he says I am a very foolish fond old man Yet I am doubtful; for I am mainly ignorant This to the audience shows that he is humble and that he honestly regrets his past decisions. When Lear dies however so does the hope for the audience of the country being reunited. The only hope at the end of the play is that Edgar is still alive. Hope is heightened when at the end of the play Edgar becomes king. This is a sign of true hope as the audience already consider him to be a good person, as he remained loyal to his father throughout the time he was living as poor Tom. Edgar has also experienced life on both sides of society. He has also proved himself to be a worthy king, by suffering such hardships and remaining strong throughout. Edgar would also be able to help out the poor of the country, which would be an improvement on the previous monarchs as they lived a pampered life, which did not make them great monarchs. With this new monarch the audience can finally feel that the problems that occurred in the play can be put in the past and the country can be finally united once again. In conclusion, King Lear is infused with notions of hope, though they were often short lived and other times were only illusions. However justice seems to have been served at the end. There was plenty of evidence of King Lear being a play with no hope, but the ending manages to give the audience hope for the future. Shakespeare has shown in the play that evil will always be present and there is no hope of that changing, but eventually good will be dominant in the world of King Lear. So to sum up King Lear is a great tragedy that is full of injustice at the beginning and the restoring of justice towards the end.

First Love, by John Clare and La Belle Dame Sans Merci, by John Keats Essay Example

First Love, by John Clare and La Belle Dame Sans Merci, by John Keats Essay Example First Love, by John Clare and La Belle Dame Sans Merci, by John Keats Paper First Love, by John Clare and La Belle Dame Sans Merci, by John Keats Paper Essay Topic: Poetry The two poems, First Love, by John Clare and La Belle Dame Sans Merci, by John Keats have a similar theme, unrequited love. Compare and contrast the poets effective use of language and form to convey their ideas effectively. In the poems First Love, by John Clare and La Belle Dame Sans Merci, by John Keats both poets deal with unrequited love. In Clares poem, it is the love of the knight for the woman, which is not returned. This is very similar to Keats poem where it is a knight again whose love for a woman is not returned. Both poems portray romantic poetry to us. In the pre-twentieth centuries romance was imaginative love like that shown in Clares poem. This type of romance is similarly shown in Keats poem. In Keats poem, we also see modern romance, which is romantic love. : Clares poem is set in contemporary times; he is recounting the experience of falling in love for the first time: I neer was struck before that hour With love so sudden and so sweet. This makes it clear to us that the knight in the poem is falling in love for the first time. Keats poem on the other hand is set in the times of King Arthur, which was the thirteenth century. The time, which the poem is set, is well suited to the context of a bewitched knight. In Clares poem no blame is given to the girl whom he falls in love with maybe because she did not deliberately set out to captivate the knight like the enchantress in Keats poem appears to do: She lookd at me as she did love, And made sweet moan. This is very similar to the woman in Robert Brownings poem Porphyrias lover who seduces the man by baring her shoulder and murmurs how she loves him. In both poems, both of the knights in the poem seem to fall under the spell of the woman. This is shown on the very first line of Clares poem: I neer was struck before that hour The use of the word struck gives us an image of someone unexpectedly being hit by a spell. The word struck also gives us an image of someone being struck by one of cupids arrows, which put someone under a spell making them fall in love. This makes the use of the word struck very effective. This can be seen as similar to the Knight in Keats poem that also appears to be under a spell: For sidelong would she bend, and sing A faerys song. The mention of faerys suggests something supernatural, as fairies are small creatures, which possess magical power, which could be used to put someone under a spell like in the poem. These spells seem to make the knights loose their vision, feel trapped, and look pale. These effects are very similar to the imagery, which is used throughout both poems. In Keats poem, he uses the image of how pale the man is throughout the poem to show the effects of the spells: O, what can ail thee, knight-at-arms, Alone and palely loitering? This can be linked to the description of the people in his dream: I saw pale kings and princes too, Pale warriors, death-pale were they all This can finally be linked to the use of the word palely at the end of the poem: And this is why I sojourn here Alone and palely loitering, This imagery used by Keats is similar to that which is used by Clare: My face turned pale as deadly pale, Although in some parts of the poem the imagery can be seen as similar, some of the imagery used is also different. It is different because in Keats poem the imagery is often literal: She took me to her elfin grot, While in Clares poem the imagery is often metaphorical: And stole my heart away complete. This can be linked to the form of the poem. Clare sets his poem in every day life and feels as though his heart has been stolen. This puts a literal interpretation on a romantic clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. Clare then extends this metaphor both literally and metaphorically. Keats poem is different to Clares poem because it is written in the form of a ballad, which tells an Arthurian tale in which a knight falls into the clutches of a cold-hearted enchantress: La Belle Dame sans Merci Hath thee in thrall!' The story of this poem is told as a tale within a tale in which the poet meets the knight who recounts an experience. The use of the two voices in this poem is useful because it draws us in. First with the poet arousing our curiosity on the first line: O, what can ail thee, knight at arms, Then the knight satisfies the curiosity aroused by the poet: I met a lady in the meads, The way which the poet uses repetition of the word palely emphasises death and sickness. The idea of death is also emphasised by the setting of the poem, where the sedge is withered and birds do not sing. This does not only signify death but also prepares us for something sinister: The sedge has witherd from the lake, And no birds sing. These images of death are used throughout the poem. In both poems, the experience has affected the men and will for the rest of their lives. In Clares poem he can never fall in love again: My heart has left its dwelling place And can return no more. While the knight is forever trapped to pine away and die on the hillside unless the spell on him is broken: And this is why I sojourn here Alone and palely loitering, Clares poem is written in the form of an autobiographical account of an experience. Keats poem on the other hand is a ballad, which tells a salutary tale. Although they are written in different forms they both show the same thing, how powerful and destructive love can be. Both of the poems show victims of love. Clare is clearly a victim of love and Keats is victim of La Belle Dame who uses love to achieve power over him: And sure in language strange she said I love thee true. Clares poem is set out in three eight line stanzas which rhymes on alternating lines The first two stanzas show the immediate effect of his falling in love, and the final stanza then draws the experience together as life changing. In contrast to Clare Keats uses the traditional form of a ballad where each stanza contains four lines and rhymes on every other line. This makes Keats poem very lyrical and the poem forms a warning against love. The use of sans merci is very significant because it is clear to us that La Belle Dame is either a sorceress or enchantress. By using sans merci, we see that she does not have mercy for the men which she puts under her spell as she quickly loses interest after they are in her clutches. She is always looking out for new conquests, relishing her power over the men. No one can resist her charms not even the most powerful of people such as kings, princes, and brave warriors. In both poems, both of the poets John Clare and John Keats give us their similar views on love causing illness and death. We see this as realistic as in both poems the poets use literal and metaphorical imagery to persuade us that love causes illness and death. In Keats poem, the knight becomes pale as if he is ill which enforces Keats view of love as an illness. In Clares poem, he has lost the ability to love as if he is ill.