A an More Sinned Against Than Sinning - 1811 Words

A man more sinned against than sinning How far do you agree with this statement? King Lear is one of Shakespeares more complex plays and within it many different themes are addressed and explored. King Lear is the somewhat unfortunate vehicle that Shakespeare uses to explore many of these themes creating a complex character including the roles of a father, king, friend and adversary. As Lear is not a simple character he cannot simply be classed as all good or bad; it can be argued he is a bad father and king but does that make Lear a bad man? Does he deserve the suffering he endures? Also, when Lear talks of sin who is he addressing? As sin is generally defined as a violation of religious or moral law so is Lear talking to God in this†¦show more content†¦We can say that at the start of the play Lear is guilty of a tyrannical egotism, pride and blindness to his own actions. So in the first scene of the play Lear makes a terrible mistake but can we fully blame him? No loving father would think their children capable of such immorality that is shown in Goneril and Regan. He also expected to remain as a figurehead of nationalism but alas this was also impeded by his daughters. So as a king Lear succeeds in destroying the whole hierarchy at the core of every monarchy and cripples the undisputed power of a king into a useless, soul corrupting command; This last surrender of his will but offend us. Lear as a king commits a few more minor sins that at the time may have been more scandalous than now. These include letting his fool say more or less anything he wants, which many would see as a sign of weakness and lack of authority as a lowly fool should not judge his kings actions. However the fool is the only character who will offer his judgments to Lear. He is surrounded by ‘yes men, especially as he banished Kent, so the Fool, even though he may have spoken out of line, filled a role that is vital for any monarchy. Also much that the fool said was entirely necessary and accurate; Lear: Dost thou call me fool, boy? Fool: All thy other titles thou hast given away; that thou wast bornShow MoreRelatedMerchant of Venice: Shylock More Sinned Against Than Sinning1564 Words   |  7 PagesIs Shylock more sinned against than sinning? Many different views can be taken on the Jewish merchant Shylock in the play ‘The Merchant of Venice’ written by William Shakespeare. Although when taking into account the many trials and tribulations that Shylock had to endure, it is forthcoming to say that Shylock was more sinned against than sinning. There are key and defining moments in this play when it becomes more apparent as to why Shylock is acting out against Antonio. From early on when AntonioRead More Consider the accuracy of Lear?s claim that he is ?a man / More sinned against than sinning?1480 Words   |  6 Pagesthe worst sinners against him. He thinks he does the right good things but has to find out that almost everything he did out of meaning well by the people he considered as the good ones at the time he did it were the wrong moves. When Lear realizes that his moves seem to have been wrong he tells Kent and the Fool during a storm that he is â€Å"a man / More sinned against than sinning†, kn owing that he also made mistakes, not only the others. But is King Lear really more of a victim than a guilty one? TheRead MoreI Am a Man More Sinned Against Than Sinning. to What Extent Does the Character King Lear Suffer Out of All Proportions to His Initial Transgressions?1503 Words   |  7 PagesI am a man more sinned against than sinning. To what extent does the character King Lear suffer out of all proportions to his initial transgressions? There would be two different opinions on whether or not King Lear deserved what had happened to him. First, I think I should mention the ways that King Lear suffered. There were evident levels of emotional and physical suffering. From an emotional perspective, Lear discovers that he is hated by his own daughters, which would be a terrible experienceRead MoreThere Are Many Critical Interpretations of Iago’s Character. Was He a ‘Skillful Villain’? or Perhaps He Was a ‘Mysterious Creature of Unlimited Cynicism’? or Was He Simply a ‘Wronged Man’? More Sinned Against Than Sinning?2606 Words   |  11 Pageswas he simply a ‘wronged man’? More sinned against than sinning? What is your view of this complex character and how would a contemporary Shakespearean audience have responded to him? In Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, the reader is introduced to the character Iago. There are many different interpretations of his character, was he a ‘skillful villain’? Or was he a ‘mysterious creature of unlimited cynicism’? Or just a ‘wronged man’ who is more sinned against than sinning? Iago indeed does show qualitiesRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice Essay1262 Words   |  6 Pageswhether Shylock is an unforgiving, menacing character or is in actual fact in the right and extremely hard done by. Consequently, I propose to discuss the view that Shylock is as much sinned as sinning. When his daughter lies and steals from him Shylock is seen as a poor and sinned against character. His daughter, Jessica, falls in love with a Christian and plans to elope. Strong religious prejudices are established at this point in the play. In order to elope, Jessica Read MoreKing Lear More Sinned Against Then Sinning1090 Words   |  5 Pagesman, More sinn d against than sinning How far do you agree with King Lear s statement? From first view of the play King Lear , it appears that Lear has caused, either directly or indirectly, the sins against him as well as sinned himself. Lear sinned: -That King Lear sinned; there can be no doubt. Nevertheless, a sin does not exclude the possibility that there was a sufficient cause (in his mind) for the action -You can conclude the essay by saying that although he is more sinned againstRead MoreComparing Dante s Inferno And Shakespeare s Play King Lear1606 Words   |  7 Pagesproved more powerful than grief,† we push off the impending consequences of the sins we make today, and continue sinning well into tomorrow. However, once we experience grief, much like what Lear experienced, we are confronted with the consequences of our actions, although it is too late; our hunger from yesterday overpowered our grief from today. Dante’s Inferno and King Lear are similar in more ways than one, yet they differ when it comes to a certain principle: are we, as humans, more sinnedRead MoreKing Lears View of Himself Essay850 Words   |  4 PagesKing Lears View of Himself King Lear is a play all about the cruelty of human nature and the ways in which all people, good and bad, can sin, or be sinned against. Lear is a very difficult character to categorise as either good or bad as he is both sinned against and sinning. It is also very difficult to use these sins as a measure of his character as they a varying in severity. When we first meet Lear he is in the process of dividing his kingdom Read MoreAugustine’s Conception of Sin in Confessions 1700 Words   |  7 PagesAugustine’s conception of the human person and their human actions are somewhat relevant today, due to the fact Augustine set a standard for what human nature is, known as the ability to desire, think and do, yet, people see the human differently today than Augustine did. At the same time his ideas of original sin and how the evil nature of humans is associated with original sin are still very relevant today. Augustine is our exemplar to human nature, as well as the guideline to what it means to be humanRead More King Lear’s Sins Pale in Comparison to those Committed Against Him818 Words   |  4 PagesKing Lear’s Sins Pale in Comparison to those Committed Against Him King Lear commits several acts that are nearly unforgivable. Not only does he exile a trusted, loyal servant, he also banishes his own daughter. Cordelia, unable and unwilling to submit herself to the ridiculous game of her father, is sent off to France with his curses. His subsequent action - the division of the land between his two ungrateful daughters - is the final act, the final sin, and one that plunges the