King Lear: The Quest For Power

Part I of Essay
Shakespeare’ King Lear is a story of treachery and deceit. The villainy of the play knows no bounds. Family lines are ignored in an overwhelming quest for power. This villainy is epitomized in the character of Edmund, bastard son of the Earl of Gloucester. Edmund is displa ....

Part II of Essay
.... France to kill The Duke of Cornwall. The King decides that Gloucester’s supposed treachery cannot be tolerated and orders that his eyes be torn out. At this point, Edmund seems to be unequivocally evil. This is undoubtedly false. Two of the other characters of the play, Goneril and Regan surely equal Edmund’s ferocity in their quest for power. Our first glimpse at the two surely begins to prove that fact. In this scene, the King asks that each of his three daughters profess their undying love to him before he distributes parts of the kingdom ....