King Lear by William Shakespeare contains many pivotal moments that created a very dramatic play; Shakespeare used his signature move of, “it’s not a Shakespeare play unless everybody dies.” Many characters in King Lear experienced a negative event that caused a permanent impact on their lives.
The first significant negative event in King Lear was when King Lear disowned his only loyal daughter, Cordelia. This event changed the path of Lear’s life because it essentially causes his own downfall. In the moment for his own want for empowerment he misjudged his daughters loyalty in order to maintain his social standing. He seemed like a good old man because he would usually be associated will morally correct and noble because he is labeled a king only to have that title ripped from him, and left to live life as a peasant blind man all due to one rash decision he made. Unlike many characters in literature, King Lear basically chose his own fate by the decisions he made. Usually, characters are forced their fate by a bigger fate, but not good ol’ Lear.
A victim to King Lear’s power was Cordelia. Cordelia was the one true daughter to King Lear, only to be excommunicated from the throne. She was a character who had little control over the fate drawn for her. While dealt only bad cards throughout the play Cordelia always represented the purity and kindness of humanity. Always being by her father’s side. In the end of the play, Cordelia was made to suffer through her father. He was ill and didn't recognize her. By King Lear’s blindness in her true loyalty, he made them both suffer and they were ultimately hung at the end of the play.
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