King Lear by William Shakespeare

King Lear by William Shakespeare
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a tale of vanity versus loyalty which leads to the downfall of power and ultimately the British throne; which probably explains a lot of British history during pre-Anglo Saxon times. It's the characters who demonstrate the most loyalty that are the ultimate sufferers in this tragic tale of inheritance. Lear is that keen to demonstrate his power upon retirement that he actually demands that his daughters declare their devotion in front of the whole English court! For this, we have to allow a little sympathy for all of Lear's children; as there's no mention of a maternal figure to guide them while their father manages affairs of the state. But Lear seems to be more married to his fool than have reminisces of his Queen, and he realises his losses too late. But the fact that the sisters die might be a relief to the Kingdom, if Regan and Gonerill were to remain there might have been an even greater civil war. And yet; what the play does not do is look at how the aftermath of this Kingsmanship affects the common man. A serious flaw, Mr. Shakespeare...

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