King Lear

King Lear Essay         The definition of tragedy in the Oxford dictionary is, 'drama of elevated theme and diction and with unhappy ending; sad event, serious accident, calamity.' However, the application of this terminology in Shakespearean Tragedy is more expressive. Tragedy does not only mean death or calamity, but in fact, it refers to a series of steps which leads to the downfall of the tragic hero and eventually to his tragic death. Lear, the …

…tragedy is initiated by the banishment of Kent and Cordelia. Lear's pride not only altered his live alone, instead, it affected everyone around him down to the bottom of the social chain. Moreover, the realization of his true quality, pains and sufferings eventually leads to his tragic death which the most obvious element in a tragedy. Because Lear fulfills the 'formula' of Shakespearean Tragedy, he could be firmly proven as tragic hero in the play.