King Lear

Discuss what you think are the major themes/symbols that Shakespeare has constructed his play around and discuss their significance. Throughout the play "King Lear" Shakespeare writes symbols with themes to help give the audience a fuller understanding of the issues involved and a dramatic unity to the whole. Nature is one of the main themes, Shakespeare frequently presents it in terms of what characters feel is natural or unnatural and the use of symbolism, …

…in Gonerill and Regan's cruel world. Gloucester is punished harshly for his misjudgement of what is natural and unnatural to him. Lear has clearly learnt the value of true emotion, his recognition to injustice has been restored, but his wisdom comes too late. All of Lear's sufferings have been in vain. Yet he learns nature reflects the mistakes of man and when man creates an error, the natural order is easily destroyed, with devastating effects.