King lear: the development from a weak king to a mature father

<Tab/>A characteristic of Shakespeare's tragedies is that the tragic hero goes through a series of changes that enlighten him in one way or another. This trend holds true for Lear of King Lear. Though naïve and foolish in the beginning, Shakespeare leads Lear through a rough series of events that change the inept king to a more mature and wise man. Through Lear's suffering, not only …

…Lear is able to transform himself from an egotistical ruler to a wise old man, by learning from his mistakes and finally welcoming humility and empathy into their lives. Through all of this, it can be seen that power corrupts the mind and swells the heads of many leaders. Lear experiences from his two corrupt and evil daughters what he was like as king, and through the loss of power and suffering, gains new insight.