Theme of Good vs Evil in King Lear
Theme of Good vs. Evil Characters: Cordelia In a play full of evil and lustful desires, Cordelia is the essence of virtue and holiness. She is seen as a ‘good’ character because she never directly did any evil. ... Even though she has lost her inheritance, her fathers respect, and is completely rejected from her family she still shows compassion and admiration towards Lear. ... The Evil daughters: Regan and Goneril In their family unit, the two evil daughters are immensely similar, and are shown in contrast to their sister Cordelia. Both daughters lied and showed their deceitful ways during the ‘love’ test Lear held at the beginning of the play. ... Both sisters were extremely materialistic in their mannerisms; they wanted Lear’s Kingdom for the power and wealth that comes with it. Regan and Goneril both possessed evil qualities from the very start. ... Act II, Scene iv, 324-327 These quotes show how the two evil daughters conspire against Lear. ... They are plotting against Lear, want him to be helpless, and to lose dignity. Such acts are not generally portrayed through daughters, hence their evil nature. Kent: Kent is the ideal servant Lear could have had. ... When Lear banishes Cordelia, Kent in an attempt to help advise him speaks up. ... Kent can also be seen as impulsive, and temperamental, but only because of his dedication to his king. His attack on Oswald may have looked ‘evil’, but he did it on good terms, he did it strictly in loyalty to Lear. His devotion and faithfulness makes him one of the few purely good characters in the play. The Husbands: Cornwall/Albany Both men although very much different married two purely evil and similar women. Cornwall and Regan’s persona compliment each others nicely, they are both evil characters. ... Unlike Cornwall, Albany was loyal to Lear and Gloucester. This is seen through the quote, “Gloucester, I live to thank thee for he love thou show’dst the king, and to revenge thine eyes…” (IV, iii, 110-112) This shows how Albany is upset by Gloucester’s eyes being plucked out, and in his devoutness and loyalty wants to avenge what had occurred.