Essay about King Lear vs. the Stone Angel - 1908 Words

It has been said that, Rivers and mountains may change; human nature, never.(worldofquotes.com) This is a quote that can be deconstructed when examining William Shakespeares King Lear and Margaret Laurences The Stone Angel. When reviewing the two books the main characters, King Lear and Hagar, are easily comparable. The first similarity becomes apparent when King Lear and Hagar are both developed as flawed characters. Secondly, because of their flaws the two characters become blind to reality. Thirdly, after being deceived by themselves and others as a result of their blindness, both characters seek refuge outside of their own homes. By leaving their homes the characters are able to gain perspective on themselves and their pasts.†¦show more content†¦Faced with the reality that neither of his daughters truly love and support him as they had claimed Lear says to Regan, No, Regan, thou shalt never have my curse.(II.iv.170) After realizing her open lack of love for him L ear pleads to Regan and himself, Thou better knowest/ The offices of nature, bond of childhood,/ Effects of courtesy, dues of gratitude./ Thy half of the kingdom hast thou not forgot,/ Wherein I thee endowed.(II.iv.177-181) Because Lear superficially asked his daughters to profess their love, he has now been deceived by their falsely promoted emotions and is impervious to the fact that his daughters have used him to obtain their own power and possessions. In the same way that Lear is blinded to the actions of his daughters because of his flaws, Hagar is blind to her own actions because she is too prideful. When Marvin and Doris try to explain that they are no longer able to provide Hagar with the care she needs Doris mentions that Hagar has been wetting her sheets. Struck by the accusation that she could be so irresponsible and not know about it Hagar says angrily, Thats a lie. I never did any such thing.(74) Even though Doris and Marvin both know that Hagar has been wetting h er sheets every night, Hagar has too much pride to admit that she may have lost control of her own body. Evidently it is because of Hagars pride that she will not acknowledge or admit to her unflattering actions. After recognizing the flaws of both King Lear andShow MoreRelatedKing Lear vs the Stone Angel Blindness1504 Words   |  7 Pagesat all.(Kingslover) This is a quote that can relate the characters in The Stone Angel and King Lear. In the tragedy King Lear, written by William Shakespeare and in the novel The Stone Angel, written by Margaret Laurence, the term blindness has an entirely different meaning. It is not a physical flaw, but the inability of the characters to use their thoughts and emotions to see a person for whom they truly are. King Lear, Gloucester, and Hagar are prime examples of characters that suffered mostRead More King Lear vs. The Stone Angel Essay examples1831 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"Rivers and mountains may change; human nature, never.†(wor ldofquotes.com) This is a quote that can be deconstructed when examining William Shakespeare’s King Lear and Margaret Laurence’s The Stone Angel. When reviewing the two books the main characters, King Lear and Hagar, are easily comparable. The first similarity becomes apparent when King Lear and Hagar are both developed as flawed characters. Secondly, because of their flaws the two characters become blind to reality. Thirdly, after being deceived