Essays

Full essay: “In King Lear honour and loyalty triumph over brutality and viciousness.” 

Full essay: “Lear embarks on a harrowing journey through suffering to self-knowledge. At the end of the play he is a better and wiser man“ 

Full essay: “The vivid imagery throughout King Lear enhances Shakespeare’s characterisation and reveals key themes.”

Full essay: “Lear is not a particularly likeable character, but the play encourages us to feel profound sympathy for him, and take his side.”

Full essay: “The themes evident in King Lear are skilfully presented through a series of dramatic symbols and images.”

Full essay: “Lear is a man ‘more sinned against than sinning.”

Full essays: 1) “In King Lear the villainous characters hold more fascination for the audience than the virtuous ones”; 2) “In the play, King Lear, the stories of Lear and Gloucester mirror one another in interesting ways.” 3) “Reading or seeing King Lear is a horrifying as well as an uplifting experience.” 4) ‘King Lear is not only a tragedy of parents and children, of pride and ingratitude, it is also a tragedy of kingship.’ 

Essay Plan: Scenes of suffering and tenderness

Essay Plan: Lear is a man more sinned against than sinning

Essay writing method

Comparison of model and sample essay

Sample questions

Quotations

List of need-to-know quotations

In translation

Scene summaries and quotations from each scene

Plot

Summary video

Plot synopsis

Plot chronology

Themes

Kingship

Justice

Justice Slideshow

Love

Some themes in Lear

Themes

Characters

Cordelia

Edmund

Lear, the character

Brief character sketches

Cordelia Slideshow

Imagery

Motifs and symbols

Disease

Nature and Animals

Sight and Blindness

Analysis

Lear’s journey