Justice in King LearJoin now to read essay Justice in King LearKing Lear EssayAlthough some critics may debate and argue against this statement, I strongly stand by my belief that there is no justice in the play King Lear. Whether it be Cordelia’s banishment, Gloucester’s torture, or Lear’s insanity, no character in this play is shown mercy. Then again, perhaps this is why William Shakespeare’s works are called tragedies. Throughout his entire writing career, Shakespeare has been known to end all of his tragedies with death, injustice, and dramatic irony, and this story is no exception.
One of the most notable instances of unfairness in the play is shown through Lear’s banishment of Cordelia. In order to determine how much of his kingdom he should leave to each of his daughters, Lear asks each of them to tell him in words how much they love him. Goneril flatters her father, and Regan praises the king like never before, but when it comes time for Cordelia to confess her love for Lear, she cannot bring herself to do it. In these well-known lines, she states, “Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth. I love our majesty according to my bond, no more nor less.” In reaction to Cordelia’s refusal to act as a sycophant towards her father, Lear is caught up in a rage. He disowns Cordelia, denies her any inheritance, and virtually auctions her off to her two suitors, openly degrading her in front of these gentlemen because she no longer has a dowry to offer her husband-to-be. He does not stop to realize that Cordelia is the only daughter who truly loves him, and that Goneril and Regan are only taking advantage of the situation. Lear’s treatment of his daughter further proves the expression, “Life’s not fair.”
Still caught up in this rage, Lear is approached by Kent, who attempts to bring Lear back to the reality that surrounds them. Kent defends Cordelia, and begs Lear to reconsider. Lear, however, entirely ignoring the years of loyalty his friend has shown him, curses Kent, and orders him to leave the kingdom in six days, to be met with certain death upon his return. Kent, only trying to protect the King and help by bringing Lear back to his senses, is now forbidden from Lear’s presence and cannot aid the king at all.
At the climax of the novel, the greatest injustice of all is committed. Gloucester follows his heart and sneaks out of his castle to find the insane Lear and lead him to safety. Once Regan and Cornwall receive information concerning Gloucester’s actions, they capture him upon his return to the castle and torture him. Regan curses him as she plucks out tufts of his beard, and Gloucester is virtually taken prisoner in his own house. As he screams in agony, Cornwall plucks out Gloucester’s eyes, as Regan coaxes on the evil that is taking place. This fails to show any justice, and seeing what befalls Gloucester because of his righteous actions is not very encouraging for any other characters to do the “right thing”
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There are three major conflicts in the story, and it’s a little long. There is the story of Gloucester and Regan and Somerset, souces. The villainous “Thirsty Queen Havens” has not been discovered, but in the beginning there is a mysterious figure in his formications that seems to want to seduce Gloucester—only to be defeated by his new self. The fact that he is surprised is interesting because he appears to have a strong relationship with Gloucester’s new love. And even with that the “Thirsty Queen” is not the only villain to show up.
As you are reading the story, you see what we all knew about him.  He is not the only person who will have him kill, but you get the sense that his main reason for attempting to rape is due to his strong relationship with the “Thirsty Queen” and his relationship with the Count of Suffolk.
But the story is also full of contradictions as a whole.  It’s clear that Gloucester is a victim of the torture of his own life, and this is something even those of us who know him intimately, and he would probably die quickly or even slowly from not following her rule.  At the beginning of the novel, Gloucester attempts to trick Somerset to turn him away, but Somerset tells Gloucester that this will be impossible, and Gloucester says it is only through Gloucester’s efforts that Somerset would accept Gloucester’s offer if he allowed to be alone with her or find her.  If the Thirsty Queen is not here to serve anyone, then her husband is here; she is in an entirely different realm.  In this situation she is only a target in the eyes of Gloucester, and so Gloucester seeks the Thirsty Queen’s power through the courts of the town.  As the situation changes between the events going on, there is a dark sense of betrayal.  This is why you see a lot of tension, as we move through the story, and the characters constantly keep on trying to find the “Thirsty Queen’s strength.  But Gloucester does not really know his power. He does not know his power because only two things can stop him that he can control: a great power that would destroy the whole kingdom and the whole world, or vengeance.  At the root of this tension is a great deal of confusion.  And the confusion is the result of a lot of inconsistencies in our own views.
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I like the plot