The Theme of Justice in King Lear Essay - 1435 Words

The Theme of Justice in King Lear Justice is a balance of misfortune and good fortune; right and wrong according to motives and circumstances of the individuals under judgement. To be just we must consider why they did it and balance out all the evidence and facts and decide on a punishment depending on these. Types of justice that exist in society include criminal justice, legal justice, vigilante justice, natural justice and divine justice. As King Lear is a brutal play, filled with human cruelty and many awful disasters, the plays terrible events raise an obvious question for the characters, namely whether there is any possibility of justice in the world. Various characters offer†¦show more content†¦Clearly, King Lears idea to divide the land is the wrong decision as it is the gods who decide through divine right who is next to be king or queen. For this attempt to undermine the gods, it is obvious that Lear should be punished and, surely enough, the consequence is he is betrayed by two of his daughters and loses everything, thus, in a way, justice is served and he gets what he deserves. As the play opens one can almost immediately see that Lear begins to make mistakes that will eventually Result in his downfall. The very first words that he speaks in the play are: ...Give me the map there. Know that we have divided In three our kingdom, and tis our fast intent To shake all cares and business from our age, Conferring them on younger strengths while we Unburdened crawl to death... (Act I, Sc I, Ln 38-41) This gives the audience the first hint of Lears intent to give away his throne. He goes on further to divide his kingdom, offering pieces to his daughters as a form of reward to his test of love. Tell me, my daughters Which of you shall we say doth love us most? That we our largest bounty may extend Where nature doth with merit challenge. (Act I, Sc I, Ln 47-53) This is the first and worst of the many sins that Lear commits in this play. By passing hisShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Theme of Justice in King Lear1682 Words   |  7 PagesThe Theme of Justice in King Lear      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many themes are evident in King Lear, but perhaps one of the most prevalent relates to the theme of justice.   Shakespeare has developed a tragedy that allows us to see mans decent into chaos.   Although Lear is perceived as a man more sinned against than sinning (p.62), the treatment of the main characters encourages the reader to reflect on the presence or lack of justice in this world.   The characters also vary in their inclinationRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear1480 Words   |  6 Pagesplay of â€Å"King Lear† in 1986. This is a typical play of human coarseness and vengeance. 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