king lear by william shakespeare

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King Lear by William Shakespeare
A tragic hero refers to the protagonist who experiences a tragic fall by his or her choices. William Shakespeare is known for his use of tragedy in plays, with a good example being King Lear. King Lear, the main protagonist, is projected as a just and fair ruler. However, his flaws influence the occurrence of a tragic ending. From an analytical viewpoint, King Lear’s main flaws, pride, and blindness cause his tragic fall.
King Lear is first projected as a kind and generous ruler. As a result of his generosity, he chooses to equally divide his realm among his three daughters. His fall begins when he urges his daughters to pledge the love that they have for him before getting their shares. Goneril and Regan agree but Cordelia who views the praises as hypocritical, refuses to praise him. Pride influences Lear to disown and banish Cordelia because of her decision. Lear compares his daughter to a “barbarous Scythian”; an aspect that compares Cordelia to the savages. He states;
The barbarous Scythian,
Or he that makes his generation messes
To gorge, his appetite, shall to my bosom
Be as well neighbored, pitied, and relieved
As thou my sometime daughter (Shakespeare Act 1 Scene 1)
Therefore, it can be viewed that his first tragic flaw is pride. If King Lear had not been overwhelmed by pride, he would have recognized the false praises from Goneril and Regan.
Pride leads to his second tr…