28th Annual Student Research Conference
Two Sides of the Same Story: An Exploration of King Lear's Two Families
Carolyn A. Ticktin
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor
Shakespeare's tragedy, King Lear, focuses on two families: King Lear and his three daughters, Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia, and Gloucester and his sons, the legitimate Edgar and the illegitimate Edmund. These two families, though seemingly different, share striking similarities. The children align as Goneril, Regan, and Edmund feed into their greed, using cunning deceit to get what they want, disadvantaging their fathers, while Cordelia and Edgar, the most loving of the children, are banished. Both aging patriarchs are faced with the difficult task of judging the true character of their children, and ultimately fail. This essay analyzes the parallels, as well as the differences, in these plots, showing how they illuminate the importance of love, greed, and judgment in King Lear.
Keywords: Shakespeare, King Lear
Topic(s):English
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 302-3
Location: VH 1010
Time: 1:30