King Lear

MAJOR ESSAY #2 (REFLECTION ESSAY: KING LEAR)

CHOOSE ONE OF THE QUESTIONS BELOW REGARDING SHAKESPEARE’S KING LEARAND WRITE A THREE TO FOUR PAGE REFLECTION ESSAY (700-1000 WORDS).  YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO USE SECONDARY SOURCES, HOWEVER YOU MUST QUOTE, PARAPHRASE, AND SUMMARIZE FROM THE TEXT IN MLA STYLE TO SUPPORT YOUR POINTS.

1) Investigate the theme of blindness and sight, both literal and metaphorical, in  King Lear . Identify at 
least three exchanges or passages in the play that address the theme, and discuss their significance.

2) Discuss madness in  King Lear . Give specific examples of what contributes to Lear’s madness, and 
describe the role that allusions to madness and the pretense of madness have in the play. 

3) Consider the role of gender in the play. Which female characters show defiance of patriarchal
power, and how are they rewarded or punished for it? What is Lear’s view of female sexuality? .

 4) Describe Lear’s opinion during the raging storm on the heath about the world’s “poor, naked 
wretches” and the mad beggar character of poor Tom. How does this view contrast with what Lear 
appears to value at the start of the play? What does it say about the play’s theme of appearance versus reality?