True Loyalty in Shakespeare’s King Lear

Deep in the heart of every man lurks the undoing of his own illusion. What might take an entire lifetime to accomplish can be undone in a matter of moments; and all that is held dear, all that defines one’s sense of self-importance, is shown to be the fragile thing it really is. In William Shakespeare’s Tragedy of King Lear we discover the delicate balance of one man’s station, and all it is dependent upon. The real tragedy of King Lear lies in wisdom gained too late. And here the great playwright illustrates, through one failed intention after another, that one must often lose the thing one holds most dear to learn what is truly valuable.
In the case of King Lear, his understanding of value is ill defined, and through several heart wrenching episodes he is forced to see the folly of misplaced trust. His raging tirades serve to alienate himself from the tentative and false endearment he maintains with his two daughters, Goneril and Regan. They are, of course, despicable in ...