king lear

In what way shall we judge the growth of a man’s understanding of humanity, and ability to be virtuous within that understanding? Can we attain this quality of being virtuous even after having made a substantial mistake? True remorse for our mistakes is what makes us good people, not flawless avoidance of making mistakes. Shakespeare’s King Lear shows us the astounding growth of an individual. The King is at first blinded by self importance. It is only through great mistakes on his part that his station is reduced enough that he may learn humility.
It is important that we note that in the beginning of the play, during the “love test”, the King asks not who loves him most; but “…which of you shall we say doth love us most?” (I.i.53) We should also remember that in judging their answers he did not consider who he knew to love him most, but whose answer was most pleasing. This mistake, as we have seen, costs him his kingdom, his family, his position of power �...