courtlynn

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Personal Responsibility versus Social Responsibility in King Lear

Analysis of King Lear that focuses on Lear's downfall and what is the morally correct course of action. In other words, do the characters of King Lear owe Lear help out of his situation or is he personally responsible for pulling himself out of the problem? In what ways must people take control of their own lives and destiny? In what ways do the people in the society owe fellow human beings help out of unjust and/or dangerous situations?

I'm assuming this is in regards to Cordelia's banishment - it should be noted that Lear is older and mentally fragile. It is also common in Shakespearean tragedy to have an event where it inevitably ends without resolution if not more suffering, meaning that taking responsibility or being assisted will come to the same or similar conclsion. Speaking about character responsibility seems hard to do when the character in question is unstable. There might be a better way to rephrase this question so that it is more fitting but Lear is basically unable to take responsibility of his life, actions, or destiny. – Connor 9 years ago
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I am speaking more about the Fool and Kent, both of these characters know Lear is losing his sanity and both know that he is leading himself to his own destruction. They both say that Cordelia's banishment is the best thing to happen to her, but they both stay by Lear's side until the end or their death. It is the idea that they are responsible for Lear rather than Lear responsible for himself. – courtlynn 9 years ago
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So are you asking why Kent and the Fool remain by Lear's side and why do they feel entitled to help him even though he is no longer king, especially Kent being banished for giving his opinion on Cordelia? The responsibility predicament seems more complex in that the situation is unique and has to be addressed as such I think. Maybe be a bit more concise in the topic? Not to mention this could be expanded beyond Lear if not specified to characters such as Edgar/Poor Tom who do not have a sense of control over their situations. – Connor 9 years ago
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Nov 3, 2015 courtlynn I feel that it is important to realize that the Post-Modern era is considered, by many scholars, to have ended approximately in the year 2000. Furthermore, Post-Modern era novels are characterized by radical changes to form and narration. Neil Gaiman’s fantasies, while spanning around the end of the Post-Modern era and the beginning of the new era of literature, tend to be less stream-of-consciousness and more first-person narrator. I would argue that the fantasy literature of Neil Gaiman and Stephen King are typical of a new style of writing and literature for the 21st century.	Neil Gaiman and Stephen King: The Power of Realism in Postmodern Fantasy
Nov 3, 2015 courtlynn I enjoyed your point about implied rules of the supermarket. It is always interesting to study implied societal constructs. For example, in elevators there is an unspoken agreement that dictates who stands where: one person by the buttons, one person in the back-right corner, one person in the back-left corner, one person in the middle of the back row, and so on. These are rules we do not teach our children, but rather rules that are learned through observance in a culture that rarely deviates from the norm.	Tears Spilled in Aisle Six: The Supermarket as a Conformist Hell
Nov 3, 2015 courtlynn There is a difference between the novel and “high literature.” In other words, it is one thing to read Fifty Shades of Grey and another to read The Sun Also Rises. I am not saying that one is necessarily better than the other, but those who are academia will be more interested in The Sun Also Rises while those reading for simple pleasure would-most likely-be more interested in Fifty Shades of Grey. I believe, when looking at literature, there are plenty modern-day novels that can and eventually will be placed in this category: The Song of Ice and Fire by George Martin, The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, Neverwhere and other novels by Neil Gaiman, and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.	Is the Novel Dead?
Nov 3, 2015 courtlynn I am very glad that you mentioned the resurrection of darker and deeper themes in contemporary animation. I recently saw Inside Out, and–at the age of twenty–it gave me a lot to think about. I know that my two nephews do not consciously seem aware of the themes within the movie, but, as an adult, Inside Out reminded me of my childhood while showing the difficulties of growing up without trivializing the process. I believe another good example of animation with more mature themes would be Up.	Should Children's Films be Dark or Light?