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Satire In King Lear Essay

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King Lear is one of Shakespeare 's several Tragedies, however this tragedy has come across an unanswered question. Is King Lear a satire or just a infrequent coincidence? Satire is the use of irony, sarcasm, or humor to criticize the ignorance of a person. A variety of readers have debated on whether their was or was not satire towards King James VI. Throughout my research, I intend to have enough evidence to determine what was Shakespeare 's purpose in King Lear. Throughout King Lear the readers notice how Shakespeare shows satire towards King James VI. Readers and Scholars see this tragedy as satire by the way Shakespeare’s plot relates to King James VI attitude in the real world and his life. For instance, in King Lear the most obvious parallel between James …show more content…

King James and King Lear both believed they were Gods and they had the right to critique others, “make and unmake their subjects”(I, James Vi And. "A Speech to the Lords and Commons of the Parliament at White-Hall." A Speech to the Lords and Commons of the Parliament at White-Hall (n.d.): 1-3. Web. 9 Feb. 2016.), and to kill those who disobeyed them and disrespected them. In the Parliament James states: “Now a father may dispose of his inheritance to his children at his pleasure: yea, even disinherit the eldest upon occasions, and prefer the youngest, according to his liking;”. (I, James Vi And. "A Speech to the Lords and Commons of the Parliament at White-Hall." A Speech to the Lords and Commons of the Parliament at White-Hall (n.d.): 1-3. Web. 9 Feb. 2016.). He is saying he has the right to chose who gets most or none of his inheritance by how they treat him or show him their love. That sounds similar to what Lear thought and said in the tragedy. Lear says to his daughters: “Which of you shall we say doth love us most, That we our largest bounty may extend where nature doth with merit challenge?” (Act 1, Scene 1,

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