Social Norms In Shakespeare's King Lear
Shakespeare has written many plays during his time, and all appear to have a certain re-occuring theme within them. During Shakespeare's time period, there was a very specific social norm held over certain areas within the society, these areas being: nobility, gender and various social statuses. Shakespeare often went against these social norms whilst writing his plays in a very “contrarian” manner. In regards to nobility, Shakespeare loved to create conflict between various households within his plays, or sometimes have a certain family of nobility become torn apart from the inside out (King Lear), all of which are usually sparked by a singular action produced by the main character.
The way Shakespeare approached gender is perhaps his most well known writing quality.
In the play King Lear, the story starts out with the socially accepted norm of male dominance. As the play progresses, King Lear slowly loses grip of his kingdom to his daughters, Goneril and Regan, both of which are females. Females of this time period, even those of nobility, are still expected to be ruled by men and aren't supposed to hold any true power over their reigning male counterpart. Shakespeare uses this disruption of power to draw the audience in by wandering off the linear path of “male superiorness”. Social statues within Shakespearean plays are often distorted, and the line between right and wrong becomes blurred as the main plot line begins to trail off of the linear path. Titles of nobility are often
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When Lear effectively disowns Cordelia and turns over reign of the land to his two daughters, Regan and Goneril. Lear has gone against the social norm by giving rule of the kingdom over to two females. Shakespeare incorporates this important turn of events and the tragedy that follows to show how placing a ruler of the opposite, less accepted sex into power, can have devastating effects on the
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