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Theme Of Subplot In King Lear

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Plot is the scheme, plan or the main story of a literary work while subplot is subordinate to the main plot. In King Lear, the subplot of Gloucester parallels the major plot of Lear. Subplot, actually, proves the point Shakespeare is trying to make in his main plot. Gloucester’s plot is the reflection of the main plot since it mirrors most of the incidents which are quite similar in the case of Lear. In the play, two elderly characters, Lear and Gloucester suffer the most. Their stories are similar in many ways. However Lear slowly goes mad and Gloucester is blinded but remains in his senses. The main plot and the subplot are both parallel throughout the play. May be the conditions and places are not same but the results and happenings have closer similarity to each other. Both characters commit deadly mistakes in the beginning and their sufferings start because of blindness to their immediate surroundings and absence of foresight in their characters. But after losing their power and authority both seem to be able to perceive certain things with more wit than before. Lear realizes this only as he begins to go mad that Cordelia loves him truly and that Goneril and Regan were just disloyal flatterers. Similarly, Gloucester comes to understand that which of his son is good and which is bad at the moment …show more content…

Shakespeare wants to show us that there is no authority to prevent betrayal as in the case of Edgar and Cordelia. King Lear betrays his daughter Cordelia by misunderstanding her intentions while his other daughters betray him by turning against him. On the other hand, Gloucester misjudges Edgar and he himself is betrayed by Edmund. Another theme in the play is reconciliation. Edger and Cordelia never ask for apology from their parents and both come to save them as Cordelia arrives with French army to save her father and she showers her true love over her father, so does

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