Joe Mc Gee

Goneril, Regan, and Edmund, three characters of deceit and lies represent that of evil. Gloucester, Cordelia, and King Lear, three characters of good intent represent the good. The battle between these characters in the final seen of King Lear represents a battle of good versus evil. This seems to be a common occurring theme in all stands of life such as movies, plays, and even real world affairs (America vs. Terrorism). The war on terrorism places America in the role of “world police�? representing the “Good�?. In King Lear once the “good�? could see through the lies of evil, a battle of justice could present itself in which good could show its defying victory or evil.

Or so we would think. We feel that the disloyal Goneril, Regan, and Edmund deserve their deaths, but in the last scene when the audience expects some kind of justice, the good characters, Cordelia, King Lear and Gloucester also lie dead among that of evil. This could also play back to common day war in which we hear insurgents have died. The word insurgent creates a feeling of evil, thus deserving death. When we here an American soldier has died it creates a feeling a great sadness. Yet they die in the same field among each other. This brings up a theme that shows throughout the play and in real life affairs. Is there justice in the world? I would say that there is justice in the world and in the book. In the book I would say there is justice because good does defeat evil, even though good doesn’t get what they rightfully deserve.

King Lear reminds me of the movie “The Gladiator�? in which Maximus a loyal General to the late King of Rome, Marcus Aurelius, defends the King against his son’s betrayal and fights his way back to the top to defend the late King as a gladiator facing who else in the final battle, the son and murderer of Marcus Aurelius, Commodus. In this final act “evil�?, Commodus, dies with a final blow to the chest from Maximus. Just there after Maximus succumbs to his own fatal...