Imagery is used to develop the nature of women created by Shakespeare. Various imagery patterns are used to describe the evilness of Goneril and Regan. This especially becomes evident upon the betrayal of King Lear. Both daughters develop a scheme to refuse refuge of their father in their homes. King Lear pleads his case against Regan to Goneril in saying:

She hath abated me of half my train,

Looked black upon me, struck me with her tongue,

Most serpentlike, upon the very heart” (2.4 157-160).

King Lear compares his daughter’s attack with the sting of a snake wi

Into her scornfully eyes! Infect her beauty,

This quote tells us that Cordelia believes that love must be shown through an indirect fashion and comes with sacrifice, not through words alone. The audience is now made aware of the contrasting personalities of Lear’s daughters. Cordelia’s belief in indirect love shown through action is later proven in her conquest to restore order in Britain and sacrifices the French army to put the power back into Lear’s hands. This act is a true sign of how much she loves her father and it speaks louder than words. Unlike Cordelia, her sisters are unfaithful to their husbands and try to fool one another. The opposite personalities of the female characters have been established through their doings.

Shakespeare’s King Lear evidently displays his own view of woman, which is often contradictory to the realistic image of a woman. There are no well-balanced women in this play. The woman is either extremely evil or unbelievably angelic. Deviance has been established through the use of images. The actions show the contrast in the characters of the female characters. Shakespeare’s underlying vision of an ideal woman is contradictory to the roles of woman in the modern western world. It is also a play about male dominance and the inequality that must be present

The actions of the females add to the contrast in persona of the women in the play. Regan and Goneril’s actions create a deceitful image of a woman. On the other hand, it is evident that Cordelia is rep

Some topics in this essay:
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