... on, the play never seeks to show his resolution or redemption, but instead tracks his suffering, which Mark Van Doren described icily as "glacial, inexorable, awful and slow." Harold Bloom notes that Lear must be seen as "paradigm for greatness - at once father, king and a kind of mortal god," to understand his disempowerment under Goneril and Regan. At their hands, his ... surroundings, with all the grace of a child. This kind of suffering could lead to suicide, and it would have, except Gloucester was blind and couldn't see that there was no cliff to throw himself off of. His enemies ...

• Word Count: 1506
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School