ENGLISH

King Lear and the Gods

By William R. Elton

Book information

Publisher
University Press of Kentucky
Year
1988
ISBN
9780813161303, 9780813116402
LCC
PR2819 -- .E4 1988eb
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
39 MB (40389968 bytes)
Edition
1
Pages
386\386
Time added
2023-08-29 05:45:51
-- 1564-1616 -- Religion. ; Christianity and liter-- 1564-1616. -- King Lear. ; Lear-- King of England (Legendary character) -- In litEnglish -- History and criticism. ; Religion in liShakespeareWilliam

Description

Many critics hold that Shakespeare's "King Lear" is primarily a drama of meaningful suffering and redemption within a just universe ruled by providential higher powers. William Elton's "King Lear and the Gods" challenges the validity of this widespread optimistic view. Testing the prevailing view against the play's acknowledged sources, and analyzing the functions of the double plot, the characters, and the play's implicit ironies, Elton concludes that this standard interpretation constitutes a serious misreading of the tragedy.

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