this is uploaded to fulfill the final examination of I-Learning for Literature 2018.

1. Tragic Hero in William
Shakespeare’s King Lear
Luvila Al Fitra

2. Abstract
In this writing, the writer would like to analyze the characterization of the tragic hero,
King Lear from the play King Lear by William Shakespeare. The purpose of this
writing is to understand what makes King Lear as the tragic hero through his
characterization. This play talked a lot about loyalty and betrayal, so does about love
and hate. It would use the theory of close viewing and Aristotle's tragic hero in order to
analyze the play. This analysis is made in the hope for the readers to get more
awareness about themselves.
Keywords: Shakespeare, King Lear, Characterization

3. Biography
William Shakespeare (baptized on April
26, 1654 to April 23, 1616) was an English
playwright, actor, and poet also known as
the "Bard of Avon" and often called
England's national poet. Born in Stratford-
upon-Avon, England, he was an important
member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men
company of theatrical players from
roughly 1594 onward. He wrote 37 plays
in total. William Shakespeare died on
April 23, 1616.

5. Summary
King Lear, the King of Britain decided to retire and split his kingdom to three and each
part will be given to his daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. Before that, he
wanted each of his daughters proved their love to him. He was amazed by both
Goneril and Regan sweet talk and disown Cordelia because he thought that she did
not love him enough. Cordelia then married the King of France and moved with him.
Later on, Goneril and Regan both treated him badly and with the ongoing war, it was
Cordelia who saved him in the end but ended up losing her life. Lear died too in the
end because he could not handle his grieve over Cordelia's death.

6. Discussion
There are some of characterization of King Lear that made him being viewed as the
tragic hero, a hero who met an unfortunate event because of their fatal flaw. Based on
the steps of Aristotle's tragic hero, here is King Lear:

7. Discussion
1. Pre-eminence
This is the background of the tragic hero themselves. They usually maintained a high social status which in this
case is that Lear is the King of Britain.
2. Tragic Flaw
Tragic flaw or fatal flaw is the personal traits of the characters that bring them down to their fall. King Lear was
naive, having a hard times accepting reality, arrogant and too easy to believe in what he wanted to believe. He
believed Regan and Goneril's lie when their promises flutter him and out of his arrogance, he banished Cordelia
who cannot express her love for him in words although she is the only daughter who truly cared about him.
When he finally realized that Goneril and Regan has mistreated him and betrayed him, he ran to the wild to
escape his sadness and told his fool to entertain him. It was these flaw that brought him to his own fall.

8. Discussion
3. Downfall (Hamartia)
It is when Cordelia left for France after he banished him and he realized that Goneril and Regan did not love
him in the way they said they are. The momentum of this was when Goneril and Regan kicked him out of the
castle that eventually leads to the unfortunate event that occured to him following his downfall.
4. Gaining of insight (Agnorisis)
This happened when King Lear realized that Goneril and Regan have mistreated and betrayed him in which he
later met with his daughter, Cordelia again and realized that she was the one who truly loved him. Despite
about to attack England with his husband's army, Cordelia still saved Lear.

9. Discussion
5. Rise (Catharsis)
This is when he cherished Cordelia and admitted his mistake for banishing her. In this moment, Lear found his
happy place again with Cordelia but somehow that did not last long because they were both captured and
Cordelia ended up being hung and dead. It left Lear in a grieving situation when he eventually died because he
could not take the sadness anymore.

10. Conclusion
Lear was not necessarily a bad character, he was a protagonist one indeed but because of his tragic flaw, he later
brought his own downfall. What he did was out of his love for his daughters but somehow what he got in return
was so much worse. Cordelia's death was the end of the string that kept him alive. He did not get much of
character development but he did admitted that he was wrong for banishing Cordelia.