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Message of the story king lear
Symbolism in king lear
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When one examines the words “pride” and “self-respect”, it is possible one may assume that the two are identical in meaning. That the words go hand in hand like butter and bread. For quite some time I was pondering on the meaning of the two words “pride” and “self-respect”. The more consideration I put into the two the deeper I was in a maze of confusion. After a long thought on the subject I had come to my own conclusion. The difference between “pride” and “self-respect” is not in class as many believe but in quantity. While the word “proud” may be perceived as arrogant or conceited, “self respect” does the modification of the person under discussion. Self-respect can be thus referred to as the sophisticated form of one’s ego or pride. A person with self-respect is not necessarily egoistic as he or she may lead you to believe but is full of assertiveness, confidence and self-efficacy. One who carries pride is an illusion of superiority. Self-respect can be classified as the “dignity” of a person. One with self-respect would not show inferiority but at times of need would seek help and his ego would not be a barrier to doing so. When we say pride and self-respect have a fine line of differentiation then I mean, if pride is honorable, then it is not pride but self-respect. It does not ruin the person, if stays within the ego. If pride exits without the feeling of superiority or if pride allows respect towards the other person’s self respect then pride is allowing the person to be open to new things. Therefore pride is not pride actually but it is self-respect. In Shakespeare's “King Lear”, the tragic hero is brought down, like all tragic heroes, by one fatal flaw; in this case it is pride, as well as foolishness. It is the King's arrogant demand for absolute love and, what's more, protestations of such from the daughter who truly loves him the most, that sets the stage for his downfall. Cordelia, can be seen as Lear’s one true love, and her love and loyalty go not only beyond that of her sisters but beyond words, thus enraging the proud King Lear whose response is: "Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her". Here, Lear's pride is emphasized as he indulges in the common trend of despising in others what one is most embarrassed of oneself.
Pride frequently has terrible results. For example, as a result of Brothers pride, he left Doodle in the storm. Brother did this because he is angry that Doodle failed, and that his dream of having an “ordinary brother” is over. Doodle realizes that he failed his brother, and feels useless. In addition, after being left in the downpour, Doodle dies. At the point when Brother discovers Doodle dead, he thinks it’s his fault that Doodle dies because he pushed him too hard. After this happens, their family feels like they should’ve been more protective and love Doodle more. In conclusion, while pride can have devastating effects, it can also result in fulfillment.
People should take pride in what they have accomplished. Achilles, the hero of the Iliad, was greatly revered by the ancient Greeks for his ability as a great warrior. He had great pride in his accomplishments and viewed himself superior to others, and the people praised him for it. Many people in today’s society would label him as arrogant, but in fact he should be praised for having pride for what he has done because he has superior ability. Likewise, in the Old English epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf defeats enemies that other man had never succeeded at doing. He would boast of what he had done to others, but unlike most people who boast, Beowulf had done what others had never done before. In recent days, praises people greatly for their accomplishments because they are impaired in some way. For example, society praises Stephen Hawking, who takes pride in his work in theoretical physics, much greater than Jason Lezak, who has pride in winning the 4x100 relay at t...
Many people take much pride in numerous things some being: their job, family, political views, even as much as in their favorite sport. People make mistakes big and small, but it is how one deals with the situation and the mistake, that shows the morality in a person, and shows who he or she may be. “The only crime is pride,” Sophocles, is still held to be true; for instance, pride itself can cloud a persons’ mind and caused him or her to commit the crimes he or she did. Pride is thought to be a good thing but in many cases it is proven otherwise. Even though there is some truth in “the only crime is pride” the crimes/mistakes caused by pride are not forgivable, and “yielding” does not help at all; pride is not just to prove oneself right, but also not to look “weak” in the eyes of others.
When one thinks of pride, one would rarely think of a modest person who devotes much of their time to volunteering and philanthropy. Typically, one would think of an arrogant politician or movie star, someone so self-absorbed that they almost entirely ignore the needs of those around them. However, even the humblest acts of virtue can arise from pride as well. Time and time again we hear the story of Icarus, the boy who became entranced with his own pride and flew too close to the sun. However, there is another story of pride we hear less often, the person who takes pride in their own humility. Rather than take pride in typical things such as wealth, prestige, or even appearance, these people take pride in their modesty and virtue. In this
When considering the connotation of pride and whether it is a good or bad characteristic it is important to consider the definition applied. Pride, according to the Oxford Press Dictionary, is defined as “a feeling of pleasure or satisfaction that you get when you or people who are connected with you have done something well or own something that other people admire.” While this definition does not insinuate a faulty or sinful perception, and a healthy measure of pride is acceptable, there is a line of demarcation that cannot be crossed. Pride has become a customary and unquestioned value that has been ingrained in culture because society the structure and precepts of God have been removed from the worldview. Pride has evolved beyond a beneficial characteristic and, for some, has morphed from an acceptable satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, to an unreasonable desire or love of one 's own excellence.
When it comes to pride, when do we know that we have too much? A perfect example of having too much pride lies in the Greek tragedy, Antigone. In my opinion, it is the perfect example because the main character, Creon, is dealing with all the things that are happening because of Antigone’s decision to go against his law and many people are telling him that he is wrong, but he is too confident in his own choice that nothing bad will happen.
What is the effect of having too much pride? Can different forms of pride such as familial and social have different consequences? Pride is usually considered to be a positive aspect in one’s life, but too much of it can have adverse results. By observing today’s society, as well as Shakespearean society, it is clear that too much pride in any form can inhibit the ability to accept differences in people and oneself.
In King Lear, Shakespeare portrays a society whose emphasis on social class results in a strict social hierarchy fueled by the unceasing desire to improve one’s social status. It is this desire for improved social status that led to the unintentional deterioration of the social hierarchy in King Lear. This desire becomes so great that Edmund, Goneril, Reagan and Cornwall were willing to act contrary to the authority of the social hierarchy for the betterment of their own position within it. As the plot unfolds, the actions of the aforementioned characters get progressively more desperate and destructive as they realize their lack of success in attaining their personal goals. The goals vary, however the selfish motivation does not. With Edmund, Goneril, Reagan and Cornwall as examples, Shakespeare portrays the social hierarchy as a self-defeating system because it fosters desires in its members that motivate them to act against the authority of the hierarchy to benefit themselves. A consideration of each characters actions in chronological order and the reasons behind such actions reveals a common theme among the goals for which morality is abandoned.
Even though pride can be a good thing at times, it is hurtful, it is an emotion that can make or break someone.
Webster defines pride as a “proud behavior or treatment; insolence; arrogance; distain” (Webster’s, 1939). Being proud is acceptable, even good, to a certain extent. Having pride in the way you look, your handwriting, or something you take seriously. People take pride in the little things that are personal and loved individually. Being a little prideful can lead to confidence; however people often mistake arrogance (an exaggerated pride) for confidence. Prideful people seek to prove their superiority in every aspect of their lives Roth provides the reader with a vivid illustration of this exaggerated pride. The initiates in her novel are supplied with multiple opportunities to st...
Absolute in every child’s mind is the belief that they are right, despite all the evidence to the contrary. Until children grow up to raise children own their own, a parent’s disputation only inflates that desire to prove. Part and parcel to this, as one may find out through personal experience or by extension, cruelty towards parents is a reflection of a child’s own inadequacy (whether in large or small scale). In this sense, King Lear is a story of children with a desire to break past their hierarchal status. Whether it is the belief that a woman shall take a husband, and with that guard her inherited land, or what role bastards truly deserves in a society that preemptively condemns them. Cruelty at the hands of children accounts for almost
In 1297AD, pride was described as “A consciousness or feeling of what is befitting or due to oneself or one's position, which prevents a person from doing what he considers to be beneath him or unworthy of him; esp. as a good quality, legitimate, ‘honest’, or ‘proper pride’, self-respect; also as a mistaken or misapplied feeling, ‘false pride’” (OED 4). This type of pride is personal pride and the image a person must maintain to keep it. A person cannot allow them self to act in such a way that would be demeaning. An example of this would be a drill sergeant getting down with his recruits and performing the same demeaning drills as they are. The sergeant’s years of hard work and service would not be taken seriously if he were to lower himself to the level of their recruits therefore lowering his sense of pride.
In the Tripartite Model there are three processes to develop self-esteem: being, becoming and acquiring (Weiss 22). In the being stage, the individual is taught to see themselves as an essence of the universe, part of humanity or an aspect of nature. The self-esteem arrived at through the ‘being’ stage is innate to humankind. The individual is taught the value of existence as they build self-esteem based upon their sense of being and living in the world (Weiss 22). The second stage, becoming, focuses on the development of qualities that are intrinsic to the individual and relates primarily to the development of one’s inner core (Weiss 22). The individual is taught to value themselves based upon their unique qualities and abilities. In the final stage, acquiring, the individual learns to value all of the other features that contribute to their self-esteem such as skills, accomplishments, positions, worldly goods, and appearance. The Tripartite Model seeks to build a full and complex sense of self-esteem for the individual as the model focuses on teaching the individual to have a more balanced self-esteem that is not solely based on their skills and
An individual can be motivated in so many ways, at times it can help the person in a positive way and sometimes it can be negative. One of the most important topics of motivations comes within us and involves our self-esteem. It reflects emotions and the way people seem themselves. Self-esteem is the mirror of one’s soul, what moves people as individuals and might allow them to proceed and better themselves. Another way to help with motivation is to seek professional help, talk to others and make the necessary changes to feel accepted.
“Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man… It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest.” (C.S. Lewis). You could say this quote is profusely precise because while it may be true that pride gives an encouraging feeling of confidence, this self-assurance is generated by your impression of superiority. When this feeling is exaggerated, it leads to arrogance and excessive pomposity, which can cause an individual to experience humility once they recognize they are not as superior as they imagined.