King Lear is a Christian Play About a Pagan World Essay examples -- Wi

King Lear is a Christian Play About a Pagan World It is evident that King Lear contains references to both the Christian and Pagan doctrine. However, they seem to be expressed in entirely different styles. King Lear is purposefully set in a pre Christian era with numerous references to classical Gods but conversely there appears to be a striking resonance of Christian theology throughout the play. These echoes appear in various forms including the idea of Edgar being a Christ-like figure and also the presence of a supposed divine justice. Therefore there is truth in the view that although King Lear has a pagan setting, its significance is ultimately relating to Christianity. Perhaps the most obvious way in which Shakespeare creates the pagan setting is through the specific mentions of non-Christian gods. When looking at the first scene it is apparent Shakespeare has deliberately seasoned it with pagan references, an example being Lear's response to Cordelia's unwillingness to speak, 'by the sacred radiance of the sun, The mysteries of Hecate and the night'. Shortly after this, Lear's rage is aimed at Kent for his defence of the king's supposedly wicked daughter, when he swears, 'by Apollo' and 'by Jupiter'. Another instance that shows Lear appealing to deities rather than the Christian belief of a singular being occurs during his exposure to the storm on the heath, 'Let the great Gods, That keep this dreadful pudder o'er our heads, Find out their enemies now.' All these quotes therefore demonstrate that King Lear is deliberately set in a pre-Christian era. However, this is not conclusive evidence that... ...ester's attempted suicide and the implication of Kent's without arousing shock and disapproval from the paying audience, as it was believed that such behaviour prevailed in this 'unnatural' era. In conclusion, the view that King Lear is 'a Christian play about a pagan world' is entirely plausible. The characters openly speak to and appeal to non-Christian gods and they doubt divine justice, suggesting that, 'They kill us for their sport.' This therefore creates a pagan setting for the play. However, there are definite Christian ideas running throughout the play which manifest themselves mainly in Edgar and Lear. Therefore, there is an inclination to agree with J C Maxwell, as despite the setting of the King Lear being Christian, its morals and concepts of atonement and redemption, lean towards Christian theology.