Guiding Questions to Consider

• What key choices does Lear make at the beginning of the play that initiate his tragic downfall?
• To what degree are Goneril, Regan, and Edmund to blame for Lear's decline, and how does this affect your main argument?
• How does Lear's madness operate — is it simply a result of betrayal, or does it reveal deeper insights into his character?
• What does the play ultimately convey about the connection between power, identity, and self-awareness?

Requirements

• Craft a clear, defensible thesis statement
• Incorporate textual evidence (direct quotes and paraphrased content) with analysis
• Address a counterargument and either refute or complicate it
• Maintain a formal, analytical tone throughout

Write a well-organized essay in which you defend, challenge, or qualify this assertion. Use specific evidence from the text to analyze how Shakespeare portrays Lear's tragic journey—focusing on his decision to divide the kingdom, his relationships with his daughters, and his eventual descent into madness—to examine the repercussions of pride, blindness (both literal and metaphorical), and the collapse of power. Your essay should discuss at least two of the following literary elements: characterization, imagery, dramatic irony, or parallel plot structure (such as the Gloucester subplot).

Guiding Questions to Consider

• How does Lear's demand for public declarations of love reveal a deeper lack of self-awareness?
• In what ways does the Gloucester subplot reflect and deepen the play's central themes?
• How does the ending of the play complicate or reinforce any sense of justice or moral order?

Requirements

• Minimum 5 paragraphs (introduction, 3 body paragraphs, conclusion)
• Cite specific scenes, dialogue, and literary devices from the text
• Maintain a clear, arguable thesis in your introduction