Tragic Literatures and What Caused Them

Tragedies
Student Name
Institutional Affiliation
Tragedies
Reading Macbeth, Othello, and King Lear in class was interesting. The three are prominent Jacobean tragedies by William Shakespeare with remarkable tragic protagonists. Aristotle held that one of the outstanding qualities of a tragic hero was the experience of the anagnorisis. The character eventually discovers his/her true identity. It is this self-awareness that that leads the character to discover their faults and perhaps repent their past evil actions. Of the three Shakespeare’s tragedies, King Lear is the most tragic because it leads to the death of all the main characters, who are members of the same family.
In King Lear, Lear is responsible for the tragedy that eventually affects him and his three daughters because of making a wrong succession decision. When Lear discovers that he is aging, he decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and, Cordelia. He demands that each daughter should declare their love for him. The child who professes the most love for him will inherit him (Shakespeare, 1915). Unknown to Lear, Regan and Goneril are corrupt and deceitful. The two lie to their father and make excessive declarations to him. Cordelia, however, does not engage in the game of the two sisters. Instead, Cordelia tells Lear that she loves him as a daughter. Despite the sincerity of the daughter, the king disowns her. King Lear divides his kingdom among the two daughters and reduces Cordelia into a beggar.
Additionally, Lear is arrogant and does not listen to advice. His arrogance makes him lose an important servant named Kent. The servant tries his best to convi...