As is evident in the work of most writers, Shakespeare’s...

As is evident in the work of most writers, Shakespeare’s writing was modified and developed over the course of his career. The most apparent change over time is his use of female characters within the tragedies. In King Lear, Goneril and Regan were created as unsympathetic female characters, essentially the antagonists of the plays. However, in Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is portrayed with many of the same characteristics of Goneril and Regan, yet is seen as a tragic character because she is later portrayed in a sympathetic light. As Goneril and Regan precede the creation of Lady Macbeth, comparing and contrasting their characteristics can then be used to identify Shakespeare’s evolution of the female roles within his plays. Generally, women†¦show more content†¦This is especially evident in Regan’s case. She must ride her sister’s coattails in all other matters due to the fact that she is the second born daughter. As the ‘extra’ child, per say, she must maintain her position in the good graces of their father by being the one who loves him â€Å"more than words can wield the matter† (1.1.53). Throughout the play it is made clear that Regan comes in second to Goneril in terms of both intelligence and cunning. Therefore she must make herself stand out in any way possible, even if that requires lying through her teeth. The sisters are a driving force in the attempt to remove Lear from his Kinghood as soon as possible. They seem to have very little good within their characters and, thus, no redeeming qualities to make them tragic figures. After the opening scene where both Cordelia and Kent are banished Regan states, â€Å"Such unconstant starts are we like to have from him as this of Kent’s banishment† to which Goneril replies â€Å"Pray you, let’s hit together: if our father carry authority with such dispositions as he bears this last surrender of his will but offend us† (1.1.298-303) . This recitation makes it clear that the sisters care nothing for their elderly father. They are aware of his lack of self-knowledge and rather than fear for how it will bring about his downfall they are more concerned with how his senility will affect them and theirs. What makes the sisters seemShow MoreRelatedAppropriation of Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare and Romeo+Juliet by Baz Luhrmann2533 Words   |  11 PagesJuliet’ by William Shakespeare and ‘Romeo+Juliet’ by Baz Luhrmann Texts and ideas from texts are appropriated and transformed into other text forms and other compositions in a different context. An appropriation is a text that is appropriated or taken over by another composer and presented in a new way. ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a well-known high culture text that is a tragedy about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. In the 1997 film, Baz Luhrmann has takenRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography: Plagiarism39529 Words   |  158 Pages44:  3 4. Plagiarize, Let no one elses work evade your eyes, Remember why the good Lord made your eyes, So dont shade your eyes, But plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize Only be sure always to call it please research. (Tom Lehrer ( HYPERLINK http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.fiu.edu/doi/10.1111/bjet.12008/full?globalMessage=0 l bjet12008-bib-0001#bjet12008-bib-0001 o Link to bibliographic citation 1953). Nicolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky) Most of the steps that we take to advance our