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Discuss the theme of self knowledge in King Lear.

Self knowledge is the corner stone of the play “King Lear’’, as it is the protagonists inability to ‘know thyself’ and be aware of their surroundings, which shape the course of the play. “King Lear� exposes us to a universal and timeless tragedy, where all natural ties are broken between fathers and their offspring, roles are reversed and characters are misled and betrayed.

“Does any here know me?………Who is it that can tell me who I am?�

It is these phrases which indirectly echo throughout the play, as characters are revealed to have either a lack of self knowledge or knowledge of themselves. Protagonists such as King Lear and Gloucester are at first blissfully unaware of all that is going on around them and therefore lack self knowledge. Whilst the lack of self knowledge amongst the Machiavellian characters of the tragedy; Goneril, Regan and Edmund, lead to their scheming......

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Approximate Word Count: 343
Approximate Pages: 2 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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