The
paper compares the characters of King Lear and the Earl of Gloucester and their
treatment of their children, and demonstrates that one of the
play's themes is "
knowledge is power" by showing how
ignorance leads to powerlessness for the two men. The paper briefly discusses Shakespeare's treatment of
nature and the animal world, then focuses on
motherhood. In conclusion, the writer finds that the play is so meaningful that it is impossible to grasp it all in a single reading, which may be a measure of its greatness.