Reflection on King Lear

Out of the three great plays of Shakespeare: "Romeo and Juliet,""Macbeth,"and "King Lear," "King Lear" was the most complicated one. While reading "King Lear,' I had a hard time connecting and remembering all of the characters. I've figured out that the play is a tangle of two familes with two different stories-King Lear and Gloucester.

Personally, I think that King Lear is a pitiful and obtuse father. Why had he given land to his three daughters as if he was playing a game? It is like saying, "The one who describes to me how much they love me the best will receive the most land." It is just ridiculous.

Gloucester's son Edmund is a complete evil "genuis." Edmund had plotted against his brother Edgar and his father, which had led to a whole heap of trouble (Gloucester's eyes even get taken out!). I think it was outrageous that Gloucester had believed Edmund without thinking twice and had fallen into the trap. At the end, I think it was too nice of Edgar to forgive his father Gloucester.

I certainly believe that "King Lear" was very well-writtened, though its stories were all very pitiful. Shakespeare was definitely a genius. His plots were all very carefully thought and planned out. His plays are complicating, but marvelous with intricate details.

Reflection on Macbeth

The play of Macbeth is just about a cowardly king who desires power but fears to seize it from the others, such as Duncan. Although Macbeth is very scared to kill people, his wife Lady Macbeth always gives him the strength to do so. She is determined to have power. I believe that the three witches in the story helps build up the tension of the story. Because of the witches, Macbeth becomes frightened and is aware that other people may take his throne and that his own sons would not be the next heir to the throne. The play focuses on how Macbeth seeks to change that prediction from the witches but fails in the end.

"Romeo and Juliet" Reflection

The whole first part of the play was all very sudden. Every event passed swiftly, and Romeo and Juliet got married after only knowing each other for two days. The beginning of the play was extremely ironic. Although the play is called "Romeo and Juliet," Romeo had his eyes set on another woman named Rosaline. Romeo had definitely not been in love with Rosaline, though he believed he was. However, Romeo's love for Juliet was like "love at first sight." They are both willing to risk his/her own life for the other. This is, what I believe, true love. True love is when one is willing to sacrifice something that is important to him/herself for the goodness or benefit of the other.

The second part of "Romeo and Juliet" was a complete disaster. Because the message that Friar John was supposed to send to Romeo about Juliet's fake death was delayed, Romeo poisoned himself and died because he had thought Juliet had died. The play is a tragedy full of deaths. In the beginning, Mercutio and Tybalt had died while quarreling and fighting in the streets of Verona. Then, Romeo, Juliet, and Count Paris dies while in the tomb of the Capulets. On top of that, Romeo's mother had died from the sadness that Romeo had left the city. Six people die in this one play.

Many deaths had occured throughout the play of "Romeo and Juliet," all because of the Capulets and the Montagues hatred for each other. Although Prince Escalus was just a witness of the whole turmoil, he was deeply wretched when two members of his own family had died-Mercutio and Count Paris. All the devastation of the two families had brought peace between them, for both their loved ones had died due to their pitiful and ignominious hatreds for each other. The whole play is very ironic since peace had resulted from all the chaos and killings. Romeo and Juleit's love for each other had binded the Capulet and Montague familes together. Though the play is melancholic, a small piece of happiness was concluded. (Happy Ending?)

(Picture of Romeo and Juliet: Credits to Runescape, an online game :D)