“Character is destiny” is a dominant theme that often appears in Shakespearean tragedy. In the play, King Lear this concept is portrayed through the characters of King Lear, Gloucester, and Edmund. The characteristics and the roles that each of the characters have within the society of the play determine the treatment that they receive from other characters as well as their destiny. In the play, Lear demonstrates various characteristics that can be classified as his …showed first 75 words of 1571 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1571 total…Gloucester, and Edmund. The three characters had characteristics that determined how other characters treated them and how they reacted to events in the play. Both King Lear and Gloucester had soft hearted and credulous characteristics. These characteristics allowed their ungrateful children to plan against them. Therefore, their deaths were a result of the tragic flaws in their character. Furthermore, as in other Shakespearean tragedies, Edmund’s destiny occurs as a result of his villain character.