Are Lear and Cordelia Tragic Hero and Heroine in William Shakespeare s King Lear?

It has been made obvious that Lear is an aged man and a fool with personal defects and weaknesses all throughout the play. Had he been wise enough all the characters involved in the action would not have confronted their tragic ends. It is true that Lear has failed to deal with the situation in which he has not been humoured by his dearest daughter, and consequently his pride and arrogance have been injured especially in the presence of his entourage. He could treated the situation in a way other than the one he did, but he did not. That he behaved with Cordelia and his other two daughters in the way he did has been the outcome of what his personality has imposed upon him. It is also true that Cordelia shares her father the defects that lead them to their tragic death. Cordelia s refusal to humour Lear and to satisfy his appetite for flattery contributes to their tragedy.