Ms Cotter's Class

Before you begin an exploration of this theme, you should ask yourself the following questions:

• What is my personal understanding of justice?
• Which scenes best explore this theme?
• Which characters is the theme relevant to? Which characters deserve justice? Which characters need to be brought to justice? 
• What types of justice are explored in the play? 
• What impression am I left with of this theme at the close of the play? IN

A structured approach to this theme will help you to unravel its complexities in the play. Therefore, following the structure below will help you. All you have to do is look for the relevant quotation.

Tips: Your focus here should be on the word ‘justice’ but be aware that there are other words which could appear in a question on justice or it could be worded slightly differently. Synonyms and antonyms will help you here:

Synonyms/similar concepts and phrases:                        Antonyms:

Judicious                                                         Unjust

Fair/fairness                                                        Corrupt

Deserved                                                         Immoral

Legitimate                                                        Dishonourable 

Introduction:

-Mention that Shakespeare’s exploration of this theme is nuanced and complex and there is no clear resolution to it at the close of the play. 

-Mention the types of justice present in the play (personal/human, social and divine)

-The presence of judgements and trials in the play

-The characters to which the theme is relevant 

A useful quote to include in introduction from 3,2 ‘’tremble, thou wretch that hast within thee undivulged crimes unwhipped of justice…’- Lear 

Section 1: 

Begin the essay with a discussion of Lear, the love test and Cordelia- the incredible injustice done to both Cordelia and Kent- the irony of Lear wishing to retain ‘…the name, and all th’ additions to a king’ but being treated poorly (unfairly (?) ) by his remaining daughters. 

Cordelia travelling to France- seek justice 

Lear in the storm (Act 3, scene 2) ‘a man more sinned against than sinning’- he mourns the injustice done to him by his daughters and begins to acknowledge the wrong he has done Cordelia 

Mock trial of Goneril and Regan (Act 3, scene 6)- In the absence of legal justice, Lear holds his own version of a trial for his ‘pernicious’ daughters. 

Lear’s sense of personal justice allows him to gain an insight into social justice issues- he sees that he has not been fair to the poor and needy 

Section 2:

Goneril and Regan- Once given power, they become corrupt and cruel- Kent in the stocks, stripping Lear of his retinue, shutting him out in the storm, the gouging of Gloucester’s eyes-

Their view of justice is skewed. The Kingdom descends into chaos and disorder. 

Section 3:

Edmund is key to any discussion of justice- feels he deserves justice as he has been stripped of any power due to his illegitimacy- seeks divine justice ‘now Gods, stand up for bastards’

His pursuit of his own perception of justice results in him abandoning his humanity- has Edgar disinherited and banished without evidence or trial- betrays his father- just like G+R, his view of justice is skewed and results in him justifying cruel behaviour- 

Treatment of Gloucester is extreme- refer to the eye-gouging scene- one of the most unjust scenes in the play (remember Cornwall is killed also)- however, Edgar’s later comment ‘the God’s are just and of our pleasant vices make instruments to plague us, the dark and vicious place where thee he got has cost him his eyes’- refers to Gloucester’s sins and implies that the was punished for committing adultery 

Section 4:

End of the play and final interpretation of justice- Death of all ‘evil’ characters- fitting that R+G turned on each other- also fitting that it was Edgar who was afforded the chance to slay his brother- But this does not prevent the sympathetic characters from dying (Lear, Gloucester, possibly Kent) and worst of all, the virtuous Cordelia (Albany’s words ‘the God’s defend her’ are sadly ironic, as her lifeless body is then brought onto the stage in her father’s arms, showing us that there has been no divine intervention). It is therefore not entirely accurate to say that justice has been served. Revenge is not justice.