When Tragedy Strikes (Term Paper Sample)

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Literature: When Tragedy Strikes
Tragedy in literature refers to a series of unfortunate events that happen to literary characters of a story. The characters have to undergo several misfortunes which result in a disaster of epic proportions. Most tragedies are characterized by happy moments, problem introduction, and when the problems move to a dilemma or critical stage. The characters of the story are often faced with many challenges and problems that they seem not to have control over or prevent from happening. As a result, most literature tragedies end up in grave or catastrophic scenes where human suffering evokes the emotions of its audience through an accompanying catharsis and pleasure in viewing the unfolding. In some cases, the characters emerge with changed personalities and character traits that were absent when the literature materials began. Having this in mind, this paper brings discusses the situations that revolve around some tragic events, settings and performances in some literature materials. The points of reference emanate from King Lear, Bartleby, Heart of Darkness and the film God on Trial as literature materials.
King Lear
The King Lear story had existed four centuries before William Shakespeare recorded his vision concerning the same story. It is about a British king, Lear, together with his three daughters who he wanted to split his kingdom to them. He had no heir and dividing the kingdom to the three daughters, Cordelia, Regan, and Goneril, seemed okay as he could remove any chance of political and family conflicts.
There were other versions of King Lear that had been written by other writers highlighting the same themes, expanding on some facts and bringing the love for theater to test. However, there were very limited if any, that matched the level of writing that Shakespeare’s version showed. As a result, King Lear play of Shakespeare is widely known and referred as the true version of the story negating and overruling others that were available at that time. It is believed that King Lear lived many years even before the birth of Jesus Christ, allowing Shakespeare to set his play in a Pagan Setting. The story has many twists and turns which are marred by tragic events towards the protagonist, King Lear. They cause a change in the personality and character of the king unlike how he seemed when the play begins.
King Lear begins as a very powerful ruler who reigned in pre-Christian Britain. Although advanced in years, his impact on ruling approaches and leadership is felt all over Britain. At the beginning of the story, Lear seems wise by having the interest of his kingdom at heart. He thinks that he can hand over smoothly to his children and relax from active politics. He wants to enjoy the power that comes with delegation even without having any responsibility. Little did he know that thinking in that way was the first step towards making a mistake.
Secondly, even after dividing the kingdom to his daughters, he could not separate power from responsibility. He gets mad when his two eldest daughters become independent in running their given kingdoms. The daughters are mad at their father for acting as though he was still in charge, yet he had chosen to retire out of free will. As the play progresses, Lear exiles the people who love him the most by embracing the “love test” challenge. When one of his daughters, Cordelia, refuses to participate in the challenge that would see the favorite daughter go with the largest share of the kingdom, she is ordered out of Lear’s Kingdom. Not only does he orders his own daughter out of the kingdom but also a concerned advisor who tries to make him know that he has erred.
Later, Lear realizes of his stupidity when it is too late to make drastic changes and measures to correct his mistake. He ends up becoming remorseful, resentful and depressed towards the end of the story. His guilt wears him down since his retirements begin with conflicts which lead to civil war among the people he once led with unity and great governance. The tragic event occurs when two of his most loved children betray and turn against him. The daughter he sent away for “not loving him much” could have helped were it not that she had been chased away. It dawned on him hard making him mad as he wanders in the stormy weather shouting due to the agony.
There is an increased moral and spiritual development in Lear’s character. He relies on spiritual intervention to makes things work for him as he is helpless and without means. His strong belief and hopes work in his favor when he reunites with his daughter Cordelia. Cordelia admits that he does not hate her father even after he sent her away and disowned her. However, their union is short-lived as they are both captured by Goneril’s army where Edmund seeks to order their secret execution. A series of deaths follows while Lear is in prison involving Regan, Gloucester, Goneril, Edmund and Cordelia all under consequential events that necessitated murder or suicide.
The tragic event begs a deeper understanding of Lear as the heart of the play. He is not in any way better after going through the tragic event, a factor that reveals him as an experiment in identity loss. In fact, he comes out more unstable and frail than the powerful and important king who was feared and respected under his reign when the pay begins. His identity is taken away, and everything else is stripped from him including his family, social position.
The comparison between Lear’s death scenes, as played by Ian McKellen in the 2008 version of King Lear and Peter Brook's film adaptation of 1971, differs in great details. The producer and director of 2008 version have transformed the understanding of how their viewers perceive actors. The use of a more engaging and realistic tone, mood and emphasis informs the viewer more than the 1971 version. The 2008 version is easy to follow through, relate and get the disseminated information surrounding the scene. On the other hand, the 1971 version has a deeper use of old English that the 2008. It makes it had to capture the emotion easily, mood and emphasis on the scene in how Lear ends up dead. The comparison of the two brings out various angular positions that alter the level of understanding of the final moments of the cast and that of Lear. It gives emphasis on how one captures the emotions, the mood, emphasis and tone in achieving that purpose.
Bartleby
Bartleby is essentially about the education of the lawyer. The book is a tale about the relationship between the Bartleby the Scrivener and his employer, the lawyer narrator. The story unfolds within the lawyers office premises. The premises are defined by a folding panel, and a wooden screen that separates Bartleby from his employer, the lawyer. The folding panel has panes of ground glass, and it separates Bartleby and the lawyer from Nipper, Turkey, and Gingernut, the other characters found in this story. The lawyer narrator notes that their names were nicknames which were mutually conferred to each other by three clerks deemed expressive of their respective persons or characters”. Bartleby begins his working days as a most hardworking scrivener (law-copyist). The lawyer says that he was extraordinary in writing, and his skills were unmatched to any other person. He was capable of evoking emotions and allowing connection with his readers as he was cheerful, wrote silently, palely and mechanically.
However, this silent, melancholic, but sturdy work ethic does not last. On the third day, the lawyer requests Bartleby “to examine a small paper”. However, Bartleby in a “singular mild, firm voice”, replied that he “prefer not to”. The lawyer gets angry and insistent at first. However, Bartleby simply repeats that he” prefers not to” with “not a wrinkle of agitation”. He simply remained unmoved and kept on doing his writing with almost inhuman nonchalance to the request. So much, so that the lawyer, instead of violently ejecting him from the offices, he simply returned to his job.
Bartleby soon reduced his workload by extending his “preferences’ to such a level that he ceased to do any work at all in the office. In addition, Bartleby, soon begins to reside in the offices instead of leaving after work like normal employees. The lawyer discovers this by finding one of the keys to his premises on Bartleby’s desk, a key he had previously been unaware of its whereabouts. Bartleby spends his days in the office in idle contemplation as the rest of the scriveners and the lawyer work. To avoid losing his business, the lawyer changes his premises and moves to another office. However, Bartleby remains in his former law offices in his idle stupor. The new tenants cannot stand him, and he does not even speak to them nor even offer his name. Due to this trespassing and his abnormal behavior, Bartleby is sent to prison where he boycotts meals. Eventually, the lawyer visits Bartleby in prison and finds him dead due to starvation.
Bartleby changes the lawyer’s philosophy of life. The immovable, resolute, and steely way that Bartleby seems to obey his “preferences” with complete disregard for all external factors or people. He was only cared about when there is a measure of solitude in every individual even when they are in a community. He prefers not to work. Not to eat, not to walk, not to make friends, and simply to remain in his shell of melancholic contemplation. The lawyer pities him. For instance, he represses his aggressive instincts to evict him simply. Instead tolerates and pities him. In the end, the lawyer discovers that Bartleby had previously worked at the dead letter office in Washington as a subordinate clerk. To h...