King Lear :: essays papers

King LearIn William Shakespeares classic play, King Lear, the title character gives a memorable speech that brings to light the effect of wealth on the way people perceive mistakes. When you were a kid and you did something wrong your mother or your father probably told you, well every cardinal makes mistakes. Lear adds another dimension to this concept. In much modern terms, his speech basic eithery says that its much easier to detect sin and wrong in a man who bumbles around in filth with a shopping cart full of God-knows-what, all wrapped up in garbage bags, than it is in a man who pulls up in a catamount and is wealthy enough to hire people to floss his teeth. However, when King Lear actually delivered the speech, there were no Jaguars, and there was no dental floss. There probably werent even shopping carts or garbage bags. In fact, Im quite sure there werent, so King Lears speech capacity not be quite as accurate now as it was in his time. It was a different society, a different world. In fact a particular situation of very recent time comes to mind, which shows just how outdated Lears speech might be, since there was of course no crack cocain back then. Most people who pay attention to current events will know where Im going with this. Last week I was flipping finished the newspaper (keep that in mind) when a very familiar name caught my attention. Ex-baseball star Darryl Strawberry had once again been arrested for a series of completely ridiculous and fearful behaviors. Sinful, in more King Learly terms would be an understatement when addressing Strawberrys most recent crimes. Robes and furrd gowns hide all? Its quite the turnabout in this case. The public eye has actually been nothing less than relentless in poring over and pointing fingers of shame and look at him isnt that terrible?, all at Darryl Strawberry, the rich and famous baseball hero. His sin is plated with anything but gold. But you know what? There might be some bum walking up the block from me right now, selling the same crack cocaine that got Mr. Strawberry in trouble. I wouldnt know about it, and neither would anybody else (law enforcement officials, for example). No one can see his small vices, despite his tatterd clothes.