A Study of a Secondary Tragic Hero in King Lear

In tragedies, the tragic hero is a noble character but has a fatal flaw which causes them to go through a reversal. In a reversal, the tragic hero goes through many events which not only causes them to suffer, but also disturbs the natural order of things and causes the audience to feel pity and fear. Before the tragic hero dies, they must come to recognize their fatal flaw, which returns order and causes the audience to feel catharsis. A Greek philosopher, Aristotle, observed the tragic hero and collected their conventions. In tragedy plays, the tragic hero must fulfill all conventions to be considered a tragic hero. In King Lear by William Shakespeare, these conventions were integrated into the primary tragic hero, Lear. However, although Lear is the tragic hero of the play, Shakespeare rejected the norms of a tragedy by adding a secondary tragic hero, Gloucester. Gloucester can be considered a secondary tragic hero as he strongly manifests Aristotle's tragic hero conventions of nobility, fatal flaw, reversal, and suffering whilst not fulfilling the conventions of disturbance of natural order and recognition.

Gloucester can be considered a secondary tragic hero because he is a noble character who suffers from a fatal flaw. There are two ways one can be considered noble, noble by birth and noble by character. Gloucester is noble by birth hence his title, “Earl of Gloucester”, but one can argue that Gloucester is also noble by character, meaning he is a relatively virtuous person. Gloucester’s nobility is evident during the opening of the play when Gloucester explains to Kent in a dialogue that he loves Edmund the same as Edgar. As Gloucester states, “who yet is no dearer in my account”, he explains that although Edmund is a bastard child, he doesn’t love him any less than he loves Edmund’s older legitimate brother, Edgar. Gloucester’s nobility is apparent in his selfless duty of accepting Edmund, regardless of the consequences of being known as a father to a bastard child. However, despite Gloucester’s noble appearance, he suffers from a fatal flaw. A fatal flaw is an exaggerated personality trait that causes the tragic hero to be unbalanced. In the same dialogue between Gloucester and Kent, Gloucester blatantly reveals his fatal flaw of adultery, after Kent asks Gloucester if Edmund is his son. Gloucester remarks, “a son for her cradle ere she had a husband”, confessing to his sin of adultery by stating he had Edmund before marriage. This act of adultery is Gloucester's fatal flaw which produces an imbalance in his character and leads him to his reversal. Therefore, Gloucester can be considered a secondary tragic hero as he is a noble character by accepting Edmund but still suffers from his fatal flaw of adultery.

Gloucester can also be considered a tragic hero because he goes through a reversal from his fatal flaw, which then causes him to suffer. In a tragedy, a reversal is when the tragic hero turns around to the opposite state of affairs, from positive to negative experiences. In act 3, scene 5, Gloucester's reversal is evident when he loses his title as, “Earl of Gloucester”. After Gloucester leaves to help Lear, Edmund informs the duke of Cornwall of Gloucester’s assistance of Lear and that Gloucester received an incriminating letter from the French about an invasion. This information makes Gloucester a wanted criminal. Further, as Cornwall states, “it hath been made thee earl of Gloucester.” (3.5.18), Edmund is promoted, and he takes Gloucester's title. Gloucester's reversal is clear as he went from being noble in power to a wanted criminal. Gloucester's reversal in social class was caused by his fatal flaw as it was the product of his adultery, Edmund, that was betraying him. This reversal in social class is what causes Gloucester to suffer. In a tragedy, the tragic hero must suffer either physically or emotionally from something they typically do not deserve. In act 3, scene 7, Gloucester’s suffers dearly as Cornwall plucks out Gloucester's eyes. As Gloucester is now a wanted criminal, the servants bring him back to his castle for interrogation. In the interrogation, Gloucester explains that he was simply trying to protect Lear from what Goneril and Regan might do to him in the future. In response to this, Cornwall states, “upon these eyes of thine I'll set my foot”, and painfully forces Gloucester's eyes out. Although Gloucester's physical suffering is clear, he also suffers emotionally as he does not deserve this cruel punishment, and there is no one there helping him. Afterall, Gloucester only intended to protect Lear from Goneril and Regan. Therefore, Gloucester can be considered a secondary tragic hero as he undergoes a reversal in social class when Edmund takes his title, which leads him to suffer both physically and emotionally.

Although Gloucester can be considered a secondary tragic hero, he is not a primary tragic hero as he does not manifest all of Aristotle’s conventions of a tragic hero. Gloucester does not manifest the conventions of disturbance of nature, and recognition of a fatal flaw, unlike the primary tragic hero, Lear. In a tragedy, the tragic hero's fatal flaw and reversal cause natural and social systems to move from order to chaos. Unlike Lear, Gloucester’s reversal does not disturb natural order at all. An example of the discrepancy between Lear and Gloucester’s reversal can be found in act 3, scene 2, where Lear’s rage and despair cause a storm, effectively disturbing the natural order. Lear is angry that Cornwall put his servant Kent in a stock. Regan and Cornwall then explain to Lear that he does not need any servants at all. Lear then begins to breakdown while trying not to cry. As he cries out, “this heart shall break into a hundred thousand flaws or ere I'll weep”, a storm commences. We see pathetic fallacy come into play as the storm resembles Lear's anger. Lear's anger was so powerful that it disturbs natural order causing a storm to occur. This is a convention that Gloucester does not show, making him a secondary tragic hero. In addition, Gloucester fails to follow the convention of recognizing a fatal flaw, further demonstrating Gloucester is not a primary tragic hero. In a tragedy, the tragic hero must come to a recognition of his fatal flaw before they die. Unlike Lear, Gloucester never comes to a recognition that it was his fatal flaw of adultery that caused him all his troubles. Gloucester’s ignorance of self is demonstrated in act 3, scene 4, when Regan states Edmund was betraying him. As Gloucester has his eyes removed, he cries for Edmund’s help. Regan then explains that Edmund was betraying him. As Gloucester cries, “Oh my follies! Then it was Edgar who was abused. Kind Gods, forgive me that, and prosper him.” He prays for Edgar’s wellbeing. Gloucester realizes that Edmund was betraying him, but he fails to recognize that it was his act of adultery that ultimately caused his downfall. If Gloucester did not commit adultery, Edmund would not have been a bastard child, preventing his evil plan. Hence, Gloucester is not considered a primary tragic hero because he does not manifest Aristotle’s conventions of disturbance of natural order and recognition of a fatal flaw.

Gloucester is not a primary hero as he fails to fulfill Aristotle’s conventions of disturbance of natural order, and recognition of a fatal flaw. Gloucester can be considered a secondary tragic hero as he strongly manifests Aristotle’s conventions of nobility, fatal flaw, reversal, and suffering. Gloucester is not a primary tragic hero as he does not disturb the natural order like Lear, and he does not come to recognize his fatal flaw of adultery due to ignorance of self. Gloucester’s noble nature is demonstrated by his love for Edmund, and he becomes imbalanced by his fatal flaw of adultery. Furthermore, Gloucester’s reversal, caused by his fatal flaw, is exhibited by the loss of his title as, “Earl of Gloucester”, which leads to his physical and emotional suffering with the removal of his eyes. Conventionally, the tragic hero must come to meet all of Aristotle's conventions, which is what contrasts the primary tragic hero from the secondary hero apart in this tradgedy.