Order from disorder sprung." Paradise Lost A [kingdom] without order is a [kingdom] in chaos Bartelby.com. In Shakespeare"s tragic play, King Lear, the audience witnesses to the devastation of a great kingdom. Disorder engulfs the land once Lear transfers his power to his daughters, but as the great American writer, A.C. Bradley said, "The ultimate power in the tragic world is a moral order" Shakespearean Tragedy. By examining the concept of order versus disorder in the setting, plot, and the character King Lear, Bradley's idea of moral order is clearly demonstrated by the outcome of the play. "By removing a...
so is the ability to maintain that order. As demonstrated in the play King Lear, the setting, the character Lear, and plot all contribute to Bradley's idea that moral order is supreme in the tragic world. Although one may argue that, King Lear cannot be used to justify Bradley's statement because of the "innocent" deaths, it is these innocent deaths which further support the fact that moral order is supreme. The Phrygian Stoic philosopher, Epictetus said it best, "Since it is order which shapes and regulates all other things, it ought not itself to be left in disorder" Epictetus