What are the main themes in King Lear?

King Lear is one of those plays which Shakespeare uses to tackle a wide variety of themes, all of which can be analysed deeply individually, but also in terms of their interconnected nature. Some of the main themes are as follows:Nature, Parenthood, Families, Politics, Power, Women, God/s, Monarchy, Loyalty, Madness... The list goes on and on, I have certainly not covered everything, see if you can find any others! Feel free to ask if you've got any more questions on this topic. 

EH
Answered by Evelyn H. English Literature tutor

8795 Views

See similar English Literature A Level tutors

Related English Literature A Level answers

All answers ▸

Discuss Christina Rossetti's presentation of love in her poem 'A Triad'.


"Who's for the game?": compare and contrast the representation of war in Jessie Pope's 'Who's for the Game?' and Wilfred Owen's 'Dulce et Decorum Est'.


What is the best way to write an essay paragraph?


'Ariel and Caliban are equally enslaved' Use your knowledge of the play as a whole, and show how far you agree with this view.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning