The subject of madness is a major theme in two of Shakespeare’s most well-known tragedies, “Hamlet” and “King Lear”. In both of these plays, a character feigns insanity to carry out a motive - Hamlet and Edgar respectively. However, while it is made quite clear to the audience that Edg...

In William Shakespeare’s play King Lear, rich apparel and gorgeousness are contrasted against imagery of nakedness and poverty. During the high style of the Renaissance, the usage of nakedness and gorgeousness was a widely used artistic device. Shakespeare uses clothing to represent appearance i...