Portrayal of Villains in Shakespeare's Plays: ''The Merchant of Venice'' and ''King Lear''

Abstract

The conflict between good and evil forms an integral part of Shakespeare's drama. This part dramatizes Shakespeare's general attitude towards human nature. Unlike Aristotle, Shakespeare gives precedence to the characters over their actions. He aims to explore the dark nature of human beings and unlock the mystery that engulfs them. Consequently, he traces the seed of evil in human nature in order to find an interpretation for his character's actions and relationships. The present study explores Shakespeare's attitude towards the element of evil in "The Merchant of Venice" and "King Lear". This endeavor will help explain many unsettled issues in Shakespeare's drama. Among these issues are Shakespeare's general attitude towards the woman and his views of wit and evil. In other words, the study attempts to answer questions of whether Shakespeare sees the woman as inherently evil or not and whether he refers to evil as a kind of wit or something malignant.