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Herman Melville Constructed Ahab In Shakespeare's King Lear

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Herman Melville constructed Ahab in the representation of the Shakespearean mad scenes he presents. With a little more research, is it obvious that ‘Madness is one of the main themes in Moby-Dick and King Lear. Both Ahab and King Lear Soliloquys are parallel to one another. King Lear says: O Regan, Goneril! Your old kind father, whose frank heart gave you all - O, that way madness lies, let me shun that; No more of that. (Act3. Scene4. 18-22) Ahab says in the chapter Sunset: What I’ve dared, I’ve willed; and what I’ve willed I’ll do! They think me mad-- Starbuck does; but I’m demoniac, I am madness maddened! That wild madness that’s only calm to comprehend itself . . . I now prophecy that I will dismember my dismemberer. (139) the word ‘madness’ …show more content…

Melville’s idea of Ahab as a tragic character was made feasible by this immersion in Shakespearean catastrophe. Shakespearean tragic heroes, for instance Lear and Macbeth from the novel called ‘Macbeth’ are confused by pride or arrogance. They are tragic because of their inaccuracy in judgment. Captain Ahab also becomes tragic because of the error in judgment. Ahab’s adversity is brought upon him not by wickedness and deviance, but by some error of judgment, like Lear or Macbeth. Captain Peleg (retired whale man of Nantucket and a Quaker. As one of the principal owners of the Pequod, along with Captain Bildad, takes care of hiring the crew) says that Ahab: “He is a grand, ungodly, god-like man, Captain Ahab; doesn’t speak much; but, when he does speak, then you may well listen. Ahab’s above the common.” (Ch.16 Page 78) Ahab is not a bad man entirely. Similar to Macbeth, he is righteous. In spite of his ‘monomaniac’ addiction with the whale, Ahab has a good side in him. Macbeth is a devoted husband. In the same way, Ahab has also a family. Apparently he may be seen as a short-tempered, careless captain, arrogant, but in reality he is not. Peleg also describes him as, “stricken, blasted, if he be, Ahab has his humanities” (Ch.16 page

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