Symbolism In Foster's King Lear

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In the tragedy of King Lear, Shakespeare emphasizes the importance of symbols through his usage of a poisonous serpent, specifically the poison Cordelia introduces into the family. Similarly, in the historical text, How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster illustrates the concept of symbolism, specifically in Chapter 5, “Is That A Symbol?”, when he suggests that symbols often possess multiple general meanings and a vary from one reader to another reader. Likewise, the poison Lear speaks of in Act I carries throughout the remainder of the tragedy, often exhibited as Lear’s pain or the ruined relationships with his child caused when Cordelia travels away from the kingdom. In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster depicts