Comparing Crime And Punishment In King Lear

1283 Words6 Pages

I strongly believe that irrespective of religion, race, or place in society, right action must guide decisions that are made in life. Sin, albeit an ambiguous concept, generally defines as actions which are immoral or install negative consequences toward another individual. Regardless of whether one interprets sin biblically or legally, individuals in society must respect the rights of others and cannot impose their will onto them. Without a sense of individual morality, a social Darwinistic struggle embodies society and humans will never be able to live well. Those who sin, whether consciously or unconsciously, ultimately receive punishment in the end, as the texts; King Lear, “To Build a Fire,” and “Riding the Rap” demonstrate. In the Shakespearian drama King Lear, the protagonist Lear makes a series of fatal errors which contribute to his demise. However, his most serious sin was the choice to abandon his daughter and consequently, Lear receives punishment in his loss of everything. When Lear expresses dissatisfaction for Cordalia’s lack of flattery, he …show more content…

The protagonist in the text, Dale Junior, faces new criminal charges after driving drunk. When Dale is pulled over for, “weaving, crossing the center line and having a busted tail light” (Leonard, 1), the police promptly apprehend him. Consequently, the beginning of punishment for the sin of drunk driving begins. Driving under the influence is an offence that not only harms the individual who is foolish enough to drive drunk but all users on the road. It is a selfish, pathetic excuse of an offence and deserves strong punishment. In my opinion, Dale receives the punishment he deserves because it does not matter whether his offence was a one-off or a recurring event. Complete lack of concern for those who could die because of his carelessness deserves