"King Lear" by Shakespeare

When does a positive personality trait become a tragic flaw? This extreme turning point in a person's life can be applied to two dynamic female characters in this tragic tale: Regan and Goneril.

While throughout most of the play, Regan and Goneril are seen as a terrible duo who appear to only care for their own well-beings. However, most forget the reasoning for their horrible actions. Regan and Goneril's passion to overthrow their father and be the leaders of the kingdom stem from their desire for female power and independence.

In a time period when women were worth only to the extent that they were rich in land, status, and beauty, the two sisters were making progress extensive progress to be taken seriously as "the weaker gender." The desire to further your stature in society and prove that women don't need men to function in power is a positive personality trait. They wanted to better themselves and pave the way for other women of that time.

However, that desire turned sour quickly. They both turned manipulative and sadistic immediately when they started to get what they wanted. The moment that their father gave them a taste of power with his land, a sinister plan formed in their minds. Their desire to be independent and prove themselves drove them to the decision to completely overthrow King Lear and kick him out of the castle into the stormy night. From there, their cruel deeds only continued and became worse and worse as the play progressed.

So when and why did this turning point occur? This shift occurred when Regan and Goneril got a taste of what their power could potentially be. Once they saw how easily they could gain power, they saw how much power they could get, and therefore wanted it. The sisters realized that they wanted as much power as they could possible get so they decided to go to any length necessary to get it. That's when their desire for power and female independence shifted from a positive personality trait to a tragic flaw; Regan and Goneril faced an inner conflict between their desire for power and doing the right thing within their family. Shakespeare's "King Lear" supports the idea that a traumatic inner conflict causes a positive personality trait to become a tragic flaw.