How is religion presented throughout Shakespeare's King Lear?

King Lear was written in the early 17th century, a time in which devout Christianity dominated England. Undoubtedly, the Christian Jacobean audience that would have first viewed the play would have interpretted the actions of its characters as deviating from these religious morals. The characters themselves espouse pre-Christian idealogies, coming into stark contrast with the contemporary religious beliefs. Gloucester refers to gods when he remarks 'as flies to wanton boys are we to the gods', suggesting a pagan belief system. These pagan beliefs are often depicted as cruel throughout the play. However, critics such as Jan Kott have indicated a complete absence of religion in Lear, suggesting 'orders of established values disintegrate', suggesting all religious morals, pagan or Christian, disappear.

MB
Answered by Morgan B. English Literature tutor

22511 Views

See similar English Literature GCSE tutors

Related English Literature GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How will I remember all the quotes I need for the exam from each book or play?


How do I answer a comparative literature question?


Where should I start when answering a question that involves an extract from the text?


"My teachers keep saying that my writing needs more structure. What do they mean by this and how can I structure my essays?"


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning