The Aristotelian Catharsis: From Degradation to Salvation: A Study of King Lear and the Metamorphoses of His Character

In The Tragedy of King Lear, King Lear is always considered as a complex character and hard to be analyzed for his childlike, passionate, playful and sympathetic character. His misfortune comes form his rash haste, his childlike character, his blindness to everything under the control of his passions or affections. His miserable destiny is worth of considering and being analyzed. According to the Freudian Personality Theory, human’s personality can be divided into three parts: the id, the ego, and the superego. Originally, the personality structure theory is used primarily to treat mental illness, and then it is developed into a critical method in literary criticism. Guided by the theory of personality structure, this thesis attempts to make a thorough exploration of the psychic conflicts and growth of King Lear in the formation of his healthy personality through the storm.