Tragic recognition in two plays - 'King Lear' and 'Oedipus the king'
Shakespeare's 'King Lear' (1605-6) and Sophocles 'Oedipus the king' (c.429 BC) are two of the most famous portraits of human suffering in European theatre. Can any useful connections be made between them? The author shows how both plays deal with the idea of anagnorisis - the hero's tragic recognition - highlighting some key differences.