Abstract
This essay uses Object-Oriented Ontology, a posthumanist theoretical model, to explore how King Lear’s use of and relation to objects can provide insight into his characterization. This essay provides a model for scrutinizing the role of objects—whether animate or inanimate—in performances of early modern drama; furthermore, it argues that King Lear’s use of objects reveals a consistent refusal to understand others, which upsets a redemptive arc in the play. To that end, the article proposes an ethical model—demonstrated by Kent—that responds to the play’s otherwise desolate worldview.
Recommended Citation
Smith, M Burdick
(2021)
"“Take (Meta)physic, pomp”: King Lear and (Dis)oriented Ontology,"
ROMARD: Vol. 58, Article 3.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/romard/vol58/iss1/3
