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In King Lear, Shakespeare has greatly utilized secondary plots and its parallelism to the main plot. The effective usage of subplots in King Lear, as a form of parallelism, clearly emphasizes the flaws and strengths of prominent characters. Using such literary device permits the audience to understand the emotions of the essential characters in the play. Specifically, the parallel between Lear and Gloucester displayed in the play is evidently intentional. Both men initially commit wrong …

…Both then had their illegitimate children plot against them. Finally, both died a tragic death, as a result of their sins. This parallelism however emphasized the flaws of both characters, and allows the reader to more fully comprehend the mistakes that both men were making. This resemblance of different plots and individuals in King Lear clearly embodies Shakespeare's flawless use of parallelism and superb writing style, and makes the play as thought-provoking as it is.