Love and Loss in "King Lear" and "The Merchant of Venice" Analytical Essay by Master Researcher

This essay explores the themes of love, and loss, in two of Shakespeare's plays - "King Lear", and "The Merchant of Venice". Here, two characters are examined in order to understand their movements through loss and grief, towards redemption through love. The relation of personal and social identity is regarded as the primary effect of loss, giving way to grief and hatred. Similarly, through love, a sense of self is restored, thus enabling each character a way to redeem themselves, and to re-connect with a sense of identity.