How are King Lear and the Book of Job related?

Answer 1

The Book of Job is about a biblical man named Job who is the victim of a bet between God and Satan. Job is a pious man who never lost his faith, until Satan suggested that God test Job's faith. So God allowed Satan to smite Job, giving him boils, killing his children and costing him livestock. Once Job has lost pretty much everything and will no longer give up, God appears and lectures him, however, God eventually restores Job's possessions leaving him with great prosperity until he dies happily awhile down the road.

King Lear and Job are similar because for one, they are both men who own a lot. Secondly, both suffer in the same way. Lear made a mistake at the beginning of the play that cost him a lot and left him weary and nearly driven mad. Their suffering accosts them far beyond what actually deserve. Lear and Job also have comforters who scold them, suggesting that their pain is of their own suffering. This is where a difference lies: Lear took part in his while it is hard to determine exactly what Job had done to deserve brutality. Also, in the end, both men end up happy. Yes, Lear dies but he is reunited with Cordelia and if you have read the play, you'll know that he's much happier to spend the rest of his life with Cordelia in a jail cell. Another similarity that is also a difference is that in Job, there is both God and Satan. However, in many tragedies there really isn't a deity and so God isn't represented. However, Satan is because of Goneril and Regan, who are malicious for no real reason at all.

There are many more reasons why they are similar but the description is lengthy.