What genre is King Lear?

King Lear is a tragedy.

This is because it follows the rules that all Shakespearian Tragedies must have.

It has a hero that is high born and influential, in this case King Lear himself. This character although virtuous (King Lear must be virtuous to have ruled the kingdom for so many years and one the respect of the noble characters such as Kent) has a Tragic Flaw in his character. King Lear is excessively proud and this blinds him to the true nature of the people around him.

There is an evil unleash that destroys both good and evil characters. King Lear puts this in motion when he divides the kingdom, something that only God was though to do. This is seen as unnatural and sets about the unsettled nature of the play. Evil is also unleashed in this play when the natural order between father and child is thrown into disarray. It is untaula for Lear to think of deviding his kingdom acroding to who says they love him more, as this goes against the core foundtaion that a family should be united and kept together. This is also echoed when Goneril and Ragen turn against Lear, once again upsetting the natural order of things.

Lastly, as with all Tragedies, with the Tragic Hero destoryed, evil is deafeated, and socitey can return to normal. This sense of regeneration is vital to any tragedy as it gives hope and closure after the unsettling events of the play. Although in King Lear the ending does not seem to solve all the issues at once, the kingdom is united again and power handed to the only remaining virtuous character left willing to take lead in the regeneration, Edgar.