The Tragedy of King Lear

Shakespeare's Tragedy of King Lear is a tale of political upheaval and family dysfunction, of cruelty and pathos, where few can be trusted and few are what they seem. A king divides his kingdom between his daughters, a son betrays his father and his brother, sisters are hostile to sisters, madness and blindness and murder appear to be just retribution from the Gods. This is one of Shakespeare's most profound and complex forays into human nature. Does it end in redemption or despair?