King Lear and the Pursuit of Happyness free essay sample

True power is defined as self-awareness and self-control. Shakespeare portrays this idea through symbolic blindness and parallel structuring between characters. King Lear personifies the absence of personal power at the beginning of the play as he creates a â€Å"love contest† between his daughters, revealing his need for flattery to affirm his position. It is through his lack of self-awareness that he is vulnerable to manipulation and deception despite his initial authoritative power. The film acts as the opposite of â€Å"King Lear† as Chris seeks this true personal power, measured by happiness in one’s life rather than authority or wealth. This message can be seen through the meaningful line delivery of Chris’ speech to his son: â€Å"Don’t ever let somebody tell you, you can’t do something You got a dream? You gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they want to tell you, you can’t do it. We will write a custom essay sample on King Lear and the Pursuit of Happyness or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page You want something? Go get it! Period! We now understand the concept of true power as not being an outward force measured by materialistic factors or authority but an inward strength, a might that resides within us. Through Shakespeare’s characters and Muccino’s protagonist, we see what truly defines the â€Å"mightiest of power† as happiness, self- awareness and self-control. We recognise that those who seek authoritative and superficial power will never obtain true power as they haven’t mastered themselves and their own lives. â€Å"He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still†.