“In literature evil often triumphs but never conquers.” This statement implies that in literature antagonism is ephemeral in nature while good is pervasive. This avowal is made invalid by both the play King Lear, by William Shakespeare as well as the play A Long Day’s Journey into Night, by Eugene O’Neil. In King Lear, conflict and setting are literary elements used to convey the impending misfortunes of the play’s characters. Likewise, in A Long Day’s Journey into Night, the emotional instability of the Tyrone family is exposed by means of these foregoing literary elements. The deployment of the literary elements conflict and setting in the Plays; King Lear by William Shakespeare and A Long Days Journey into Night by Eugene O’Neil reveals the inevitable hopelessness which summarizes both plays.
In the play King Lear, by William Shakespeare symbolism establishes an atmosphere of uncertainty and darkness. The protagonist; King Lear is the reigning king of Britain during the play, and seems to be undergoing a great deal of anxiety. An example of this is the constant apprehension he has for possible invasion and the security of his kingship. In addition, Lear deems his daughter Cordelia unfaithful due to her lack of verbalized flattery upon request. Natural forces, such as the thunderstorm that rages while Lear is by the heath, parallel these mounting stresses symbolically. This example of natural phenomenon conveys the inner turmoil of Lear, and foreshadows the tragic events, which occur later in the play.
The use of conflict in the play King Lear, by William Shakespeare institutes the basis for the tragic fate suffered by its characters. The primary conflicts in the play are King Lear’s internal struggle for sanity and the honest love of his daughters, and Edmonds fight for paternal recognition. Although these struggles stem from the desires of two individuals, there resulting effects are cataclysmic. In the case of King Lear, his two least favorite daughters Goneril and Regan out of greed and jealousy fight for the love of Edmond. Their love for the same man inevitably leads to the death of Regan at the hand of Goneril, and goneril’s death by her own hand over grief from her late husband Albany’s murder. Moreover, Cordelia is executed in prison due to Edmonds betrayal. King Lear dies as a result of her passing. Thus the destruction that resulted from the aspirations of two men lead to the demise of numerous characters in the play.
The play Long Day’s Journey into Night, by Eugene O’Neil utilizes the element symbolism to render a sense of disarray for the reader. The bulk of the play is centered around a small wealthy family living on the Connecticut shores named the Tyrone’s. The family spends the majority of their time picking at old scares and arguing about seemingly pointless topics. Mrs. Tyrone who first became addicted to morphine during child labor suffers from its effects throughout the context of the play. One of the symbolic references, which reveals her addiction in the play is her frequent visits to “the spare room.” This subtle reoccurrence in the play implies that she is injecting herself with morphine. The use of this cover up creates an elusive and horrible overtone in the play, and paves the way for future ruin.
Examples of conflict in the play A Long Day’s Journey into Night, by Eugene O’Neil are prevalent, and create a foundation upon which emotional and physiological devastation of the Tyrone family is built upon. During the play, each member of the Tyrone family has a unique problem which other members of the family try to expose. One example of this is the drinking problem Edmund has. Another example is the frugality of Mr. Tyrone. The interrogation of these minor self-contained problems become the obsession and ritual of everyday life within the Tyrone household. Even an event as simple as having lunch is delayed by the constant bickering. This conflict inevitably results in the play’s theme; hopelessness.
In conclusion, this statement is made invalid by the ability of evil to create a feeling of hopelessness in both A Long Day’s Journey into Night, by Eugene O’Neil and King Lear, by William Shakespeare. The argumentative thoughts of King Lear coupled by the natural forces that reinforce them in addition to the aspirations of Edmund create a cycle of events in the play during which evil prevails. Moreover, the quarrels that often take place at the Tyrone household, and the elusive use of the “spare room,” interject any hope for a positive family structure being established in the future, thus proving evil omnipresent in the play rather than good. Overall, these two plays prove that the given statement in invalid, by displaying evil as superior to good.
