Pictures of King Lear and the UN Security Council. Both relate to justice.
King Lear: Justice
The main theme that resonated most with me while reading King Lear was the idea of justice. The definition of justice and just actions were seen throughout the play. In King Lear, this is shown through the contrasting views of what justice really is as expressed by Gloucester and Edgar. For Gloucester, justice is an objective force that governs human kind. It does not take into account the personal achievements and failures of every single person, but instead looks at the whole kingdom and the present situation. Gloucester’s view on justice can be understood when he mentions to the old man, “As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods./They kill us for their sport.” (4.1.36-37). The views of Edgar show that, unlike Gloucester, he believes that the Gods are just. He believes that each individual receives what they deserve. Edgar’s view can be seen when he explains to Edmund, “The Gods are just, and of our pleasant vices/Make instruments to plague us.” (5.3.170-171). Gloucester’s view is focused on what justice the characters deserve as a whole while Edgar’s view focuses on what justice each individual deserves.
The views on justice as expressed by Gloucester and Edgar can be paralleled to a current international justice organ, the UN Security Council (SC). The role of the SC is essentially to maintain international peace and security in a just and objective manner. After seeing the representation of justice in King Lear, however, I realized that justice is not always carried out objectively in real world situations. For instance, from Gloucester’s point of view, the SC’s decision should be made based on what is decided to be best for the greatest number of participants in the current situation, even though the minority might suffer because of this. In contrast, Edgar would bring justice to each individual aspect of the situation instead of dealing with it as a whole. However, this method can sometimes be time-consuming, instead of producing an efficient and just final decision. Both cases show that justice is not necessarily executed objectively for all parties. Although, in theory, it seems people involved in terrible situations will have fair verdicts, the final execution of justice depends who is presiding over the case.
The views on justice as expressed by Gloucester and Edgar can be paralleled to a current international justice organ, the UN Security Council (SC). The role of the SC is essentially to maintain international peace and security in a just and objective manner. After seeing the representation of justice in King Lear, however, I realized that justice is not always carried out objectively in real world situations. For instance, from Gloucester’s point of view, the SC’s decision should be made based on what is decided to be best for the greatest number of participants in the current situation, even though the minority might suffer because of this. In contrast, Edgar would bring justice to each individual aspect of the situation instead of dealing with it as a whole. However, this method can sometimes be time-consuming, instead of producing an efficient and just final decision. Both cases show that justice is not necessarily executed objectively for all parties. Although, in theory, it seems people involved in terrible situations will have fair verdicts, the final execution of justice depends who is presiding over the case.