Comparing Henry IV and King LearShakespeare's play King Lear details the tragic consequences of the decisions of the fictional character Lear, King of England. King Lear is a man with great power but he gives all that power away to his daughters as a reward for their display of love towards him. Lear's rash decision leads to a chain reaction of events that send him on a journey to hell. King Lear is a metaphorical description of a man's journey through hell in order to atone for his sin. As the play begins, we can almost immediately see that Lear begins to make mistakes that will ultimately lead to his downfall. (Neher) This is the first and most important of the many sins he commits in this play. By abdicating his throne to feed his ego, he breaks the great chain of being which states that the King must not question the position God has given him. This weakening of God's authority results in chaos that tears Lear's world apart. (Williams) Leaving him, in the end, with nothing. Following this, Lear begins to banish those around him who genuinely care about him because at this point he cannot see beyond the mask that evil wears. He banishes Kent, a loyal servant of Lear, and his youngest and most beloved daughter, Cordelia. (Nixon) This results in Lear surrounding himself with people who only want to use him, making him very vulnerable to attack. This is precisely what happens and it is thanks to this that he discovers his wrongs and corrects them. After committing his sins, Lear becomes abandoned and estranged from his kingdom, causing him to lose his sanity. While lost in his grief and self-pity, the Fool is introduced to guide Lear back to the sane world and to help him find the Lear who was lost behind a hundred knights but who is now out in the open and frightened like a little child. (Bradley) The fact that Lear has now been driven back behind his knights is dramatically represented by the fact that he is actually on the lawns of his castle. The terrified little child who is no longer safe is dramatically described by Lear's sudden madness and his rage and anger are visible through the thunderous weather we experience. All of this contributes to Lear's suffering because of the gross sins he committed..