Although King Lear and Laurence Cook are from completely different eras, they are two of a kind. They both founded impressive kingdoms, amassed large amounts of land, and thus achieved elite status. Consumed by themselves and the acquisition of material goods, they believed that their "greatness" would somehow make them infallible and perhaps allow their children to become carbon copies of them- same. The reader knows that this is not the case, that the story of these two fathers is a tragedy and that their fortune has become their Achilles heel and that of their children. Not only does the plot interweave these two tragedies so intimately, but so do the contrasting viewpoints, the theme of an oppressive patriarchal society, and the characterization of Lear, or Larry, himself. A major difference between King Lear and 1000 Acres is the perspective from which the story is told and with whom the reader expresses sympathy. King Lear is told from a predominantly male perspective, with minor conversations between Regan and Goneril. In the story, Lear is depicted as a senile old man, whose wealth managed to drive him to madness. He decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters, two of whom end up collaborating against him and sending him into this famous storm. It is at this point that the reader feels incredible sympathy for Lear. He rejected the girl who loved him most and is horribly mistreated by his other two children, whose only motives for ostracizing him are their desire for wealth and power. 1,000 Acres, on the other hand, is told from a distinctly opposite point of view, that of Ginny Cook Smith, (Goneril) daughter...... middle of paper...... the farm. Their arrogance corrupts their relationships with family and friends, who in turn fall from grace. For example, Pete is so fed up with Larry's mistreatment that he attempts to physically harm him by tampering with his tractor. Unfortunately, it's not Larry who uses the tractor but Harold Clark, who is permanently blinded after having the ammonia solution sprayed in his eyes. Their debauched behaviors are essentially chain reactions to the destruction of the farm or kingdom, as well as the relationships between siblings, spouses, and friends. Another difference between the two is how they develop after being sent into the storm. Lear realizes his insignificance compared to the natural forces of nature and comes to cherish Cordelia. Larry, for his part, curses his two daughters and ostracizes them until his death..