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"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive". Sir Walter Scott may not have intended to describe the tangled web of secrets that fuels Shakespeare's tragedy "King Lear", but it certainly applies. Secrets come in many shapes and sizes, and in works of literature they can be categorized as either secrets that are unknown to the reader or secrets that unknown to the characters. In "King Lear", the secrets are …

…story in perpetual motion, and aid in the effect and overall impression the story has on the reader. As seen in many tragedies the secretive element creates the story, fuels the plot, and sets the stage for the tragedy to occur. As the secret is exposed and the heartbreak occurs, the tragedy unfolds. The reader's knowledge of the secret draws them into the story allowing them to see the classic struggle between good and evil.