Examination of the leadership types of the main characters in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and King Lear

In this study the characteristics of some leadership types have been aimed to determine through the behavior and thoughts of the main characters in Shakespeare's the Merchant of Venice and King Lear. Accordingly, the study was examined with content analysis, by choosing the document review method from qualitative research methods. Data were obtained through the control list within the scope of the literature review of the leadership field. The core of the study consists of assessments based on the characters' perspectives and psychological states associating with leadership types. Emphasizing the personal characteristics of the main characters as well as their religion, race, gender and nationality it was tried to be determined the effects of all these on the flow of the events and the other characters in the study. As a result, the characters have been analyzed in the light of their versatility and their interactions with each other have been evaluated under leadership subheadings. Accordingly, the following conclusions were reached about their leadership types considering the behavior and thoughts of the characters: Shylock; authoritarian, Antonio; authoritarian in his interaction with Shylock, and servant in his interaction with Bassanio, Bassanio; transformational, Portia's father is the authoritarian leader in the Merchant of Venice. Lear; authoritarian and emotional, Goneril and Regan; authoritarian, Cordelia and Kent; servant and Edmund is known as a transformational and charismatic leader in King Lear.