Content lessons from King Lear
How Shakespeare's tragedy still packs a punch
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE # 206
My wife and I went to see a production of William Shakespeare’s King Lear last weekend. I never studied stuff like this at school and I admit I found some of the story difficult to follow.
That said, the production delivered a masterclass in trust, love, betrayal, and the consequences of poor leadership.
Beyond its dramatic power and its compelling messaging, Lear also offers a surprising set of lessons that can easily apply to modern content creators.
Here’s what we can learn from Lear’s fatal mistakes:
1. Don’t let ego cloud your judgment
Lear’s downfall begins when he demands flattery from his three daughters, valuing empty praise over genuine loyalty.
Content creators face a similar temptation when they waste time chasing vanity metrics (likes, follows, hollow engagement) rather than taking time to create true audience connection.
The lesson here is: focus on substance, not sycophants. Build a community that values your work, not just the spectacle.
2. Delegate wisely (or lose everything)
Lear divides his kingdom impeteously and rashly, trusting the wrong people for the wrong reasons while banishing those who truly care about him (Cordelia, Kent).
Many creators make the same mistake—often outsourcing essential tasks to poorly informed or half-assed collaborators who are only in it for the money instead of working with loyal supporters.
The lesson here is: choose your team carefully. Empower those who challenge you constructively, not just those who tell you what you want to hear.
3. Adapt or perish
Lear clings to authority long after losing it, refusing to adapt until it’s woefully too late. In the digital age, creators who resist change—whether it’s a reluctance to use new platforms, tools, or formats, or whether it involves audience needs—meet the same fate.
The lesson here is: stay agile. The storm (algorithm shifts, trends, audience evolution) doesn’t care about you and it certainly won’t wait for you.
4. Authenticity over performance
Lear’s love test is pure, self-indulgent theater—he farts around rewarding performative declarations rather than seeing real support for the devotion it is. Content creators often fall into the same trap, prioritizing viral aesthetics over meaningful storytelling.
The lesson here is: audiences can spot insincerity a mile away. Be the Cordelia of your niche: honest, even when it’s not the hip or fashionable thing to be.
5. The folly of short-term thinking
Lear trades long-term stability for immediate ego boosts. The search for cheap clicks and trend-hopping without substance is a fast track to burning trust.
The lesson here is: you’ve got to play the long game. Legacy > Likes.
King Lear is a warning: while power fades, wisdom endures.
As creators, we must balance ambition with humility, spectacle with substance.
Otherwise?
Well, as Shakespeare wrote: “Nothing will come of nothing.”
As always, thanks for reading.
—Gary
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P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … Why it’s still OK to be weird.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.