Constructs of (In)sanity in Literature: An Historical Analysis of Madness in King Lear and Moby Dick. What significantly distinguishes Shakespeare's tragic play, King Lear, and Herman Melville's epic novel, Moby Dick, can be traced to the historical constructs of "madness" which reflect their particular cultural contexts. Shakespeare, writing in the fifteenth century, was immersed with the ideological constructs of madness of his time. A complete "madness" analysis follows. 3 pgs. 9 f/c. 7b. Pages: 3 Bibliography: 7 source(s) listed Filename: 1886 Lear Dick.doc Price: 26.85