Abstract: The analysis of King Lear can help to learn more about the British society in 16th and 17th century, and studies on the three female images in this play can contribute a lot in understanding the social status of contemporary women. Through the analysis on the experience and tragedy of Goneril, Regan and Cordelia, the oppression women suffer in patriarchal society can be revealed. Together with a comparison between different experiences of female characters and male characters, it can be found that though Britain in 16th and 17th century was under the influence of humanism, women were still fettered by the patriarchal society as the victim in the male’s fighting for power. 

Key words: King Lear，female images, patriarchal society 

摘要：对《李尔王》的研究对于展现英国16、17世纪的社会面貌有重要意义，而对剧中的三个女性角色的研究对于理解当时女性的社会地位有重要的作用。本文通过对剧中高纳里尔、里根和考狄丽亚的遭遇及悲剧命运的分析，揭示了女性在男权社会受到的压迫，并通过剧中女性角色与男性角色的境遇对比，突出说明尽管16、17世纪的英国已受到人文主义的影响，但是由于人们思想的保守性，女性并没有摆脱男权社会的束缚，她们仍然是男性权力斗争的受害者。

关键词：《李尔王》，女性角色，男权社会