King Lear is a man whose fortunes keep declining throughout the Play until, finally, he does a completely broken man. For him, there is no Wheel of Fortune.Online study guide for King Lear: A Level, Studying the play The wheel of Fortune. Macduff kills Macbeth and Malcolm becomes Scotland's king. Characters in the Play. The Wheel of Fortune or Rota Fortunae is a symbol of the capricious nature of Fate. Characters in Shakespearean tragedy frequently single out Fortuna as the cause of their unhappiness and curse her as a liar and a strumpet.