King Lear – Plot Study and Synopsis
Act One
When we enter the story, we find that our main character, Lear, is in quite a dilemma. He obviously does not have much time left on this world, and has to divide his kingdom so someone gets the land and Lear can prevent a war from occurring. He is being pressured to do so by the dukes of Albany and Cornwall, who are about to clash with fury over the land dispute, and Lear is not to thrilled with his situation at the moment. Lear decides to split the land between his three daughters – Regan, Goneril, and Cordelia. To decide, he asks his daughters who loves him the most. Whoever does gets the land. Goneril and Regan shower him with (gag me) unending praise and gratitude. Cordelia simply says “no more nor less”. The king gets pretty ticked off by her answer and excludes her from getting land. Only Regan and Goneril inherit the kingdom in a fifty-fifty split. Quickly after this, Cornelia’s suitor – the Duke of Burgundy – leaves her because he sees no value in staying with her. Lear, still enraged, banishes Kent from the kingdom.
Soon after this, we learn something interesting. It turns out that the Duke of Gloucester has two sons – a bastard child named Edmund and a legitimate one named Edgar. If Gloucester dies, Edmund would not get anything because he is illegitimate. Edgar on the other hand would get everything. Edmund, angry at the fact that he would be a second banana at best to his “brother”, devises an elaborate plot to get on top by giving Gloucester a letter saying that Edgar was trying to kill him so that Edgar could take over the land.
The Essay on King Lear Play Love Goneril Words
In the play King Lear, Lear reaches old age without achieving any wisdom. This statement is very true, many evidences can be found throughout the acts. For example: Lear is ignorant of the truth, he only hears what he wants to hear and he makes several rash decisions that leads to his downfall. Although Lear achieved very little wisdom over his lifetime, he did learn allot about humility, which is ...
Meanwhile, Kent tries to talk some sense into the mad king. He shaves off his own beard to disguise himself and goes to the king. The king, also trying to blow off some steam, calls in his Fool to entertain him. The Fool does the unthinkable, using his puns and riddles to show how the king is more of a fool than the Fool ever was. The king slowly begins to realize that Goneril is not the loving daughter she portrayed herself to be. At the end of the act, Lear sends Kent as a messenger to Gloucester.
Act Two
By now, Edmund is setting his plot into action. He wounds himself and tells his father that Edgar did it. Edgar has no choice but to flee. In the middle of this turmoil, Kent arrives. Unfortunately for him, Regan and Cornwall are at Gloucester’s too. They put Kent in the stocks. Edgar infiltrates the palace as a beggar named “Poor Tom” soon after this. To add to the confusion, Lear arrives. He is angered to see Kent in the stocks, which is extremely embarrassing and disrespectful. Lear needs a place to stay because of a storm outside and he asks Regan. Astonishingly (ha) enough, Regan – who said that she loved him just a scene before – would prefer if he did not stay in the castle. Lear rushes out of the castle, in the middle of the storm, screaming.
Act Three
The storm is still raging across the countryside as Kent tries to solicit help from Cordelia. He tells a man to give her a ring. He is accompanying Lear (along with the fool and Edgar as “Poor Tom”) in the storm. Gloucester tries to get Lear out of the storm, but Lear refuses, saying that his daughters have abandoned him and do not love him. Soon after, Gloucester warns Kent that there is a plan to kill the aging ruler. The conspirators, – Regan, Cornwall, and Goneril – find out that Gloucester has warned Lear. They pluck out his eyes (ouch) for punishment.
Act Four
The wounded duke is lead out of the castle by an old man. The old man allows Edgar to take over his job of leading Gloucester around. The two go to Dover. It is now that we learn a plot twist like few Shakespeare puts in his plays. Edmund has been secretly “seeing” Goneril. The gentleman in the last act returns to Kent to tell him that he told Cornelia of the King’s status.
The Term Paper on King Lear Fool Shakespeare Gloucester
... After Gloucester's meeting with Edgar, Shakespeare provides us with one of his most pathetic scenes: the mad King Lear meeting ... fracturing sense of self precluding his better apprehension. Kent, Lear's chief lieutenant, immediately recognizes his chief's grave error. ... He is similarly pleased with Regan's praises. Lear foolishly believes that Goneril and Regan love and respect him the ...
Now Gloucester wants to end his life. He tells Edgar to take him to a cliff so that he may heave himself off and end his suffering. “Poor Tom” refuses to let him do so. Lear makes a true surprise appearance, clothed in nothing but flowers. A servant comes in, by the name of Oswald, and attempts to kill Gloucester. Edgar kills Oswald, preventing his father’s death. Of course, this forces Edgar to reveal his identity. Cordelia shows up now and reunites with her father.
Act Five
Edmund, it turns out, must really have enjoyed the company of both of Cordelia’s sisters. He has been seeing Regan too. This infuriates her suitor, the Duke of Albany. After Cordelia and Lear become prisoners, Edmund and Albany duel. Edgar rushes in and wounds Edmund. Edmund makes a confession (why does it take him so long to die?) and he collapses. The two evil sisters meet their ends soon after. Goneril poisons Regan and soon after she kills herself. Lear walks in next with the dead body of his only faithful daughter Cornelia. He then finds out that, filling out the body count, his beloved Fool is dead. Lear is next to die. He collapses on the floor and his life ends. Edgar, the only remaining person in the play that is pure and good enough to take the throne does so. He restores peace and brings love to the countryside again.
