King Lear Essay, Research Paper

KING LEAR: THE PLOT

There are really two plots in King Lear, a main plot and a fully

developed subplot. Each has its own set of characters.

In the main plot, there is the head of the family, the

80-plus-year-old king of Britain, Lear. He has three daughters,

Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. The Duke of Albany is married to

the oldest, Goneril, and the Duke of Cornwall is married to

Regan, the middle daughter. Cordelia has two suitors, the Duke

of Burgundy and the King of France. The court jester, the Fool,

is by extension a member of the Lear family and part of the main

plot, as is the Earl of Kent, Lear’s loyal follower.

The Earl of Gloucester, also a member of Lear’s court, is the

head of another family and the focus of the subplot. He has two

offspring, an older, legitimate son named Edgar and a younger,

illegitimate or bastard son named Edmund.

Various minor characters appear from time to time. They are

easily identified by their connections with whatever main

character they serve or speak of.

As the play opens, Lear has decided to retire and divide his

kingdom among his three daughters. Cordelia’s husband will be

chosen for her immediately after Lear executes this “living

will.” Before he allots the shares, Lear asks each daughter to

make a profession of her love for him in order to receive her

entitlement. Goneril and Regan waste no time professing love

for their father, but Cordelia is speechless. She loves her

father as any daughter should, no more and no less. Lear is

outraged by what he sees as her lack of devotion. He cuts

Cordelia out of her share and banishes her. Her share is

divided between Goneril and Regan. Lear gives them everything

but keeps a retinue, a following of 100 knights who will

accompany him as he alternates monthly visits between his two

daughters. Cordelia’s suitors are called in. Without a dowry,

Burgundy rejects her; but the King of France sees her true worth

and leads Cordelia off to marriage and his protection.

At Gloucester’s castle, Edmund reveals that he will not let his

illegitimate birth and older brother prevent him from inheriting

his father’s estate. He devises a plan to convince Gloucester

that Edgar is secretly planning to kill his father to get his

hands on the family property and enjoy it while he’s still

young. Edmund then tells Edgar that their father is after him

for some mistaken notion of a reported crime. Eventually

Gloucester is convinced of Edgar’s treachery and seeks to put

his older son to death. Edgar flees for his life.

Meanwhile, Lear discovers that living with his two daughters is

no joy. He is so outraged by their cruel behavior toward him

that he curses them and rushes out into a violent storm. During

his exposure to the elements he is accompanied by Kent, the Fool

(his court jester), and eventually by Edgar, who has disguised

himself as a lunatic beggar named “poor Tom.”

Gloucester tries to help Lear and his followers but is betrayed

to Cornwall and Regan by Edmund. As punishment, Gloucester is

blinded and sent out into the storm, too. Edgar, still

disguised, discovers his blind father and leads him to Dover,

where he joins Lear, who has gone mad from exposure to the

elements and the anguish he has suffered at the hands of his

daughters.

The news of Lear’s treatment had reached Cordelia, and the King

of France has sent an invading force to England to help restore

Lear’s rights to him. In Dover, where they have landed,

Cordelia finds Lear and helps to restore his sanity by loving

care.

While preparing to fight the French invaders, Goneril and Regan

have developed a passion for Edmund. But before they can do

anything about it, the battle is fought. The French lose, and

Lear and Cordelia are taken prisoners.

Edmund sends Lear and Cordelia to prison with orders for them to

be secretly killed. When Albany enters, he accuses Edmund of

treason for plotting with Goneril against him and the interests

of the state. Edmund is given the chance to defend his honor in

a duel. Edgar appears in a new disguise to take up this

challenge and mortally wounds Edmund. Goneril sees the

handwriting on the wall and flees from the scene. Edmund

confesses all his crimes as a servant enters and announces that

Goneril has poisoned Regan and killed herself. Edmund then

reveals that he has ordered Lear’s and Cordelia’s deaths.

Albany sends soldiers to prevent it, but he’s too late. Lear

enters carrying the dead Cordelia in his arms. As he weeps for

her, surrounded by the bodies of Goneril and Regan, the

survivors can only stare in respectful awe.

Albany, the victor of the battle, relinquishes rule of the

country to Kent and Edgar, but the worn-out Kent doesn’t accept.

Edgar is left to restore order in England as the bodies of the

dead are carried away.

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