King Lear's Daughters: Names & Character Analysis - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com King Lear's Daughters: Names & Character Analysis Watch short & fun videos Start Your Free Trial Today An error occurred trying to load this video. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. You must create an account to continue watching Register for a free trial Are you a student or a teacher? I am a student Start Your Free Trial To Continue Watching As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you succeed. Coming up next: King Lear: Character Analysis & Sketch You're on a roll. Keep up the good work! Your next lesson will play in 10 seconds 0:02 Characters and Plot Add to Add to Add to Want to watch this again later? Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. Custom Courses are courses that you create from Study.com lessons. Use them just like other courses to track progress, access quizzes and exams, and share content. Teachers Organize and share selected lessons with your class. Make planning easier by creating your own custom course.

Students Create a new course from any lesson page or your dashboard. From any lesson page: Click "Add to" located below the video player and follow the prompts to name your course and save your lesson. From your dashboard: Click on the "Custom Courses" tab, then click "Create course". Next, go to any lesson page and begin adding lessons. Edit your Custom Course directly from your dashboard. Personalize: Name your Custom Course and add an optional description or learning objective. Organize: Create chapters to group lesson within your course. Remove and reorder chapters and lessons at any time. Share your Custom Course or assign lessons and chapters. Teacher Edition: Share or assign lessons and chapters by clicking the "Teacher" tab on the lesson or chapter page you want to assign. Students' quiz scores and video views will be trackable in your "Teacher" tab. Premium Edition: You can share your Custom Course by copying and pasting the course URL. Only Study.com members will be able to access the entire course. Create an account to start this course today Try it free for 5 days!

Lesson Transcript Instructor: James Fleming In William Shakespeare's tragic play, 'King Lear,' Lear's daughters - Goneril, Regan and Cordelia - serve as dramatic examples of good and evil, characteristics that lead them to either reject or redeem their father. In this lesson, you'll find a synopsis of the play and explore the familial relationships of some of the main characters. Characters and Plot In King Lear, the elderly king of England decides to retire and divide his kingdom evenly between his three daughters: Regan, Goneril and Cordelia. Before dividing his kingdom, Lear asks each of his daughters to demonstrate the extent of their love for him. Much to his delight, Lear's eldest daughters, Regan and Goneril, offer over-the-top assertions of their love. However, Lear's youngest and more beloved daughter, Cordelia, remains silent. Cordelia's response sends King Lear into a fit of rage, and he exiles her from his kingdom. Cordelia accepts an offer of marriage from the King of France and leaves. Not long afterwards, Regan and Goneril betray their father, depriving him of his right to knights and servants. Goneril even drives him out of her house.

After fleeing his kingdom, a disheartened and increasingly mad Lear wanders the countryside during a violent thunderstorm with his loyal Fool. Meanwhile, Cordelia sends French forces to England to rescue her father. After English forces subdue the French, Cordelia and Lear, who regrets his previous treatment of her, are imprisoned. Towards the end of the play, the adulterous Goneril poisons Regan and then commits suicide after learning that the philandering Edmund, the man they both love, is dead. When, Cordelia, the daughter who truly loved her father, is hanged, King Lear himself dies of grief. Cordelia Cordelia is the youngest of Lear's daughters and clearly his favorite; she embodies all that is missing from his kingdom and his soul. Her refusal to color or exaggerate her feelings for him indicates not a lack of love or respect, but honesty. Devoted, honest and virtuous, Cordelia stands in sharp contrast to her cruel, dishonest and greedy sisters, Goneril and Regan. Throughout the play, other characters describe Cordelia in nearly religious and saintly terms. However, Cordelia is more than just an idealistic female figure out of a fairy tale.

A complex and intelligent character, she shares her father's stubbornness and pride, not to mention a bit of his arrogance. When Cordelia is reunited with Lear at the end of the play, her inherent goodness allows her to forgive him and suggest that, if only for a few minutes, love can overpower evil and greed. Her execution also transforms her from a symbol of goodness and hope to a tragic sacrifice to the decidedly unjust world in which she lives. Goneril and Regan In many respects, Goneril and Regan are nearly indistinguishable from each other. Regan is a bit more passive than Goneril and willing to allow others, especially men, to do her dirty work for her. At the beginning of the play, both sisters appear clever, intelligent and genuinely concerned for their father. However, any sympathy we feel toward them quickly evaporates when Goneril turns her father out of her house and Regan helps to gouge out the eyes of the Earl of Gloucester, Edmund's father. Neither sister has a conscience, and both are easily overcome by their desires. They're ruled entirely by their appetites for power, which brings about their ultimate downfall. Both sisters want to marry Edmund.

Goneril, who even goes to far as to plot the murder of her own husband, poisons Regan and then kills herself when she learns Edmund is dead. Critical Viewpoints Many critics consider Cordelia the embodiment of goodness and find her the purest and most morally righteous character in all of Shakespeare's works. By comparison, Goneril and Regan serve as sharp contrasts to Cordelia, as well as reminders of the existence of evil. When Goneril commits suicide, her actions suggest a desire to avoid any punitive consequences and frustration, rather than real guilt or remorse. However, some critics feel that Cordelia, Goneril and Regan are merely simplistic characters that reveal Shakespeare's sexist and naive understandings of women. In contrast to his male characters, they find the sisters lacking in moral complexity and not as well developed. Some critics have argued that the long-suffering Cordelia serves as a portrait of the Virgin Mary. × No Fear Shakespeare: King Lear: Characters No Fear Shakespeare Act 1, Scene 1 King Lear The aging king of Britain and the protagonist of the play. Lear is used to enjoying absolute power and to being flattered, and he does not respond well to being contradicted or challenged.

At the beginning of the play, his values are notably hollow—he prefers his two older daughters' obvious flattery over the actual devotion of Cordelia, and he wishes to maintain the power of a king while unburdening himself of the responsibility. Nevertheless, Lear inspires loyalty in subjects such as Gloucester, Kent, Cordelia, and Edgar, all of whom risk their lives for him. Cordelia Lear’s youngest daughter, disowned by her father for refusing to flatter him. Cordelia is held in extremely high regard by all of the good characters in the play—the king of France marries her for her virtue alone, overlooking her lack of dowry. Cordelia remains loyal to Lear despite his cruelty toward her, forgives him, and displays a mild and forbearing temperament even toward her evil sisters, Goneril and Regan. Despite her obvious virtues, Cordelia’s reticence makes her motivations difficult to read, as in her refusal to declare her love for her father at the beginning of the play. Goneril Lear’s ruthless oldest daughter and the wife of the duke of Albany. Goneril is jealous, treacherous, and amoral.

Shakespeare’s audience would have been particularly shocked at Goneril’s aggressiveness, a quality that it would not have expected in a female character. Goneril challenges Lear’s authority, boldly initiates an affair with Edmund, and wrests military power away from her husband. Regan Lear’s middle daughter and the wife of the duke of Cornwall. Regan is as ruthless as Goneril and as aggressive in all the same ways. In fact, it is difficult to think of any quality that distinguishes her from her sister. When they are not egging each other on to further acts of cruelty, they jealously compete for the same man, Edmund. Gloucester A nobleman loyal to King Lear whose rank, earl, is below that of duke. The first thing we learn about Gloucester is that he is an adulterer, having fathered a bastard son, Edmund. Gloucester’s fate is in many ways parallel to that of Lear: he misjudges which of his children to trust. Also like Lear, Gloucester suffers tremendously for his mistakes. Edgar Gloucester’s older, legitimate son.

Edgar plays many different roles, starting out as a gullible fool easily tricked by his brother, then assuming a disguise as a mad beggar to evade his father’s men, then carrying his impersonation further to aid Lear and Gloucester, and finally appearing as an armored champion to avenge his brother’s treason. Edgar’s propensity for disguises and impersonations makes him a complex and at times puzzling character. Edmund Gloucester’s younger, illegitimate son. Edmund resents his status as a bastard and schemes to usurp Gloucester’s title and possessions from Edgar. He is a formidable character, succeeding in almost all of his schemes and wreaking destruction upon virtually all of the other characters. Kent A nobleman of the same rank as Gloucester who is loyal to King Lear. Kent spends most of the play disguised as a peasant, calling himself “Caius,” so that he can continue to serve Lear even after Lear banishes him. Kent is extremely loyal but gets himself into trouble throughout the play by being exceptionally blunt and outspoken. Albany The husband of Lear’s daughter Goneril.

Although Albany allows Goneril, Regan, and Cornwall to abuse their power, Albany himself is good at heart, eventually denouncing and opposing their cruelty and treachery. Yet Albany is indecisive and lacks foresight, not realizing the evil of his allies until quite late in the play. Cornwall The husband of Lear’s daughter Regan. Unlike Albany, Cornwall is domineering, cruel, and violent, and he works with his wife and sister-in-law Goneril to persecute Lear and Gloucester. Fool Lear’s jester. The Fool uses double-talk and seemingly frivolous songs to criticize Lear for the latter’s foolish mistakes. Oswald The steward, or chief servant, in Goneril’s house. Oswald obeys his mistress’s commands and helps her in her conspiracies. The Tragedy of King Lear: Plot Summary King Lear: Plot Summary The story opens in ancient Britain, where the elderly King Lear is deciding to give up his power and divide his realm amongst his three daughters, Cordelia, Regan, and Goneril.

Lear's plan is to give the largest piece of his kingdom to the child who professes to love him the most, certain that his favorite daughter, Cordelia, will win the challenge. Goneril and Regan, corrupt and deceitful, lie to their father with sappy and excessive declarations of affection. Cordelia, however, refuses to engage in Lear's game, and replies simply that she loves him as a daughter should. Her lackluster retort, despite its sincerity, enrages Lear, and he disowns Cordelia completely. When Lear's dear friend, the Earl of Kent, tries to speak on Cordelia's behalf, Lear banishes him from the kingdom. Meanwhile, the King of France, present at court and overwhelmed by Cordelia's honesty and virtue, asks for her hand in marriage, despite her loss of a sizable dowry. Cordelia accepts the King of France's proposal, and reluctantly leaves Lear with her two cunning sisters. Kent, although banished by Lear, remains to try to protect the unwitting King from the evils of his two remaining children. He disguises himself and takes a job as Lear's servant.

Now that Lear has turned over all his wealth and land to Regan and Goneril, their true natures surface at once. Lear and his few companions, including some knights, a fool, and the disguised Kent, go to live with Goneril, but she reveals that she plans to treat him like the old man he is while he is under her roof. So Lear decides to stay instead with his other daughter, and he sends Kent ahead to deliver a letter to Regan, preparing her for his arrival. However, when Lear arrives at Regan's castle, he is horrified to see that Kent has been placed in stocks. Kent is soon set free, but before Lear can uncover who placed his servant in the stocks, Goneril arrives, and Lear realizes that Regan is conspiring with her sister against him. Gloucester arrives back at Regan's castle in time to hear that the two sisters are planning to murder the King. He rushes away immediately to warn Kent to send Lear to Dover, where they will find protection. Kent, Lear, and the Fool leave at once, while Edgar remains behind in the shadows.

Sadly, Regan and Goneril discover Gloucester has warned Lear of their plot, and Cornwall, Regan's husband, gouges out Gloucester's eyes. A servant tries to help Gloucester and attacks Cornwall with a sword � a blow later to prove fatal. News arrives that Cordelia has raised an army of French troops that have landed at Dover. Regan and Goneril ready their troops to fight and they head to Dover. Meanwhile, Kent has heard the news of Cordelia's return, and sets off with Lear hoping that father and daughter can be reunited. Gloucester too tries to make his way to Dover, and on the way, finds his own lost son, Edgar. Tired from his ordeal, Lear sleeps through the battle between Cordelia and her sisters. When Lear awakes he is told that Cordelia has been defeated. Lear takes the news well, thinking that he will be jailed with his beloved Cordelia � away from his evil offspring. However, the orders have come, not for Cordelia's imprisonment, but for her death. Despite their victory, the evil natures of Goneril and Regan soon destroy them.

Both in love with Gloucester's conniving son, Edmund (who gave the order for Cordelia to be executed), Goneril poisons Regan. But when Goneril discovers that Edmund has been fatally wounded by Edgar, Goneril kills herself as well. As Edmund takes his last breath he repents and the order to execute Cordelia is reversed. But the reversal comes too late and Cordelia is hanged. Lear appears, carrying the body of Cordelia in his arms. Mad with grief, Lear bends over Cordelia's body, looking for a sign of life. The strain overcomes Lear and he falls dead on top of his daughter. Kent declares that he will follow his master into the afterlife and the noble Edgar becomes the ruler of Britain. How to cite this article: Mabillard, Amanda. King Lear Plot Summary. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2004. < >.

____ SparkNotes: King Lear: Act 1, scenes 1–2 Act 1, scenes 1–2 Act 1, scenes 1–2 → Act 1, scenes 1–2, page 2 page 1 of 3 Summary: Act 1, scene 1 Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth. (See Important Quotations Explained ) The play begins with two noblemen, Gloucester and Kent, discussing the fact that King Lear is about to divide his kingdom. Their conversation quickly changes, however, when Kent asks Gloucester to introduce his son. Gloucester introduces Edmund, explaining that Edmund is a bastard being raised away from home, but that he nevertheless loves his son dearly. Lear, the ruler of Britain, enters his throne room and announces his plan to divide the kingdom among his three daughters. He intends to give up the responsibilities of government and spend his old age visiting his children. He commands his daughters to say which of them loves him the most, promising to give the greatest share to that daughter.

Lear’s scheming older daughters, Goneril and Regan, respond to his test with flattery, telling him in wildly overblown terms that they love him more than anything else. But Cordelia, Lear’s youngest (and favorite) daughter, refuses to speak. When pressed, she says that she cannot “heave her heart into her mouth,” that she loves him exactly as much as a daughter should love her father, and that her sisters wouldn’t have husbands if they loved their father as much as they say (1.1.90–91). In response, Lear flies into a rage, disowns Cordelia, and divides her share of the kingdom between her two sisters. The earl of Kent, a nobleman who has served Lear faithfully for many years, is the only courtier who disagrees with the king’s actions. Kent tells Lear he is insane to reward the flattery of his older daughters and disown Cordelia, who loves him more than her sisters do. Lear turns his anger on Kent, banishing him from the kingdom and telling him that he must be gone within six days.

The king of France and duke of Burgundy are at Lear’s court, awaiting his decision as to which of them will marry Cordelia. Lear calls them in and tells them that Cordelia no longer has any title or land. Burgundy withdraws his offer of marriage, but France is impressed by Cordelia’s honesty and decides to make her his queen. Lear sends her away without his blessing. Goneril and Regan scheme together in secrecy. Although they recognize that they now have complete power over the kingdom, they agree that they must act to reduce their father’s remaining authority. 1 SparkNotes: King Lear: Character List Character List Plot Overview Analysis of Major Characters King Lear - The aging king of Britain and the protagonist of the play. Lear is used to enjoying absolute power and to being flattered, and he does not respond well to being contradicted or challenged. At the beginning of the play, his values are notably hollow—he prioritizes the appearance of love over actual devotion and wishes to maintain the power of a king while unburdening himself of the responsibility. Nevertheless, he inspires loyalty in subjects such as Gloucester, Kent, Cordelia, and Edgar, all of whom risk their lives for him.

Read an in-depth analysis of King Lear. Cordelia - Lear’s youngest daughter, disowned by her father for refusing to flatter him. Cordelia is held in extremely high regard by all of the good characters in the play—the king of France marries her for her virtue alone, overlooking her lack of dowry. She remains loyal to Lear despite his cruelty toward her, forgives him, and displays a mild and forbearing temperament even toward her evil sisters, Goneril and Regan. Despite her obvious virtues, Cordelia’s reticence makes her motivations difficult to read, as in her refusal to declare her love for her father at the beginning of the play. Read an in-depth analysis of Cordelia. Goneril - Lear’s ruthless oldest daughter and the wife of the duke of Albany. Goneril is jealous, treacherous, and amoral. Shakespeare’s audience would have been particularly shocked at Goneril’s aggressiveness, a quality that it would not have expected in a female character. She challenges Lear’s authority, boldly initiates an affair with Edmund, and wrests military power away from her husband. Read an in-depth analysis of Goneril.

Regan - Lear’s middle daughter and the wife of the duke of Cornwall. Regan is as ruthless as Goneril and as aggressive in all the same ways. In fact, it is difficult to think of any quality that distinguishes her from her sister. When they are not egging each other on to further acts of cruelty, they jealously compete for the same man, Edmund. Read an in-depth analysis of Regan. Gloucester - A nobleman loyal to King Lear whose rank, earl, is below that of duke. The first thing we learn about Gloucester is that he is an adulterer, having fathered a bastard son, Edmund. His fate is in many ways parallel to that of Lear: he misjudges which of his children to trust. He appears weak and ineffectual in the early acts, when he is unable to prevent Lear from being turned out of his own house, but he later demonstrates that he is also capable of great bravery. Edgar - Gloucester’s older, legitimate son.

Edgar plays many different roles, starting out as a gullible fool easily tricked by his brother, then assuming a disguise as a mad beggar to evade his father’s men, then carrying his impersonation further to aid Lear and Gloucester, and finally appearing as an armored champion to avenge his brother’s treason. Edgar’s propensity for disguises and impersonations makes it difficult to characterize him effectively. Edmund - Gloucester’s younger, illegitimate son. Edmund resents his status as a bastard and schemes to usurp Gloucester’s title and possessions from Edgar. He is a formidable character, succeeding in almost all of his schemes and wreaking destruction upon virtually all of the other characters. Read an in-depth analysis of Edmund. Kent - A nobleman of the same rank as Gloucester who is loyal to King Lear. Kent spends most of the play disguised as a peasant, calling himself “Caius,” so that he can continue to serve Lear even after Lear banishes him. He is extremely loyal, but he gets himself into trouble throughout the play by being extremely blunt and outspoken. Albany - The husband of Lear’s daughter Goneril.

Albany is good at heart, and he eventually denounces and opposes the cruelty of Goneril, Regan, and Cornwall. Yet he is indecisive and lacks foresight, realizing the evil of his allies quite late in the play. Cornwall - The husband of Lear’s daughter Regan. Unlike Albany, Cornwall is domineering, cruel, and violent, and he works with his wife and sister-in-law Goneril to persecute Lear and Gloucester. Fool - Lear’s jester, who uses double-talk and seemingly frivolous songs to give Lear important advice. Oswald - The steward, or chief servant, in Goneril’s house. Oswald obeys his mistress’s commands and helps her in her conspiracies. King Lear King Lear Study Guide Prepared by Michael J. Cummings...ï¿½ 2003, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2016 Type of Work King Lear is a tragic stage play centering on the decline and fall of a dysfunctional royal family.

It is also sometimes referred to as a chronicle play because it draws upon historical information in such documents as The True Chronicle History of King Leir and His Daughters (anonymous, 1594) and The Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland, by Raphael Holinshed (1587). Composition, Performance, and Publication Dates . The best evidence indicates that Shakespeare wrote King Lear between 1603 and 1606. The first documented performance of the play took place December 26, 1606, before King James I at his palace in London. According to Treasures in Full: Shakespeare in Quarto , another documented performance took place at the town of Nidderdale, Yorkshire, in Gowthwaite Hall. Publication Quarto editions of King Lear were published in 1608 and 1619. In 1623, the play was published in a book that included thirty-five other Shakespeare plays. This book was in folio format, a larger format than quarto, and constituted the first authorized collection of Shakespeare's plays. It came to be known as the First Folio.

Sources The probable main sources for the play were The True Chronicle History of King Leir and His Daughters (anonymous, 1594); The Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland, by Raphael Holinshed (1587); Arcadia (1590, Chapter 10, Book 2), by Sir Philip Sidney; and a Dutch pamphlet entitled ï¿½Strange, Fearful and True News Which Happened at Carlstadt in the Kingdom of Croatiaï¿½ (a source for the information on eclipses in Act 1, Scene, 2.) Settings . The action takes place in ancient Britain. The places include the castles of King Lear and the Earl of Gloucester, the palace of the Duke of Albany, a forest, a heath, a farmhouse near Gloucesterï¿½s castle, a French camp near Dover, a British camp near Dover, and fields near Dover. Characters Lear: King of England and the main character, or protagonist. He is a headstrong old man who is blind to his weaknesses and misjudges his three daughters, believing that the two evil daughters have his best interests at heart and that his good and selfless daughter opposes him.

He undergoes great suffering that opens his eyes and ennobles his character. Whether there was a historical Lear is uncertain. Goneril, Regan: Selfish, greedy daughters of Lear who pretend to love him when he announces that he will gives them shares of his kingdom. Later, they treat him cruelly. Cordelia: Loyal and unselfish daughter of Lear. He disowns her after confusing her honesty with insolence. She continues to love her father in spite of his rejection of her. Duke of Burgundy: Suitor of Cordelia. He decides to reject her after Lear disowns her. King of France: Suitor of Cordelia. He marries her even though Lear has disowned her. Duke of Cornwall: Regan's husband, who is just as cruel as she is. Duke of Albany: Goneril's husband. He turns against her when he realizes that she is an evil schemer. Earl of Kent: True and honest friend of Lear who remains loyal even after the king banishes him.

To continue serving the king, he wears a disguise and calls himself ï¿½Caius.ï¿½ Earl of Gloucester: Old man who suffers from many of the same faults as Lear. Like Lear, he is old and self-important; like Lear, he misjudges his children and undergoes suffering that makes him a better man. However, Gloucester is less forceful and demanding than Lear and more given to compromise. Such qualities make him a foil of Lear. Edgar: Gloucester's loyal son and heir. He resembles Cordelia in his loyalty to hid father. Edmund: Gloucester's evil bastard son. He resembles Goneril and Regan in his disloyalty to his father. Fool: Jester loyal to Lear and Cordelia. The fool is a walking paradoxï¿½that is, he is the wisest character in play in that he is the only character who understands the motivations of Lear, his daughters, and other characters. He acts as a kind of mirror, reflecting Learï¿½s faults and weaknesses. Curan: Courtier. Old Man: Tenant of Gloucester. Doctor: Physician who attends Lear after the old king arrives at Dover.

Oswald: Villainous steward of Goneril. Captain: Employee of Edmund. First Servant, Second Servant, Third Servant: Servants of the Duke of Cornwall. Monsier La Far: Marshal of France. He has no speaking part. Minor Characters: Knights of Lear's train, captains, messengers, soldiers, and attendants. . By Michael J. Cummings...ï¿½ 2003, 2013 . King Lear, a dotty 80-year-old ruler of ancient Britain, announces that he will retire from the throne and divide his kingdom among his three daughters: Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. The foolish, self-centered old man declares in Act 1that the daughter who loves him most will receive the biggest share of his property. Then he will live with each daughter in turn, one month at a time.

The avaricious Goneril declares that her love for her father knows no bounds: Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter; Dearer than eye-sight, space, and liberty; Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare; No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour; As much as child e'er loved, or father found; A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable; Beyond all manner of so much I love you. (1.1.39-45) Equally avaricious Regan says Goneril comes up short, declaring, ï¿½I am alone felicitate / In your dear highnessï¿½ loveï¿½ (1.1.59-60). Much pleased, Lear asks his favorite daughter, Cordelia, what she can do to win the richest share of his kingdom. She replies, ï¿½Nothing, my lordï¿½ (1.1.72). Surprised and disappointed, Lear presses Cordelia, the only daughter who truly loves her father, to speak up for herself.

But she says, Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty According to my bond; nor more nor less. (1.1.76-78) Angry now, Lear warns her to ï¿½mend your speech a little, / Lest it may mar your fortunesï¿½ (1.1.79-80). But Cordelia stands fast, refusing to take part in the foolish contest. Consequently, Lear disowns her and divides his property between Goneril and Regan. The Duke of Kent, long a loyal friend of the king, advises Lear that his action is rash and foolish. He asserts: ï¿½Thy youngest daughter does not love thee leastï¿½ (1.1.142). Lear warns him to hold his tongue. Kentï¿½believing himself honor-bound to point out Learï¿½s follyï¿½says, ï¿½Iï¿½ll tell thee thou dost evilï¿½ (1.1.161). In response, Lear banishes him from the country.

The Duke of Burgundy, who has been suing for the hand of Cordelia, now rejects her as unworthy. After all, she is without property and title. But the King of France, who admires the young woman for her honesty and spunk, marries her; they leave to live in France. Goneril and her husband, the Duke of Albany, first host Lear, his fool, and his entourage of a hundred knights. But in time, the eccentric old man and the rowdy behavior of his companions vex her sorely. After Gonerilï¿½s steward, Oswald, scolds the king's fool, Lear strikes Oswald. In response, Goneril says, By day and night he wrongs me; every hour He flashes into one gross crime or other, That sets us all at odds: I'll not endure it. (1.3.5-7) She tells Oswald to ignore Lear and his entourage since he is now an ï¿½idle old manï¿½ (1.3.18) who has relinquished his authority. If he dislikes the treatment he receives, she says, he can move to the castle of Regan and her husband, the Duke of Cornwall.

There, she says, he will receive similar treatment, for Regan and she are of one mind in their view that their father is a pesky old man. Meanwhile, the banished Kent presents himself in disguise, calling himself Caius, and tells the king he wishes to serve him: ï¿½I can keep honest counsel, ride, run . . . and deliver a plain message bluntly: that which ordinary men are fit for, I am qualified in; and the best of me is diligenceï¿½ (1.4.26). After Lear accepts him, Kent learns from one of the knights that Goneril no longer regards her father with affection. Oswald enters. Lear, regarding him as a tool of Goneril, insults and slaps him. For good measure, the disguised Kent trips Oswald and pushes him away. The kingï¿½s fool comes in just then and recites a little speech for Lear and Kent.

It contains more wisdom than Lear realizes: Have more than thou showest, Speak less than thou knowest, Lend less than thou owest [own], Ride more than thou goest [walk], Learn more than thou trowest [know], Set less than thou throwest [in a game of dice, bet less than you can afford to lose] Leave thy drink and thy whore, And keep in-a-door [indoors], And thou shalt have more [more money] Than two tens to a score. (1.4.71-80) Goneril enters and reprimands Lear for the rowdy behavior of his knights. She tells him to reduce their number, keeping only those who behave. Lear defends them as honorable men and curses Goneril as a monster. He tells her husband, Albany, never to have children with her: "Into her womb convey sterility; / Dry up her organs of increase (1.4.193-194). But if she does become pregnant, Lear says, "Create her child of spleen, that it may live / And be a thwart disnatur'd torment to her!" (1.4.198-199).

With such a child, he says, she shall come to learn "how sharper than a serpent's tooth it is / to have a thankless child" (1.4.203-204). Lear and his company then depart for Gloucester's castle, where Regan and her husband, Cornwall, are to pay a visit. Goneril sends Oswald ahead to warn her sister of Learï¿½s approach. Lear, unaware of Oswaldï¿½s mission, sends word of his coming in letters carried by the disguised Earl of Kent. Lear's fool then picks at the old man, the better to make him understand himself and the folly of his headstrong ways. ï¿½If thou wert my fool, nuncle,ï¿½ he says, ï¿½Iï¿½d have thee beaten for being old before thy timeï¿½ (1.5.25). Meanwhile, the Earl of Gloucester and his son Edgar become victims of skulduggery when Gloucester's illegitimate son, Edmund, claims that Edgar, Gloucesterï¿½s rightful heir, had schemed to murder the old man and attempted to persuade Edmund to take part in the plot.

Edmund says that when he refused to participate, Edgar ran at him with a sword and glanced his arm. When he recovered and defended himself, Edmund says, Edgar ran off. Edmund shows his father the bleeding injury to his arm, which Edmund himself had inflicted. Gloucester believes Edmund even though Edgar dearly loves his father, and he orders his servants to pursue Edgar. When Regan and Cornwall arrive for their visit, Gloucester repeats what Edmund told him and commends the latter for foiling the plot. Cornwall promises to support Gloucester against Edgar and praises Edmund for his virtue and loyalty to his father. Regan and Cornwall then reveal the purpose of their visit: to seek Gloucester's advice about how to handle Lear, a matter that Goneril and Lear have both brought to the attention of Regan in separate letters. Kent then arrives at Gloucesterï¿½s castle. There, he encounters Oswald and heaps insults upon him. Oswald had arrived at the castle before Kent to poison Reganï¿½s ear against Lear and his entourage. When Kent draws his sword against Oswald, the latter cries for help.

The commotion attracts Regan and Cornwall, and Cornwall orders Kent placed in stocks (a wooden frame that closes around the wrists and ankles.) Out on a heath, Edgar, aware now that he has been framed, hides in the hollow of a tree to avoid capture. Realizing that people everywhere will be on the lookout for him, he decides to disguise himself as a lunatic beggar, griming his face, knotting his hair, and stripping off most of his clothes. After Lear arrives at the castle, his fool pokes fun at the immobilized Kent (still disguised as Caius), saying that he wears "cruel garters" and that when "a man is over-lusty . . . he wears wooden nether-stocks" (2.4.12). Kent reports that he delivered Lear's letters to Regan and Cornwall at their castle at the same time that letters to Regan from Goneril arrived. Regan and her husband then immediately left to see Gloucester, telling Kent to follow to await their reply to Lear's letter. Kent finishes his report with an account of his clash with Oswald and his immobilization in stocks. Lear enters the castle and returns a short while later with Gloucester.

The king is angry that his daughter and her husband have so far refused to leave their chamber to see him. When they finally deign to appear, they free Kent while Lear explains to them what happened at Gonerilï¿½s. But Regan defends her sister and suggests that Lear apologize to her. After Goneril arrives, the two sisters gang up on Lear. In a rage, he storms out with his fool into a tempestuous night. Winds howl and rain falls in torrents as the elements mimic the raving anger of Lear. The king observes that nature has joined with his faithless daughters to torment him. ï¿½I am a man / More sinnï¿½d against than sinningï¿½ (3.2.49-50), he laments. Kent, who has followed Lear, persuades the old man to take shelter in a hut. By and by, Edgar, now acting the part of a wandering beggar and lunatic, finds shelter in the same hut Lear occupies. His wits now failing him, Lear identifies with Edgar and strips away his royal robes to become like Edgar. Gloucester, torch in hand, also finds his way to the hut.

He advises Kent that Lear must leave quickly, for his daughters want him dead. If Lear goes to Dover, Gloucester says, he will be safe. The King of France and his army will soon land there to help the old king win back his throne. Lear and his foolï¿½along with Kent and Edgarï¿½then travel with Gloucester back to his castle. There, they take shelter in his farmhouse. After Gloucester enters the castle, Learï¿½now out of his witsï¿½announces legal proceedings against Regan and Goneril, addressing Edgar as "a robed man of justice" (3.6.25) and the fool as a "yoke-fellow of equity" (3.6.26). He tells them to arraign Goneril first and then begins testifying against her. Edgar and the fool play along. When Gloucester returns, he tells Kent he has overhead a plot to murder the king. Hurriedly, they lay the demented Lear in a litter Gloucester has provided, and Kent and the fool carry him off toward Dover.

Gloucester and Edgar, still in the guise of a ï¿½wandering lunatic,ï¿½ remain behind at Gloucester's castle. After Gloucester reports news of the French invasion to his ï¿½trustedï¿½ son, the evil Edmund, the young man immediately reports the news to Regan and her husband, Cornwall. Goneril is there with them. In turn, Cornwall tells Goneril and Edmund to go at once to alert Goneril's husband, Albany, of the invasion so that he may prepare for battle. Hot after more news, Cornwall orders servants to fetch Gloucester. When he arrives, Cornwall orders him bound to a chair as a traitor who has furthered the plan to restore Lear to the throne, via the French invasion. When Regan and Cornwall demand to know the destination of Lear, Regan begins plucking the hairs of Gloucester's beard. Gloucester then tells them he sent Lear to Dover to save him from the wrath of Regan and Goneril. Defiantly, he adds that he "shall see / the winged vengeance overtake" (3.7.67) the two sisters.

In retaliation, Cornwall rams a foot into one of Gloucester's eyes. When a servant comes to Gloucester's defense, Cornwall draws a sword against him. The servant draws and wounds Cornwall, but Regan stabs the servant from behind, killing him. Cornwall then puts out Gloucester's other eye, blinding him, as Regan taunts Gloucester by revealing that Edmund had duped him, then informed on him. The blind old man now realizes how wrong he was to place his trust in Edmund instead of Edgar. Regan and Cornwall cast him out of the castle. "Let him smell his way to Dover" (3.7.97-98), Regan says. Cornwall later dies of his sword wound. While a loyal attendant leads the blinded Gloucester through a heath, they come upon Gloucesterï¿½s good son, Edgar (the ï¿½wandering lunaticï¿½). Gloucester asks him to take him to Dover, where Gloucester intends to throw himself off a cliff. Edgar, without revealing his identity, agrees to lead him.

When Goneril arrives with Edmund at the castle of her husband, Albany, Oswald greets them and informs them that he has already conveyed to Albany news of the French invasion. He warns Goneril that Albany is a changed man who condemns the maltreatment of Gloucester and the services performed by Edmund, as well as the plans of Goneril and Regan in general. Goneril then tells Edmund it is best for him to leave and prepare for war, as she herself will do. Oswald will act as a go-between to maintain communications. When Edmund is about to depart, Goneril kisses him and gives him a favor (such as a charm or keepsake). After he leaves, Albany confronts Goneril, calling her and her sister vile for their treatment of Lear, whom he refers to as "a gracious man, / Whose reverence the head-lugg'd bear would lick" (4.2.48-49). A messenger arrives and reports the death of Cornwall. In a room in Gloucester's castle sometime later, Regan questions Oswald after he stops there on his way to deliver a letter from Goneril to Edmund.

When she asks Oswald to allow her to unseal and read the letter, Oswald hesitates. Regan then summarizes the message she believes the letter contains: Goneril expresses her love for Edmund, upon whom she has looked fondly. However, Regan says she herself is better suited for Edmund, especially now that her husband, Cornwall, is dead. She then gives Oswald her own message to bear to Edmund. She also asks him to kill Gloucester if he encounters him, for the old man could speak against her and Goneril. "Preferment falls on him that cuts him off" (4.5.44), she tells Oswald. Meanwhile, when Gloucester and Edgar arrive at Dover, Edgar pretends that they are on a cliff. As Gloucester prepares to jump, Lear arrives wearing flowers and speaking nonsense. Gloucester recognizes his voice and begs to kiss his hand. Lear says, "Let me wipe it first; it smells of mortality" (4.6.134). After raving on, Lear says he recognizes the voice of his interlocutor: that of Gloucester.

An unidentified gentleman approaches Lear and tries to tell him that Cordelia has arrived with the French army, but Lear gibbers on. The gentleman then converses with Edgar, telling him the French army is very near and "on speedy foot" (4.6.205). After the gentleman leaves, Gloucester hurls himself forward, falling only a few feet while thinking he is falling into eternity. He survives his "suicide." Oswald is at the scene. Approaching Gloucester, he says, "The sword is out / That must destroy thee" (4.6.227-228). Edgar steps to Gloucester's defense, dealing Oswald a mortal blow. Before he dies, Oswald asks Edgar to give the letter on his person to Edmund. After Oswald breathes his last, Edgar reads the letter. In it, Goneril mentions "reciprocal vows" (4.6.256) between her and Edmund, urges Edmund to kill her husband (Albany), and signs the letter as Edmund's affectionate wife-to-be. In the French camp, Cordelia thanks Kent for helping her father, then asks a doctor for a report on his condition.

Lear has been sleeping soundly, the doctor says. However, it is all right to rouse him so that Cordelia can visit him. When he awakens, he does not recognize Cordelia, does not know where he is, and does not even know where he lodged the night before. In a moment, however, he comes around, saying, "I think this lady / To be my child Cordelia (4.7.80-81). Later, while they walk together, he is repentant: ï¿½Pray you now, forget and forgive: I am old and foolishï¿½ (4.7.99). Meanwhile, after Edmund, Regan, and their troops enter the British camp, Regan asks Edmund whether he desires Goneril. "In honour'd love" (5.1.13), he replies. Upon further prodding by Regan, he avows that he has never slept with Goneril. Regan then urges him to keep away from her sister, who, at that very moment, arrives with Albany and their troops. Though he sympathizes with old Lear, Albany tells Edmund that he will fight for England against the French invaders.

Edmund commends him, saying their "domestic and particular broils / Are not the question here" (5.1.38-39). They agree to confer on a war plan in Albany's tent. After Edmund, Regan, and Goneril leave with officers, Edgar (still in disguise) approaches Albany and gives him the letter he intercepted. Albany promises to read it. After Edgar walks off, Edmund returns to tell Albany the French troops are in view and gives him an estimate of their number. When Albany leaves to marshal his forces, Edmund muses for a moment about Regan and Goneril: "To take the widow / Exasperates, makes mad her sister Goneril" (5.1.73-74). But Goneril is already married. He decides that after the battle he will let Goneril devise a way to murder Albany. As for Lear and Cordelia, he will show them no mercy. Finally, French and English swords cross. Edgar posts Gloucester in a safe place and leaves. After the battle, he returns to inform the old man that the English won the day and that Lear and Cordelia have been taken prisoner.

When Albany returns to the English camp with officers and attendants, he commends Edmund for battlefield valor. He also asks Edmund for his prisoners, Lear and Cordelia, "to use them / As we shall find their merits and our safety / May equally determine" (5.2.50-52). Edmund refuses, saying he wishes to hold them for further disposition, and Regan backs his position. Her show of support for Edmund arouses Goneril's jealousy, and they argue over him. Albany asserts that he will not permit Goneril to entertain notions of marrying Edmund, then accuses Edmund of "heinous, manifest, and many treasons" (5.2.108). Albany throws down his gauntlet, and Edmund does the same. (A gauntlet was a glove usually overlaid with metal for protection in battle. Throwing down a gauntlet was a sign that one man challenged another man to a fight.) Regan becomes ill. (Unbeknownst to her, Regan had poisoned her earlier.) Regan is taken to Albany's tent. Edgar, who remains in disguise, then steps forth to support Albany's charges, calling Edmund a traitor and telling him to draw his sword.

They fight and Edmund falls when Edgar wounds him. Goneril declares that under the rule of arms Edmund was not bound to fight Edgar because he did not know his enemy's name. Albany then reveals the letter from Goneril to Edmund, exposing her treachery. She leaves the scene. Edgar then reveals his true identity and implicates Edmund as a participant in the plot that resulted in the capture and blinding of their father, Gloucester. Unable to rebut the evidence against him, Edmund admits his wrongdoing, saying "The wheel is come full circle" (5.2.203). Albany apologizes to Edgar for having at one time been an adversary of Gloucester and Edgar, then questions Edgar about the ordeal he underwent after Edmund betrayed him. Edgar tells him his story. After finishing it, he praises Kent for his selfless service to Lear. Shouting for help, an unidentified gentleman with a bloody knife runs up to report that Goneril had plunged the weapon into her heart after poisoning Regan. Edmund, realizing he is dying, says, "I was contracted to them both: all three / Now marry in an instant" (5.2.265-266).

(He means that he, Regan, and Goneril will be "married" by death.) After the bodies of the two sisters are carried forth, Edmundï¿½experiencing remorseï¿½reveals that he ordered Cordelia to be hanged and urges his listeners to save her. But the revelation comes too late: Cordelia has been executed. At the scene, Lear mourns for her as he carries her in his arms. Kent and Edgar arrive as Lear says, "I might have sav'd her; now, she's gone for ever!" (5.2.320). An officer reports the death of Edmund. Lear, now a broken man, falls upon Cordelia and also dies. Edgar, Kent, and Albany are left to restore order, with Albany endorsing Edgar and Kent as joint rulers. Great Buys on the Following Items at Amazon.com and turning point in his life ï¿½ that starts him on the road to redemption from his selfish past.

The key moment comes during the thunderstorm, when he says: Poor naked wretches, wheresoeï¿½er you are, That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm, How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides, Your loopï¿½d and windowï¿½d raggedness, defend you From seasons such as these? O! I have taï¿½en Too little care of this. Take physic, pomp; Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel, That thou mayst shake the superflux to them, And show the heavens more just. (3.4.33-41) What he is saying is this: I must remedy my indifference to the poor. So should everyone else who is wealthy and powerful. One must take time to expose himself to what wretches feel so that he or she may realize how important it is to share wealth (superflux, line 40) with them. Paying attention to the needy will demonstrate that the world and the heavens care about them. Gloucester experiences a similar awakening.

He tells his son Edgar, whom he does not recognize in his disguise as a beggar: Here, take this purse, thou whom the heavensï¿½ plagues Have humbled to all strokes: that I am wretched Makes thee the happier: heavens, deal so still! [Here, take . . . so still: Here, take the money in this purse, you who have been humbled beyond measure by the heavens. You are happier because I am wretched. I hope the heavens continue to deal out justice in that way.] Let the superfluous and lust-dieted man, That slaves your ordinance, that will not see Because he doth not feel, feel your power quickly; So distribution should undo excess, And each man have enough. (4.1.68.75) [Let the . . .

enough: Let the man who has an overabundance of wealth and who lusts after womenï¿½a man who treats directions or commands with disdain and who does not see the suffering around him because he does not feel itï¿½experience the pain of corrective measures so that he may share his wealth with the less fortunate.] Sanity and Madness Ironically and paradoxically, Lear's progressing mental derangement eventually makes him keenly aware of his faults and weaknesses. At the beginning of the play, he is sane but mad; at the end of the play, he is mad but sane. The great nineteenth-century American poet Emily Dickinson wrote a one-stanza poem on the madness of sanity (and the sanity of madness) in 1861 (probably without any thought of King Lear). The first three lines aptly sum up Lear's behavior: Much Madness is divinest Senseï¿½ To a discerning Eyeï¿½ Much Senseï¿½the starkest Madnessï¿½ Appearances Are Deceiving At the beginning of the play, the Lears and other characters are presented as normal and caring. But as Shakespeare rubs away the pretty veneers of the characters, we find greed, betrayal, lust for power, and cruelty.

In other words, they are anything but normal and caring. Fatal Flaws: Greed, Lust for Power Greed and lust for power corrupt human beings and bring about their downfall. Goneril and Regan reject their own father in favor of material possessions and power. Ultimately, their cupidity results in their downfall. Old Age as a Second Childhood Advanced age and wisdom do not go hand-in-hand. Lear is probably about eighty, but he is often childish in his judgments until suffering reforms him. Shakespeare's depiction of Lear may have been, in part, an attempt to discredit and satirize the tendency of the Elizabethan English automatically to revere elders and authority figures. Humans as Playthings of Fate Are humans the playthings of fate? Shakespeare raises that question in King Lear and other plays. Indeed, the role of fate is a major motif in his works. In King Lear, Gloucester expresses the view that the forces of the universe do control human destiny. For example, after his son Edmund deceives Gloucester into believing that his other son, Edgar, is a villain, Gloucester says, These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us . . . .

Love cools, friendship falls off, brothers divide: in cities, mutinies; in countries, discord; in palaces, treason; and the bond cracked between son and father. . . . We have seen the best of our time: machinations, hollowness, treachery, and all ruinous disorders, follow us disquietly to our graves. (1.2.58) Later, after Cornwall blinds Gloucester and Regan casts him out of his castle, Gloucester says to the loyal old servant attending him, ï¿½As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods. / They kill us for their sportï¿½ (4.1.44-45). Meanwhile, in the French camp at Dover, Kent expresses a view similar to Gloucester's: "It is the stars / The stars above us, govern our conditions" (4.2.32.-33). In Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Julius Caesar, fate seems all-powerful and ineluctable. It is as if human beings are puppets who have no control over their actions.

For example, the prologue of Romeo and Juliet tells the audience that the two lovers are "star-cross'd" as children of "fatal loins." In Macbeth , the witches predict the title character's future. So transfixed is Macbeth by their prophecy that Banquo says, If you can look into the seeds of time, And say which grain will grow and which will not, Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear Your favours nor your hate. (1.3.62.65) In Julius Caesar , a soothsayer tells Caesar, "Beware the ides of March" (1.2.23 and 1.2.29). Caesar ignores the warning and, on the ides of March (March 15), dies at the hands of knife-wielding conspirators. In the same play, however, Cassius tells Brutus, Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.

(1.2.146) Join Amazon Kindle Unlimited 30-Day Free Trial The Fate Motif Fate as the arbiter of human destiny is an old theme in world history and literature. (See also "Humans as Playthings of Fate," under Themes .) In the Old Testament of the Bible, Job wonders why he, a righteous man, suffers so many reverses, including the loss of his material possessions, his sons, and his health. In Greek tragedyï¿½in particular, in the plays of Sophocles, such as Oedipus Rexï¿½fate becomes an inexorable force that rules man. In the nineteenth century, English novelist Thomas Hardy populated his novels with characters dominated by forces outside of them or irresistible forces within them. The environment, Darwinian determinism, and the human libido all turned humans into marionettes. But what did Shakespeare think? Did he believe that human destiny is written in the stars? Shakespeare was more interested in what he wrote on a page with quill and inkï¿½whether it reflected how people react to the world around them. In some of his plays, the characters believe in fate; in others, they do not.

In still others, they credit themselves for their successes but blame fate for their failures. Considering Shakespeare's religious upbringing, his intelligence, and his practicality, it is likely that he shared the view of one of his villainsï¿½Edmund ï¿½ in King Lear. Alone on the stage, he says, This is the excellent foppery of the world, that, when we are sick in fortune,ï¿½often the surfeit of our own behaviour,ï¿½we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars; as if we were villains by necessity, fools by heavenly compulsion, knaves, thieves, and treachers by spherical predominance, drunkards, liars, and adulterers by an enforced obedience of planetary influence; and all that we are evil in, by a divine thrusting on: an admirable evasion of whoremaster man, to lay his goatish disposition to the charge of a star! (1.2.58) Conflicts There are two main conflicts in the play: the one between Lear and his daughters and the one between Lear and his faults. There are also secondary conflicts.

In the first main conflict, the headstrong king rejects the one daughter who truly loves him, Cordelia. A short while later, he comes in conflict with his other two daughters, greedy Goneril and Regan, who pretend to love him to gain control of his possessions. Once in control of these possessions, they reject him and cast him out into a stormy night. In the second main conflict, Lear's inner devils struggle with his inner angels. Will his selfishness give way to selflessness? Will he acknowledge his wrongs? The answer is yes to both questions. His life begins to turn around after realizes that Regan and Goneril are monsters. Then, on the heath during the storm, he feels pity for the poor and downcast after experiencing great suffering himself. At Dover, he welcomes Kent back as a friend. Finally, and most important, he reconciles with his beloved daughter Cordelia. In a secondary conflict, Edmund pits himself against his father and brother, Edgar, and ï¿½as a result of Edmund's skulduggery ï¿½ Gloucester rejects the loyal and loving Edgar.

Another secondary conflict arises between Goneril and Regan as they vie for the attentions of Edmund, whom they believe will inherit Gloucester's money, property, and title.Then there is the conflict between England and France, precipitated by the efforts of Cordelia ï¿½who has become Queen of France ï¿½to rescue her father from the evildoers in his own kingdom. Tone Bitterness, treachery, and disloyalty make the tone of the play dark and foreboding, like the storm on the heath. Climax .. The climax of a play or another narrative work, such as a short story or a novel, can be defined as (1) the turning point at which the conflict begins to resolve itself for better or worse, or as (2) the final and most exciting event in a series of events. The climax in King Lear occurs, according to the first definition, when Lear leaves Gloucester's castle during a violent storm after being rejected by his evil daughters, Goneril and Regan.

According to the second definition, the climax occurs in the final act, when Goneril, Regan, and Edmund die and Lear comes to his senses, then falls and dies on the body of innocent Cordelia, who has been executed. King's Fool . King Learï¿½s fool (court jester) is the wisest character in the play in that he is the only character who understands the motivations of Lear, his daughters, and other characters. He constantly ridicules Lear, the better to make the old man understand himself and the folly of his selfish, headstrong ways. ï¿½If thou wert my fool, nuncle,ï¿½ he says, ï¿½Iï¿½d have thee beaten for being old before thy timeï¿½ (1.5.25). In the royal courts of England, a fool was a comic figure with a quick tongue who entertained the king, the queen, and their guests. He was allowed toï¿½and even expected toï¿½criticize anyone at court. Many fools were dwarfs or cripples, their odd appearance enhancing their appeal and, according to prevailing beliefs, bringing good luck to the court.

Actors William Kempe and Richard Armin became London celebrities for their performances as fools in Shakespeareï¿½s plays. Armin wrote a book about fools, Foole Upon Foole; or Six Sortes of Sottes. Egyptï¿½s pharaohs were the first rulers to use fools, notably Pygmies from African territories to the south. Animal Imagery Shakespeare uses metaphors, similes, and other figures of speech to compare Regan, Goneril, and other characters to animals. This imagery shows that human greed and lust for power, as well as other negative qualities, turn people into rapacious or poisonous beasts. It also demonstrates that the dilemmas people create for themselves can lower them to the status of beasts. Among the animals to which characters are compared are rats, wolves, sheep, goats, horses, dogs (including a mastiff, a greyhound, a spaniel, and a mongrel), cats, mice, owls, wild geese, bears, monkeys, crabs, snails, an ass, a hedge-sparrow, a cuckoo, and each of the following: Kite: Bird of prey that occurs in several varieties.

It feeds on small land animals, fish, garbage, and carrion. In Act 1, Scene 4, Lear speaks this line to his daughter Goneril: "Detested kite! thou liest" (284). Vulture: Scavenger bird that feeds primarily on carcasses. In Act 2, Scene 4, Lear bemoans Goneril's behavior by saying that ï¿½she hath tied / sharp-tooth'd unkindness, like a vulture, here [points to his heart]ï¿½ (136-137). Serpent: Large snake, such as a python or boa constrictor; any poisonous snake; the devil in the form of a snake. In Act 2, Scene 4, Lear says Goneril "struck me with her tongue, / Most serpent-like, upon the very heart" (162-163). Pelican: Bird of prey that feeds on fish.

In Act 3, Scene 4, Lear scolds himself for fathering Regan and Goneril, saying ï¿½ï¿½twas this flesh begot those pelican daughtersï¿½ (76-77). Tiger: Largest member of the cat family. In Act 4, Scene 2, the Duke of Albany condemns Regan and Goneril for their treatment of Lear, comparing them to tigers. The use of animal imagery in King Lear prompted critic G.B. Harrison to write, "It is as if Shakespeare wished to portray a world in which most men and women are beasts, and only the exceptional few [are fully human]."ï¿½G.B. Harrison, ed. Shakespeare: The Complete Works. New York: Harcourt, 1952 (page 1139) Invective

Question: What's the name of King Lear's eldest daughter in the Shakespeare play ?
Answer: GONERIL