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King Lear Summury
King Lear Summury
So, Lear decides it would be best to split up his kingdom between his
three daughters—Cordelia, Goneril, and Regan. But first, Lear wants
to play a little game called "Who can say she loves Daddy the most?"
in order to determine which daughter will get the biggest piece of
land. Because that's fair.
Goneril and Regan slobber all over themselves professing how much
they love Papa Lear (they don't really, by the way), but Cordelia
(Lear's favorite and also the nicest of the bunch) refuses to play,
insisting that words and language are insufficient to express the love
she feels for her father. Lear takes this the wrong way and disowns
Cordelia—he also refuses to give Cordelia a dowry for marriage, so
she runs off and elopes with the King of France, who realizes that
Cordelia's loving and kind.
Lear, now effectively retired, spends his time with his daughter
Goneril and her husband, Albany. Lear also brings along his Fool
(Lear's personal, stand-up comedian), a new servant ("Caius," who is
actually the loyal Kent in disguise), and 100 rowdy knights. Goneril is
soon fed up with entertaining all these people (Lear's a lousy
houseguest and Goneril is just plain mean), so she tells Lear to get rid
of 50 of his knights or she'll boot her father (and his 100 rowdy
knights) to the curb. She points out that her palace is a home, not a
tavern or a brothel. (Psst. Goneril's really afraid that Lear will decide
he wants all his land – and power – back from her and her sister and
that he might use his 100 rowdy knights to take it by force.)
Lear's pretty ticked off, so he says "Hmph" and runs over to Regan's
house (with his hundred rowdy knights in tow). Goneril's not at
home (she's at Gloucester's palace, trying to avoid her dad), so Lear
goes to Gloucester's pad and complains to Regan that Goneril is an
ungrateful brat. Regan's not having any of Lear's whining, so she and
Goneril gang up on Papa Lear, demanding that Lear should now get
rid of seventy-five of his hundred rowdy knights. (Notice we keep
bringing up Lear and his knights? Since Lear's given up all his land,
the knights are pretty much his only source of power.)
Out on the heath during a violent thunderstorm, Lear runs into "Poor
Tom" (Edgar disguised as a naked and mad beggar) and, after a little
chat, Lear realizes that being homeless (and naked) really stinks. He
also realizes that 1) he should have done more about Britain's
homeless population when he was king and 2) all men (kings and
beggars alike) are totally vulnerable in this world—"man is no more /
but such a poor, bare, forked animal," he famously muses (3.4.1014-
315).
Then Lear takes off all his clothes. (Did we mention that, despite
Lear's new social insights, the aging king is also going insane out on
the heath?)
Meanwhile, Edmund escorts Goneril back to her own palace and the
two begin a torrid affair along the way. When Goneril and Edmund
find out the Duke of Cornwall (Regan's husband) is dead, Goneril
immediately begins to worry… that her newly widowed and now-
available sister might hook up with her (Goneril's) secret lover
Edmund!
Finally, after a lot of fussing, Lear reunites with his loving daughter
Cordelia (who says she doesn't hate Lear, even though he totally
disowned her). Soon after, Cordelia's French forces lose the battle
against Regan and Goneril's British army and Lear and Cordelia are
captured. Edmund takes this opportunity to secretly order their
executions.
(Remember that rising body count we asked you to keep track of?
Well, now would be a good time to put on your rain slicker because
things are about to get extra bloody.)
While Lear and Cordelia sit in prison, Regan and Goneril scuffle with
each other over who gets the oh-so dreamy (and oh-so evil) Edmund.
In a rage, Albany demands that Edmund and Goneril get arrested for
treason—i.e., having an affair and planning to kill him. Before
Edmund can be taken to jail, Edgar shows up and stabs his evil
brother in the guts. Then Regan dies, having been poisoned by
Goneril.
Alas, it's too late for Cordelia, who has already been hanged by
Edmund's executioners. Lear enters with his dead daughter in his
arms. When Lear realizes what has become of his family, he dies of a
broken heart. Albany and Edgar are the only ones left to govern the
kingdom, but Shakespeare leaves us with a sense that there's really
no hope for the future.
What? You want more? Go to "What's Up With the Ending?" for our
take on all this. Go on. Get out of here. All the characters are deader
than disco over here.