Regan

By Ms. Walsh
 “Made of the same self metal”
 Like Goneril, Regan is evil & capable of
savage cruelty.
 As early as the end of the opening scene,
we see that Regan tends to be dominated
by Goneril, who is the more domineering
more active sister.
 Filial Ingratitude
 She emphasises Lear’s advanced age:
“O sir you are old, nature in you stands on
the very verge of her confine”
 Filial Ingratitude
 Her utter lack of feeling for her father is evident
when she shuts the door of her castle against
him:
“shut up your doors” – Lear is left to face the
worst storm in living memory.
Cordelia later remarks that she would have kept
her enemy’s dog by her fire on the night of that
most violent of storms.
 Vindictive
 We see Regan’ vindictiveness when she
countermands her husband’s order & lengthens
Kent’s punishment in the stocks.
 No sooner has Cornwall ordered that Kent is to
remain in the stocks “till noon”, than Regan
immediately orders that he is to remain “all
night too”
 Vindictiveness
 She is no evil than Goneril especially
evident in the mutilation of Gloucester.
 When Gloucester still possesses one eye,
she cruelly says:
“One eye will mock another, the other too”.
 Cruel
 She takes a cruel delight in informing
Gloucester that it was Edmund who
betrayed him:
“it was he that made the overture of
thy treasons to us”.
How are Goneril & Regan different?
 Regan is weaker in character than Goneril,
tending initially to live in her sister’s
shadow.
 Goneril & Regan eventually turn out to be
each other’s greatest enemy as their
partnership is destroyed by their intense
jealousy of each other over Edmund.