King Lear

William Shakespeare
• Lear divests himself of the cares of
state using a “love-test”.
• Cordelia and Kent are banished for
ACT 1 SCENE displeasing him.
• The kingdom is divided between
1 Gonerill and Regan
KING LEAR’S
DAUGHTERS
• Goneril (dominant sister), Regan
(happy to follow her sister but we
get hints of her sadism) and Cordelia
(infuriatingly pious, genuine and
Lear’s favourite)

• Giant Red Camel

• Opens in Lear’s court
• Kent and Gloucester discuss the division of
the kingdom
• We learn that Gloucester has two sons,
Edmund (illegitimate) and Edgar.
• Lear asks his daughters to take part in a
WHAT love test to see who gets the largest share
of the kingdom- this tells us about Lear’s
HAPPENS inflated ego
• Lear is blinded by pride and dismisses his
favourite daughter Cordelia, when unlike
her sisters, she will not flatter him.
• Lear banishes Kent for calling him out on
his rash decision of banishing Cordelia.
• The scene opens with a soliloquy from Edmund.
This offers us a better understanding of his
character and his motivation. It reveals him to be
proud, ambitious, defiant and ruthless.
• Edmund expresses his bitterness for the way
'bastards' are treated by society. He wants to
cheat his brother out of the land he is due to
inherit.
Act 1 Scene 2 • Edmund is a Machiavellian (Mac-e-a-vell-e-an)
character, he believes that the end justifies the
means.
• He manipulates both Gloucester and Edgar with
Ease
• Parallel with main plot (Gloucester and Lear are
both gullible and rash/ Edmund is as cold and
calculated as Goneril and Regan.)
As the play develops, we see
the obvious similarities
Edmund is as unscrupulous as
between the story of Lear and
Gonerail and Regan
his children and the story of
Gloucester and his children.

Parallels
between Gloucester is as gullible as
Gloucester shares Lear's
rashness and moral
Lear
main plot blindness.

and sub-plot
Rash, like Lear, Gloucester
Gloucester's inability to see
never stops to think and
the truth about his sons is an
ponder the authenticity of
indication of his moral
this letter, immediately
blindness.
condemning Edgar.
Act 1 Scene 3
Goneril reveals her filial ingratitude (ingratitude of a child towards their parent)

Now that she has her share of the kingdom, she no longer needs to flatter Lear.

She encourages her servant Oswald to be disrespectful towards Lear. She wants to provoke a confrontation with Lear so that
she can assert her authority over them.

Goneril resents that he still acts like a king, she can't hide her contempt and sees him as an "idle old man that still would
manage those authorities that he hath given away"

Hypocrisy of her declaration of love for Lear in the opening scenes.

Goneril ensures that Regan treats Lear as she has done-she is the more dominant sister
• Kent returns in disguise to help Lear. He is so
devoted to Lear that he is prepared to serve
him as a lowly servant despite Lear having
treated him so harshly.
• There is a change in atmosphere and one of
Lear's knights speaks of the "great abatement
of kindness".
• Oswald is deliberately disrespectful towards
Act 1 Scene 4 Lear ("My Lady's Father") and it infuriates Lear
that he is now defined in relation to his
daughter.
• The Fool plays an important part in Lear's
personal development by reminding him of his
foolishness.
• Kent recognises the Fool's wisdom and that he
nis not "altogether fool".
• When Goneril appears she apprenhends
her father and wants to strip Lear of his
knights, his remaining power and
authority.
• Goneril's bitter attack stuns Lear, he
struggles with Goneril's identity and his
own. "Who is it that can tell me who I
Act 1 Scene 4 am?"
• He used to be treated like a superfigure,
continued now he is treated with contempt.
• This incident marks the beginning of
Lear's battle to retain his sanity.
• He now recognises Cordelia's 'sin' as a
'most minor fault'.
• He is furious with himself and is again rash
and curses Goneril with sterility.
• Lear sends Kent ahead to Regan's castle with a
letter announcing his imminent arrival, he is
unaware that Goneril has already sent a letter to
Regan urging her to follow her course of action in
relation to Lear.
• Lear realises that he did Cordelia wrong and taking
another step on the road to self-knowledge. The
Fool continues to make Lear more self-aware.

Act 1 Scene 5 • Lear foolishly believes that Regan will treat him
better than Gonerail.
• The Fool tells Lear he is older but not wiser (Thou
shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been
wise)
• By the close of the scene, Lear can sense the
insanity rising within him, pleading with the
heavens to keep him sane.
Act 2
Act 2 Scene 1
• The main plot and sub plot come
together in this scene.
• Edmund persuades Edgar to flee.
• Gloucester issues orders to have
Edgar hunted down.
• Regan and Cornwall arrive at
Gloucester's castle.
There is gossip concerning 'likely wars' between Cornwall and
Albany, suggesting further strife between brothers.

Edmund determines to use Cornwall and Regan's arrival to his

advantage. He tells Edgar he must escape at once.

The quick-witted Edmund wounds himself and then claims that

Edgar tried to kill him when he refused to murder their father.

Act 2 Scene 1 Gloucester believes Edmund's story and intends to disinherit

Edgar.

Regan manages to link Edgar with Lear's riotous knights and with
Lear himself (whose godson Edgar is).

Edgar's deemed a criminal and Lear's name is blackened by

association while Edmund is seen as a 'loyal and natural boy' by
Gloucester and Cornwall.
Commentary Act 2 Scene 1

• Evil characters gain all around.

• Edmund's plans prosper and he now aligns himself with
Cornwall and Regan; plot and subplot become intertwined.
• He achieves the goal he set himself in Act 1 with terrifying
ease, indicating how effortlessly evil begins to run riot in the
kingdom
• Lear seems to be vulnerable indicating that his 'old heart is
cracked, it's cracked'.
Act 2 Scene 2

• Kent quarrels with Oswald

and challenges him to a
fight.
• Oswald is confused by
Kent's aggression.
• He is punished by Cornwall,
who puts him in the stocks.
Act 2 Scene 2:
Commentary
• The audience will enjoy the abuse Kent gives to Oswald (who
has been a bad servant)
• Unlike Lear, Kent is not fooled by appearances and recognises
Cornwall, Regan and Oswald for who they are.
• Kent now joins Cordelia and Edgar in the list of people who
have been punished for their good virtues.
• We see Regan and Cornwall make an effective team and enjoy
each other's cruelty- this foreshadows what is still to come.
• The old patriarch have been pushed aside and there are new
people in power now.
• Cordelia has made contact with Kent and they plan to
cooperate- this gives us hope.
Act 2 Scene 3
• Edgar disguises himself as the mad beggar, Poor Tom. ("Bedlam
beggar")
• Out in the countryside, Edgar is alone. He heard himself
proclaimed a criminal, and concealed himself in a tree.
• He wants to flee England but all ports are watched and his
father's men roam the countryside hunting him down.
• The fact that he chooses to disguise himself as a social outcast
reveals his desperation and the danger he is in.
• Edgar's situation mirrors Lear's. Edgar is reliant on charity, his
world and expectations turned upside down. We get a glimpse of
what Lear will be reduced to.
Act 2 Scene 4

• In this dramatic scene, Lear is pushed to the very

brink of insanity by the ingratitude of his
daughters. He is deeply shaken when he arrives
at Gloucester's castle to find his messenger (Kent)
in the stocks. Lear struggles to come to terms
with this public display of disrespect towards
him.
• The fool takes this opportunity to once again
remind Lear of the depth of his foolishness. Lear
refuses to believe that Regan and Cornwall are
responsible for his servant's shame.
• The image of wild geese and winter suggests that
there is worse to come.
Act 2 Scene 4

• The Fool, like Kent, remains loyal to Lear despite

advice: don't follow a master whose power is
waning.
• Lear is angry and incredulous when he returns
with Gloucester. Regan and Cornwall refuse to
greet him. He is initially enraged but decides to be
patient, then seems to realise his powerlessness.
• Lear foolishly believes Regan will treat him better
than Goneril, but his delusions are shattered
when Goneril arrives and takes Regan by the
hand. Lear now realises both daughters have been
acting against him.
Act 2 Scene 4

• The anguish he feels as a result

of his daughters' filial
ingratitude pushes Lear to the
very brink of insanity.
• Lear senses and strives to resist
the insanity rising within him.
• Lear leaves Gloucester's castle
in a state of high anger.
Act 2 Scene 4 Commentary

• This scene presents Lear with several difficulties which he finds insurmountable.
• We watch anxiously as his power and self-possession are stripped away.
• His powerlessness is seen when:
His servant is put in stocks
He seeks Regan himself instead of sending servant
His requests for information are ignored
• Pattern of entries and exists suggest chaos to come. Changes of mood indicate
increasing mental instability.
• The sisters are oblivious to their father's agitation and suffering.
ACT 3
Act 3 Scene 1

• Lear is out in the middle of the storm, raving

about the elements and trying to outdo them in
their fury.
• The outer, physical storm mirrors the inner storm
that is raging in Lear's mind.
• The Fool endures the harshness of the storm
beside his master, trying to cheer him up.
• Kent acts as the remaining link between Lear and
Cordelia.
• The counter-movement against the evil forces has
begun.
Act 3 Scene 1 Commentary
• Allows us to see Lear's dramatic descent into madness.
• Downwards spiral for Gloucester and Lear.
• This scene sets us up for the lunatic king in the next scene
and establish the violence of the storm.
• Kent provides us with information on the clash between
English and French forces.
• The character's anxiety about Lear reflects the concern of
the audience at this point in the play.
Increasingly mad, Lear rants in the storm.

The Fool and Kent try to soothe him.

Act 3 Scene 2 He ignores the Fool when he pleads with him to return to
Gloucester's castle to ask Goneril and Regan for shelter.

He becomes preoccupied with the ingratitude of his

daughters and gives a heart-rendering self assessment.

He accuses the storm of being in the same league as

Goneril and Regan.
Act 3 Scene 2
"Since I was a man such sheets of fire, such bursts of horrid thunder, such groans of roaring
wind and rain I never remember to have heard"- Kent

This violent tempest reflects both the storm in Lear's mind and the chaos in wider
society. Its unequalled ferocity mirror the inhuman callousness of Lear's daughters
who have closed their doors against their aged father on the night of the worst storm in
living memory.
It is difficult to disagree with Lear's assessment of himself as "a man more sinned against
than sinning". That Lear has done wrong is undeniable, but the punishment is
disproportionate to his wrongdoing.
Act 3 Scene 2
He is now on the verge of insanity.
Yet there are further indications of
This scene concludes with the Fool
his personal growth in his
predicting that great disorder is
compassion for the Fool. "Poor
coming to England.
fool and knave, I have one part in
my heart that's sorry yet for thee"

The storm serves as a metaphor

for Lear- and England's- plight.
Lear's isolation is shown by his
Lear's obsession with justice,
lack of interaction with other
introduced in this scene, is
characters on stage.
maintained until the end of the
scene.
Gloucester expresses his concern at the manner in
which Lear is being treated and is threatened with death if
he attempts to assist the king.

Gloucester confides in Edmund, telling him all that he

knows about the counter-action against the new regime, as
outlined in a letter informing him of the French landing at
Dover.
Act 3 Scene 3 This scene sees a dramatic development in Gloucester's
character- a man who was foolish an ineffectual in the early
stages of the play now displays strength and courage in his
determination to assist Lear.

Edmund's utterly callous character is apparent in his

decision to betray his father to Cornwall in order to advance
himself.
"The younger rises
when the old doth fall"
Edmund's ruthless philosophy
Act 3 Scene 4
• The storm is Lear's distraction from the inner suffering ('This
tempest will not give me leave to ponder on things would hurt
me more')
• Lear recognises that it is his daughters' ingratitude that lies at
the root of his present mental problems, and strives not to
think about their thanklessness ('O that way madness lies; let
me shun that; no more of that')
• This scene provides us with much evidence of Lear's personal
growth- we see his humanity in his kindness towards the Fool,
whom he ushers into hovel ahead of him, and in his newly
developed social conscience which is apparent in his
acknowledgement that, as king, he neglected the poor. Most
dramatically, Lear now declares that the rich should share
some of their wealth with the poor.
Lear sees Edgar's plight entirely in
relation to his own situation, asserting
that only the new arrival's 'unkind
daughters' could have reduced him to
such a level of misery.
Kent's concern and affection for Lear are
immediately evident as he guides his
master to a place of shelter and tells
him that he would rather break his own
heart than cause Lear any additional
suffering.
Lear removes his clothing, symbols of
material wealth that are worthless to him
now.

Act 3 Scene 4 The Fool remains with Lear, but is

noticeably more serious as he seems to
https://www.youtube.com/watch? be very fearful for the future
v=QyM51XWemdI
• Edmund has already displaced Edgar as
heir to his father's earldom, but is now
impatient for his inheritance. We will see
the full extent of Edmund's ruthlessness in
this scene when he betrays his father in
the full knowledge that Gloucester will
face severe punishment for his support for
the king.
Act 3 Scene 5 • This scene highlights Edmund's
ruthlessness and hypocrisy as he continues
with his unscrupulous, immoral pursuit of
wealth and power.
• Cornwall appears to be as gullible as he is
vengeful, being easily manipulated by the
cunning Edmund.
Gloucester, Kent, Lear, and the Fool take shelter
in a small building (perhaps a shed or farmhouse)
on Gloucester’s property. Gloucester leaves to
find provisions for the king.

Lear, whose mind is wandering ever more widely,

Act 3 Scene 6 holds a mock trial of his wicked daughters, with
Edgar, Kent, and the Fool presiding.

Both Edgar and the Fool speak like madmen, and

the trial is an exercise in hallucination and
eccentricity.
• Gloucester hurries back in to tell Kent that
he has overheard a plot to kill Lear.
• Gloucester begs Kent to quickly transport
Lear toward Dover, in the south of England,
Act 3 Scene where allies will be waiting for him.
Gloucester, Kent, and the Fool leave.
6 • Edgar remains behind for a moment and
speaks in his own, undisguised voice about
how much less important his own suffering
feels now that he has seen Lear’s far worse
suffering.
This scene is intriguing as it
bring together three
"madmen" of the play.
• Lear- who is genuinely
insane.
• Edgar- who has been forced
to assume the disguise of a
madman in order to avoid
arrest.
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.
• The Fool- the official
"madman" of the play whose
verbal contributions
combine the meaningless
and the insightful.
The 3 Insane Men
Act 3 Scene 7

• This is one of the most dramatic scenes in

the play.
• It is memorable for the unspeakable
savagery that sees Gloucester's eyes being
cut from his head by Cornwall in an act of
barbaric retribution (revenge) following
Edmund's betrayal of his father.
• Edmund's villainy is now exposed and out in
the open.
• The brave intervention of one of Cornwall's
servants serves as a ray of light, a reminder
of man's finer instincts in a particularly dark
scene.
It is one of the great ironies of the
play that Gloucester acquires
moral vision at the very moment
that he loses his physical sight.
Gloucester
• His character is determined largely by the parallel role he plays.
• Like Lear, he is a complacent father, used to assuming authority. Like
Lear, Gloucester acts rashly and ruthlessly when he believes that his
son Edgar has rebelled against him, putting himself in his evil son's
power.
• His adultery might be seen as a failure to take his patriarchal
responsibilities seriously. He is as blind as his ruler.
• Gloucester seems to lack resolution for much of Act II. He tries vainly to
keep the peace between Lear and his daughters and it is difficult not to
judge him harshly.
• He has positive qualities, when he takes action he is brave and
determined. He helps Lear on the heath, providing transport to get him
to safety. Gloucester is heroic in Act III Scene 7, denouncing Goneril and
Regan ferociously. He proves that he can be stoical in the face of
monstrous cruelty. When he learns the truth about Edmund his
tormented desire to be reconciled with Edgar redeems him.
• Like Lear, he comes increasingly generous as he suffers.
• Gloucester's pain and despair reflect Lear's. While the lunatic King
raves about his daughters, Gloucester confesses sadly that he is
"almost mad" himself thinking about Edgar's supposed treachery
Think, then write.
• Is Edmund an admirable villain or a
sociopath?
• Edmund and Edgar: contrast in their
characters and personalities
• Kent and The Fool: dramatic function and
believability
• Discuss the impact of sibling rivalry in the
play.
• Discuss the idea of loyalty without honour
in relation to the character of Oswald. This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY.
Cornwall and Regan
take out their horrible
revenge on Gloucester
by:
• Tying him to a chair
Blindness is shown as
• Plucking his beard (Regan) an important motif.
• Plucking out his eyes
(Cornwall, ordered by Goneril)

Last week's
episode....
Shakespeare offers a
disturbing vision of Gloucester's physical
human cruelty agony matches Lear's
(balanced by the brave mental agony
and sacrificing throughout Act III.
servants)...
Act IV
Act IV Scene • https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=course+hero+lear+act+4+sce
ne+1&docid=607997532837841550&mid=2F1A7ACD562405E5DBF92

1 F1A7ACD562405E5DBF9&view=detail&FORM=VIRE
• Edgar comes across his blind, suicidal father
and starts to lead him to Dover.
• The opening lines of this scene reflect Edgar's
optimism: "The worst returns to laughter".
However, within seconds he is horrified to see
his father being led by an old man.
Gloucester's concern for the old man reflects
Act IV Scene 1 his growing concern for others.
• Gloucester is increasingly self-aware and with
this comes a profound sense of despair: "I have
no way and therefore want no eyes; I stumbled
when I saw"
• He wishes to see his son again, ironically, the
son he loves is within touching distance, but
cannot yet reveal his true identity.
Act IV Scene 1

Gloucester has a very dark view of the gods, believing they kill men for their amusement.

"As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport"

Gloucester asks the disguised Edgar to guide him to Dover, but first asks the old man to "bring some
covering for this naked soul", meaning Edgar. This demonstrates his growing compassion.

Gloucester acknowledges the strange times "when madmen lead the blind". Edgar finds it hard to
remain disguised as he is moved by his father's suffering.
Act IV Scene 1

• One of the most interesting

developments in Gloucester's character
is his new sense of social justice which
prompts him, as it did Lear, to call for
the redistribution of wealth so "each
man should have enough".
• He wants to be brought to the cliffs of
Dover where he intends to take his own
life.

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.

• At the start of the scene, Edgar seems to feel
positive ; his experiences have taught him to
withstand the 'blasts' of Fortune. Like
Gloucester and Lear, he is learning to endure.
Gloucester's stoicism is severely tested in this
scene. His view of the sadistic gods shows us
he has been pushed to the limits.
• Is Gloucester's depiction of the world of King
Commentary Lear an accurate one? Or is his pessimism a
reflection of his current state of mind?
• At his most desolate, Gloucester acts
generously towards other people, speaking
graciously to the old man and Poor Tom
(Edgar). He seems more concerned with their
fortunes than his own.
• If the gods are cruel, this scene proves that
man can be kind.
Commentary

As Gloucester says so
Edgar's role in this
aptly; he "stumbled"
scene is to guide our
when he saw. For him,
responses to his
clarity of vision brings
father's misery.
despair.
• Oswald tells Goneril that Albany has
sided with Lear and Gloucester.
• Goneril and Edmund start flirting.
Goneril makes it clear that she desires
Edmund as a lover and a co ruler. She
thinks he is much better than Albany
Act IV Scene 2 "O the difference of man and man!"
Summary • Albany and Goneril have a fight. Albany
criticises her for her treatment of Lear
and Gloucester.
• We find out that Cornwall is dead!
• Goneril sees Regan as a competitor for
Edmund's affections.
• The most striking aspect of this scene is
Albany's dramatic personal transformation.
He is changed from the weak and
ineffectual character ("mild husband") we
saw earlier. His loyalties have completely
changed.
• Although flawed, Goneril is
undeniably strong and determined. She
Commentary immediately takes control when the French
have landed.
• Albany, unwilling to live in his wife's
shadow any longer, tells Goneril exactly
what he thinks of her. Albany, like Lear,
uses animal imagery to highlight her
unnatural behaviour.
"Tigers, not daughters"
Albany on Goneril and Regan
• Albany's hatred of his wife is so intense
that he declares that he could
physically tear her limb from limb-
"dislocate and tear thy flesh and
bones"
• When Albany learns that Cornwall has
been killed, he sees his death as an
Commentary example of divine justice at work.
• Goneril is unhappy with the news of
Cornwall's death, concerned that
Regan will now want Edmund's love
too!
• In an unlikely turn of events, Albany
decides to avenge Gloucester's eyes-
This scene sees the forces of good gaining
an unlikely ally in the shape of the dramatically
transformed Albany.
This scene is set in the French camp at Dover.

Kent asks the gentleman who had brought his message to

Cordelia about her reaction to his report.

Act IV Scene
The language and imagery used to describe Cordelia
suggests she is a royal, saintly figure. "It seem'd she was a
3
queen over her passion". "There she shook the holy figure
form her heavenly eyes".

Kent again expresses his belief in the power of fate: "It is

the stars, the stars above us, that govern our conditions".
Kent's report on Lear

Lear has moments of clarity

in his bewilderment. He His guilt over his
feels too ashamed of his wrongdoings is another
cruel mistreatment of sign of his personal growth.
Cordelia to approach her.
Cordelia
• Act IV Scene 3 is important in establishing Cordelia's character.
She shows deep feelings for her father but controls her
passion. She left to "deal with grief alone".
• Her obvious humanity contrasts with that of her sisters.
• She is compared to a queen and a saint. Shakespeare portrays
her as a Christ-like, beautiful force opposing evil.
• In Act IV Scene 4, Cordelia’s expression of compassion and
concern for her father demonstrates her goodness and an
assurance that she is not interested in power unlike her sisters
but more in helping her father get better. By this time the
audiences’ sympathy for Lear has also grown, he appears more
pathetic and in need of Cordelia’s sympathy and love at this
point and Cordelia offers the audience a sense of hope for the
future for Lear.
• This scene highlights Cordelia's loving, forgiving nature. It also reveals a
more steely side as she prepares to lead her forces against the evil powers
that now rule the kingdom.
• Cordelia notes that Lear is "as mad as the vex'd sea". He is walking around
Act IV Scene 4 covered in flowers (which is a sign of insanity in many Shakespearian
dramas)
• Cordelia declares that she would give all of her "outward worth" to the
person who could help Lear regain the balance of his mind.
Act IV Scene 4

Cordelia is composed and

At the closing of the scene, she
determined as she faces into critical
insists that her presence in
battle. When she is told that the
England is not motivated by
British forces are marching towards
ambition for conquest or power,
them, she remains calm and
but by concern for her aged father
unruffled pointing out that her
and his right.
army stands ready.
Cordelia

Good Virtuous Honest Sincere

Stubborn Courageous Shrewd Composed

Loving Compassionate Forgiving Affectionate

Act IV, Scene 5
• In this scene, Regan is talking to
Oswald, Goneril's personal
servant. When Regan enquires
about Albany's forces, Oswald,
ever loyal to his evil mistress
Replies that Goneril is the more
capable military leader telling
Regan that her sister "is the better
soldier".
• Juxtaposed to the last scene which showcases Cordelia's forgiving nature
and the power of love, this scene reflects Regan's callous nature and the
Good vs. Evil power of evil and jealousy.
• Regan regrets the fact that they did not kill Gloucester and only took out
his eyes: "It was great ignorance Gloucester's eyes being out to let him live.
Goneril and Regan fight over Edmund

• The evil sisters are now

locked in what will prove to
be a deadly conflict for
Edmund's affections.
• There is an irony that the
women, driven by hatred,
are now at loggerheads over
their love for one man.
• Regan asks again to see the letter
Oswald is carrying from Goneril to
Regan and Edmund. She and Edmund have
talked and have agreed on
marriage. Goneril must be warned
Edmund? off.
• Regan gives Oswald a letter for
Edmund and asks him to deliver
it.
• She casually mentions the fact
that there is a reward for anyone
who kills Gloucester.
• The cowardly Oswald agrees to do
what Regan asks, untroubled by
the idea of serving two mistresses.
Act IV, Scene 6

A significant scene
Major event No. 1: The Jump
• Gloucester follows the disguised Edgar, who claims he's leading
Gloucester up a steep hill to the cliffs of Dover so that Gloucester
can kill himself.
• When they reach what Edgar claims is the highest cliff, Gloucester
jumps and falls to the ground, unconscious.
• Edgar is attempting to restore his suicidal father's will to live by
tricking him into believing that he is about to jump from the cliff
by vividly describing the scene from the clifftop.
• When Gloucester falls forward, Edgar speaks as though he is a
man on the beach who has witnessed the 'fall', telling him "Thy
life's a miracle" and that the gods have preserved him.
• Gloucester believes this explanation and announces that from
now on he will 'bear affliction' and endure life's sorrows until the
gods decide it is time for him to die.
Major event No. 2: The Final
Meeting of Gloucester and Lear
• In his insanity, Lear grows. He observes that Goneril
and Regan flattered him "like a dog" although he still
fails to take personal responsibility.
• He wisely tells Gloucester, "A man may see how this
world goes with no eyes", before going on to
deliver some sharp insights into the double standards
and corruption that lie at the heart of the justice
system: "Through tattered clothes small vices do
appear. Robes and furred gowns hide all."
• Edgar aptly sums up the wisdom that 'insane Lear'
displays when he speaks of Lear's "reason in madness"
• When Lear begins to speak in nonsensical ramblings,
Gloucester expresses deep sympathy for him and sees
his own suffering as insignificant in comparison.
Major event No. 3: Edgar saves
Gloucester and kills Oswald.
• Oswald enters, intending to kill Gloucester for a
reward.
• Gloucester would welcome it, but Edgar
intervenes. He kills Oswald, but before Oswald dies,
he tells Edgar he's carrying letters for Edmund.
• Edgar reads the letters. One is a love letter
from Goneril to Edmund. Edgar is horrified when he
reads that Goneril wants Edmund to kill her
husband.
• He struggles to come to terms with the depth of
Goneril's evil.
• Drums sound, signalling the battle is near, and Edgar
leads his father to safety.
Analysis
• After three short scenes that are filled with information, Shakespeare gives
his audience drama in the form of deception, reunion, and violence.
• The deception comes as a disguised Edgar tricks his father into thinking
they've gone up to a cliff. Here, Gloucester takes what might be called a leap
of trust. He is helpless, unable to kill himself the way he wants to, and so he
must depend on others. He is a pathetic character but also a brave one, as
he expects to die.
• By spontaneously helping his father without a clear sense of what will
happen next, Edgar shows his goodness. The evil characters in King Lear act
on their own behalf and try to consciously reshape events. The good ones
act for others and do not try to control outcomes as forcefully.
• Oswald's death at Edgar's hands eliminates another bad character. It also
shows that Edgar is no longer hiding to protect himself but acting to try to
right some of the kingdom's wrongs.
Act IV, Scene 7

• In this scene, Cordelia and Lear are reunited

and reconciled.
What happens?
• The scene opens with Cordelia thanking
Kent for his loyalty and devotion to Lear.
She is sincerely grateful to Lear's most loyal
subject for all that he has done despite the
way Lear treated him.
• In contrast to the previous scene, this
scene is full of positive emotions as
Cordelia is ready to forgive her father and
is doing everything she can to restore his
sanity.
Healing agents
• Like Edgar, Cordelia is a healing agent,
whispering to the sleeping Lear:
"Restoration hang thy medicine on my
lips; and let this kiss repair those
violent harms that my two sisters
have in thy reverence made!"
• She struggles to come to terms
with her sisters' cruelty, leaving him
out in the worst storm in living
memory.
• When he awakens, he is confused and believes that
he is dead and Cordelia is an angel: "you do me
wrong to take me out of the grave; thou art a soul in
bliss"
• His wheel of fire image suggests his torment, but his
Lear wakes tears are prompted by his feelings of guilt at his
up mistreatment of Cordelia.
• He begins to come around and realise that it is his
loving daughter Cordelia that is in front of him, he
asks her not to mock him, he says: "I fear I am not in
my perfect mind"
• In this lucid moment, he shows how much he has
grown on a personal level. His guilt and shame is so
strong that he is prepared to take his own life.
New Lear, Who Dis?

• Lear's new sense of

personal awareness
is again evident as
he humbly asks for
Cordelia's
forgiveness : '… pray
you now, forget and
forgive: I am old and
foolish"
Act V
The final act
• In this scene, the critical battle between the forces of good and evil is imminent.
• The scene opens with preparations for the clash between the British and French armies.

Act V, Scene 1 • Edmund begins decisively, complaining to Regan that Albany keeps changing his plans.
• Regan fears that something has happened to Oswald. She asks Edmund if he loves Goneril.
• Albany and Goneril arrive with Albany's forces- seeing Edmund and Regan together...
Act V, Scene 1

• Albany finds himself in a tricky situation- his

sympathies lay with Lear and Cordelia, but his
primary duty is to repel the French force that has
landed at Dover and in order to do this, he needs the
military assistance of people he now despises.
• The rivalry between Goneril and Regan intensifies,
threatening the unity of the English force. Regan asks
Edmund directly if he loves her sister and he says 'In
honour'd love' which does nothing to calm her.
• Goneril is obsessed with Edmund, she says she would
rather lose the battle than lose Edmund. However,
she asserts herself and demands unity in the face of
the French.
Goneril
Act V, Scene 1
• Just before the battle starts, Edgar (still disguised)
arrives and gives Albany the letter that he took from
Oswald’s body—the letter in which Goneril’s
involvement with Edmund is revealed and in which
Goneril asks Edmund to kill Albany. Edgar tells
Albany to read the letter and says that if Albany
wins the upcoming battle, he can sound a trumpet
and Edgar will provide a champion to defend the
claims made in the letter.
• Edmund's soliloquy at the
close of this scene reinforces
our image of him as a callous,
immoral character. He delights
in his deception and
cynical manipulation of the
two sisters.
• "To both these sisters have I
sworn my love; each jealous of
the other as the stung are of
the adder"… he knows neither
can be enjoyed while
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY.
they both live. He thinks that
Goneril should kill Albany
herself. He wants Albany,
Cordelia and Lear to be killed
because they are potential
Edmund in Act V, Scene 1 threats to his pursuit of power.
Edmund

Lively Clever Ruthless self-centred Ambitious

Charming quick-witted Unprincipled Disloyal self-seeking

Heartless Plausible Hypocritical Immoral cynical

This brief scene is set on the battlefield.

Edgar ensures his father is safe before leaving to join

the battle. He returns almost immediately to say
Cordelia's forces have been defeated and that Lear and
Cordelia have been taken prisoner.

Act V, Scene 2 Gloucester is plunged into despair, Edgar remains

resilient and accepts life's varying fortunes. "Men must
endure their going hence, even as their coming hither:
Ripeness is all..."

For Edgar, death is as much a part of life as birth and

we must be prepared for it all.
Act V, Scene 3
The closing scene
• Lear and Cordelia's lives are in great danger as they are prisoners of
Edmund. Edmund intends to kill them despite Albany's wishes to pardon
them.
Prisoners • Cordelia remains devoted to Lear declaring she is only sad for him "For thee
oppressed king I am cast down..." Lear is glad of his time with Cordelia and
becomes fiery when they are to be taken away (it is assumed that they are
taken away by the captain to be killed)
Hope?
• There appears to be some hope when
Albany enters.
• He asserts his authority over
Edmund and asks for Lear and Cordelia
to be handed over as this was not the
time to deal with this.
• Goneril and Regan spring to Edmund's
defense....
The sisters fight!
• The jealousy between the two evil sisters
reaches a dramatic climax in this final
scene.
• When Regan publicly declares Edmund to
be her 'lord and master', she has already
been poisoned by Goneril.
• Albany now arrests both Edmund and
Goneril ('this gilded serpent') on charges of
treason.
• The proof was in the letter Goneril sent to
Edmund.
The brothers fight! (And make up)

• Edgar accuses Edmund of treachery: "thou art a traitor, false to thy

gods, thy brother, and thy father conspirant against this high
illustrious prince"
• Edmund could have ignored this "stranger's" request to fight, but he
didn’t. The fight is brief, and Edgar inflicts a moral blow on Edmund.
• Albany shows Edmund the letter Edgar had given him confirming his
and Goneril's treachery. Edmund redeems himself somewhat by
making no attempt to deny the truth. Edmund forgives the man
who has killed him, Edgar now in return forgives his brother- "let's
exchange charity"
• Edgar believes in divine justice. Edmund accepts his fate "The wheel
is come full circle"
• We learn that Gloucester died (between 'two extremes of passion,
joy and guilt' when he found out the truth about Edgar's identity.
The sisters are dead

• Goneril has died by suicide .

• Regan is dead from the poison Goneril gave
her.
• There is an irony that they died because of
their shared love of one man who arguably did
not deserve any love at all.
A Hint of Humanity, A
Little too Late
• Edmund draws everyone's attention
back to Lear and Cordelia announcing
that he has signed their death warrants.
• He asks that someone goes straight to
the castle to stop that from happening.
• Tragically, no sooner has Edgar departed
when Lear arrives, carrying Cordelia's
lifeless body in his arms. Lear is
distraught. "A plague upon you,
murderers, traitors, all"
• Lear killed the man who hanged
Cordelia.
Lear and Kent
• Lear finally recognises Kent.
• Kent observes the mood as "cheerless, dark and
deadly"
• An officer enters to announce Edmund's death.
• Albany says under the new regime "all friends shall
taste the wages of their virtue"
• Lear slips into a final sleep and attempts are made
to revive him. Kent intervenes, ever protective of his
royal master, and says he has been tortured enough
and to "let him pass". Lear dies.
• Albany says Kent and Edgar should rule the kingdom
but Kent's duty is still with Lear and he takes his
own life to be with Lear in death.
It will fall to Albany and
Edgar to restore the kingdom
to a state of order and health.