King Lear Act 1 Summary

Act 1.1 Character list Kent Gloucester Edmund King Lear Goneril – oldest, married to Albany Regan – middle, married to Cornwall Cordelia – youngest, unmarried Burgundy France Cornwall and Albany (non-speaking)

Scene 1 Details Kent and Gloucester discuss how Lear has been planning to split his kingdom. Gloucester’s illegitimate (bastard) son, Edmund, has come back into his life. Lear and his daughters and their husbands enter. Lear explains his plan: Desire to retire and still have the trappings of being king but not the work. Split the kingdom, giving the best land to the best public declaration of love.

Scene I.1 continued… Goneril goes first, says she loves him more than words, no less than life. Regan goes next, says she loves him more than “all other joys” – including her husband. Cordelia, Lear’s favorite, says “nothing,” that she loves him as a daughter should – “no more, no less” – and that whoever she weds will be the other focus of her love. Lear is angered, disowns Cordelia in every respect – care, dowry, any familial bond.

Scene I.1 continued… Lear leaves Cordelia’s fate to her suitors – the Princes of Burgundy and France, says he will split his time between Goneril and Regan and must have 100 knights with him. Kent intercedes on Cordelia’s behalf, urges Lear to not act rashly, says he is behaving like an old fool in listening to flattery instead of true actions. Lear banishes Kent, gives him five days to get his affairs in order and leave.

Scene I.1 continued… Gloucester brings in France and Burgundy. Lear tells them of Cordelia’s fate. Burgundy says Cordelia is beautiful but he’s not interested without the dowry. France is impressed by her integrity and virtue and agrees to marry her, says “she herself is a dowry.” They all leave. Cordelia warns her sisters to love Lear as they have sworn.

Scene I.1 continued… Goneril and Regan recognize their father is getting old and foolish in disowning Cordelia. They are nervous of taking care of him as he is becoming more erratic and finicky. They agree to discuss it later when they have more insights.

Act I.2 Character list Edmund – bastard son, Malicious Gloucester Edgar – legitimate son, Good

Scene 2 Details Edmund is alone, soliloquizing about why he is considered the lesser son just because he’s a bastard, reveals his intention to betray Edgar (“I will top the legitimate brother.”) through a forged letter. Enter Gloucester. He fills Edmund in on Kent’s fate. Edmund gives Gloucester the forged letter concerning taking Gloucester’s land and money, implies it’s from Edgar. Gloucester gets angry, but Edmund swears to look into it for his father to make sure it’s not true. He will confront Edgar where Gloucester can hear him but secretly plans to frame Edgar.

Scene 2 Continued… Edmund soliloquizes about his bitterness over being ignored. Edgar enters, chats amiably with Edmund. Edmund asks when Edgar last spoke with their father as Gloucester seems offended (lie). Edgar says he hasn’t done anything to offend, that someone is doing him wrong. Edmund says Edgar should be armed and recommends he avoid Gloucester, implying he will help Edgar.

Act I.3 Character List Goneril Oswald – her servant Steward (no lines)

Scene 3 Goneril asks whether reports of Lear’s men attacking hers are true. Lear’s knights have been carousing and roughhousing. Goneril vents about Lear’s behavior – how he expects all the perks of being king without having the authority anymore. When he returns, she is going to give him the cold shoulder and write to her sister, urging Regan to do the same.

Act I.4 Character list Kent (disguised as Caius) Lear Oswald Knight The Fool Goneril Albany

Scene 4 Kent returns in disguise as Caius, entreats Lear to be his servant. Lear asks after Goneril, but Oswald ignores him, angering Lear. Lear sends a Knight to find out what’s going on. The Knight reports Oswald rudely told him that Goneril is “sick” and that Oswald is ignoring Lear’s commands. Lear is angry at being neglected and wants to talk to Goneril, asks for his Fool to come to him.

Scene 4 continued… Oswald enters and Kent (as Caius) and Lear proceed to berate him, calling him names and abusing him. The Fool enters and entertains Lear. His jokes are crass and vulgar, but his words are severely critical of Lear’s actions. He speaks truths to Lear that would get other men in trouble, calling Lear a fool since Lear has given away all his other titles. The fool tells Lear he would rather be anyone other than Lear as Lear has “pared thy wit o’ both sides and left nothing in the middle” – a pun on Lear’s wisdom and splitting the kingdom between Goneril and Regan.

Scene 4 continued… Goneril finally enters. She is irritated by the Fool and Lear’s knights’ behavior. She blames Lear for their behavior and blames Lear’s behavior on his changing disposition. Lear is confused by Goneril’s claims, that she would speak thusly to him if she loved him as a daughter should. Goneril chastises Lear for hanging out with ill- behaved, immature knights and says he must get rid of half of them, keeping only those who are as old as he.

Scene 4 continued After being censured by Goneril, Lear asks for his horse and plans to go to Regan’s home where he expects to be treated better. Albany enters, asks Lear to be patient. Lear calls Goneril names, rages against her claims, defends his men as good, curses Goneril’s lady parts so that she be barren. Albany is genuinely confused. Lear and his men leave. Goneril tells Albany to stay out of it, that it’s just Lear’s old age, the ranting of an old fool.

Scene 4 continued… Lear and the Fool enter again. He rages against Goneril, claiming she has emasculated him. He says Regan will be better to him and that he will be return to his former glory. He leaves. Goneril complains about how unreasonable Lear’s request for 100 knights is. She will write to her sister and make sure they are on the same page about Lear and his knights. Albany tries to be sympathetic to his wife, but she rebuffs him, saying she “knows [Lear’s] heart.” She sends Oswald with the letter, encouraging him to add his own embellishments to make Lear look worse.

Act I.5 character list Lear Kent (as Caius) Fool

Scene 5 Lear sends Kent ahead to Regan’s with letters explaining his version of what happened with Goneril. The Fool tells Lear that Lear would have made a good fool, again admonishing his lack of wisdom in disowning Cordelia. Lear begins to question whether he was right to cast out Cordelia. Lear begs the heavens that he not go mad, that he get his temper under control.