King Lear - Lear, Act IV Scene 4 By Shakespeare King Lear When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools. - Lear, Act IV Scene 4 What does that mean?

Dramatis Personae Lear – king of Britain Goneril – his eldest daughter Regan – his second daughter Cordelia – his youngest and favorite daughter Albany – Goneril’s husband Cornwall – Regan’s husband Kent – a faithful nobleman Gloucester – another loyal nobleman Edgar – Gloucester’s rightful son Edmund – a bastard of Gloucester Fool – a loyal clown who entertains Lear

Our story begins a long, long time ago, in a place far, far away… Setting: England Time: ??

Lear and his three daughters

At Lear’s castle… Lear decides to give up his throne and divide his kingdom among his three daughters His daughter, Cordelia, has two suitors – the king of France and duke of Burgundy Lear asks his daughters how much they love him Goneril and Regan flatter, but Cordelia says that she loves him no more than a daughter loves her father “Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth: I love your majesty according to my bond; nor more nor less.”

Angered, Lear disowns Cordelia and divides his kingdom between Goneril and Regan Kent tries to defend Cordelia, but Lear banishes him from Britain Lear gives Cordelia to the king of France, and though Cordelia is not happy about leaving her father with her sisters, she leaves England with her husband Lear gives his power to Albany and Cornwall, the husbands of Goneril and Regan

The treachery begins… Lear settles down to live with Goneril with 100 of his knights Goneril tells her steward, Oswald, to be disrespectful towards Lear Kent returns, disguised as a man named Caius and defends Lear Goneril offends Lear and dismisses 50 of his knights Lear is angered and storms out of Goneril’s palace with his knights and Fool He sends Caius (Kent) with a letter to Gloucester

Meanwhile… Edmund shows his father Gloucester a forged letter that said that Edgar was planning to take over his lands Edmund pretends to help Edgar, but is actually plotting to have Edgar removed He persuades Edgar to flee and wounds himself to make it seem that Edgar attacked him Gloucester is convinced and vows to capture Edgar

Betrayed! Kent (Caius) gets into a fight with Oswald Cornwall and Regan break up the fight The loyal Caius is placed in the stocks for 24 hours Lear arrives and demands that Caius; Regan refuses, but allows Lear to stay at her palace Regan dismisses all of Lear’s knights, and Lear leaves in anger

Lear goes insane Goneril, Regan, and Cornwall are glad that Lear is gone, but Gloucester is worried for his king’s health A storm approaches and Lear and his last servants (Caius and the Fool) walk into a health Lear stands in the rain and curses his daughters

The storm builds up Kent sends a man to Dover to tell Cordelia of her father’s plight Kent brings Lear into a nearby cave, where they meet Edgar, who disguises himself as a madman (“Poor Tom”) Gloucester then arrives and takes them to a farmhouse Edmund decides to betray his father

He tells Cornwall that Gloucester was helping Lear At the farmhouse, Gloucester tells Lear, the Fool, and Caius to flee because Cornwall was planning to kill them Cornwall arrives and captures Gloucester Gloucester is tortured, his eyes are ripped out A servant wounds Cornwall and helps Gloucester escape They meet Edgar (in disguise still as a madman) and Edgar leads his blind father the rest of the way to Dover, where a French army under Cordelia is stationed Gloucester realizes that he had mistaken Edgar

Blind Gloucester

The plot tightens On the way to Dover, Edgar and Gloucester meet Oswald Edgar fights Oswald and kills him; he finds a letter from Goneril to Edmund, telling him to kill Albany so that she could marry him We learn that Cornwall had died from the wound, and the Regan is also in love with Edmund… There is conflict between sisters now

The storm breaks… At Dover, Cordelia sends a sentry to find her father Father and daughter are finally reunited Lear is unconscious when they find him, but when he wakes, he recognizes Cordelia and asks for her forgiveness

The final battle The English and French are at war At the English camp, Goneril argues with Albany and fights with Regan for Edmund Albany decides to cooperate with Goneril and Regan only because of the French invasion The French army under Cordelia loses, and she and her father are captured by the evil Edmund Edmund sends them to jail and orders the captain to have both of them hanged

The ending… Edgar brings Goneril’s letter to Albany, and he decides to fight against Goneril and Regan Another battle occurs, and in the climactic scene, Edgar fights Edmund and wounds his evil half-brother Edmund admits to all his crimes and repents Meanwhile Goneril poisons her sister Regan and commits suicide herself after learning of Edmund’s defeat

Edgar and Caius sent people to save Lear and Cordelia The save Lear, but they are too late for Cordelia Lear enters, holding Cordelia’s body Howl, howl, howl, howl! O! you are men of stones: had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so that heaven's vaults should crack. She's gone for ever. I know when one is dead, and when one lives; she's dead as earth. - Lear, Act V Scene 3 Edgar reveals himself to his dying father, Gloucester Caius reveals himself as Kent to Lear, who in grief over Cordelia finally recognizes his most loyal servant Lear though is completely mad and dies of grief over his daughter’s death Albany and Kent are left to restore order following the tragedy

Lear carrying Cordelia

The End

Questions to talk about… What is Lear’s weakness? Was Cordelia’s answer to her father appropriate? Why do you think Lear went insane? Did Lear deserve what happened to him? Who do you think displayed the greatest courage in the play? Who do you feel the most sympathy for? Why? Who do you think has the most admirable character? Who is the true hero of the play? What is the significance of insanity? What does it symbolize? Do you see a parallel between different characters? How many people died in this play? Where is the climax of the story? What is the theme of the play? Would the play have the same effect on you if it ended as “they lived happily ever after”? Do you think a tragic ending is better, or a happy one? Why?