Scene 1

An old and selfish king, King Lear, assembles his court and his three daughters to tell them that he has decided to divide his kingdom between them. He tells his daughters that he wants to be free of all cares and burdens in his old age and that the largest part of his kingdom will be given to the one who loves him most. He listens to his eldest daughter first. Goneril, who is married to Lord Albury, declares that she loves her father ‘more than words can wield the matter’. Then he listens to his next daughter. Regan, who is married to Lord Cornwell, says that her love goes beyond Goneril’s love in that she ‘is enemy to all other joys’ and only happy because of her father’s love. Lear is pleased with both of his daughters and he gives to them and their husbands a third of his kingdom.

Meanwhile, Cordelia, the youngest daughter who is closest to her father and most loved by him, is increasingly concerned about this love-test. As her sisters speak, she worries about what to say but encourages herself by saying ‘I am sure, my love's more richer than my tongue’. When it is her turn to speak and Lear asks her how much she loves him, Cordelia refuses to compete with her sisters and replies, ‘Nothing’. Lear warns her that ‘Nothing will come of nothing’, but still Cordelia refuses to speak and says, ‘I cannot heave my heart into my mouth’.

Lear angrily accuses Cordelia of being an unnatural and unloving daughter. He disowns Cordelia and the third, and largest, portion of his kingdom which he was going to give her is instead divided between Cornwall and Albury for his other daughters. Lear announces that he will live with his two other daughters and their husbands with one hundred of his knights while they take over the rule of the kingdom.

Kent, an old, loyal member of Lear’s court, is horrified and tries to defend Cordelia. He accuses Lear of madness and Lear, in a rage, banishes him also. Lear calls Cordelia’s two suitors and tells them the he has disowned his daughter with a curse. The Duke of Burgundy says he will only marry Cordelia if she receives a portion of Lear’s kingdom, but the King of France says he will marry her without riches because of her virtues, describing her as ‘most rich, being poor’.

The scene ends as Lear leaves with Burgundy and with Goneril and Regan discussing the old age and inconstancy of their father.

Scene 2

Edmund, the illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester, plots against his legitimate brother, Edgar. He thinks of a way of removing Edgar from his father’s affections so that he can inherit all that his father owns. Edmund writes a letter of conspiracy against Gloucester, but pretends that Edgar has written it and furthermore makes sure that his father reads it. When Gloucester reads of Edgar’s supposed intention to take his place and manage his revenue, he is furious. He is also disturbed by unnatural events such as eclipses in the sun and moon which he thinks are bad omens which point to discord, mutiny and treason. Edmund later convinces Edgar that his father is angry with him. He tells him to think of what he has done to anger Gloucester and advises him to carry a weapon to protect himself. When Edgar has gone, Edmund mocks his ‘credulous father’ and his brother’s ‘foolish honesty’.

Scene 3

Lear has been staying with Goneril and she very quickly becomes tired of his demanding behaviour and riotous knights. She advises her steward to be ‘slack of former services’ and not to worry if he offends Lear or his knights. Goneril says Lear can go to live with Regan if he does not want to be treated like that and describes him as an idle old man, saying ‘old fools are babes again’.

Scene 4

Kent, who has been banished, is still in the country but has taken on a disguise. While he is disguised, he offers his services to Lear. The king does not recognise him and takes him into his service. Lear begins to notice that Goneril and her husband and her servants are unkind and neglectful to his knights and to him. He also notices that his fool is absent and his knights tell him that he is pining away because Cordelia has left England. When Kent (in disguise) notices Goneril’s steward being rude to Lear, he challenges him and throws him out. Lear’s Fool appears and criticises Lear for throwing away his crown and giving his daughters so much power over him. When Goneril appears to complain about Lear’s knights and his fool, Lear confronts her and she tells him that he must reduce the number of knights who follow him. Lear is furious and accuses her of being a thankless child. He leaves Goneril in anger and goes to stay with Regan. 

Scene 5

Scene 1

In Gloucester’s castle a messenger comes to Edmund to tell him that Regan and her husband the Duke of Cornwall are coming to stay that night. Edgar also comes to see Edmund and Edmund tells him to leave the castle quickly because of his father’s anger. He also tells Edgar that the Duke of Cornwall is angry with him as well. As they are talking, Gloucester arrives and Edmund attacks Edgar with a sword, telling him to pretend to defend himself and escape. As Edgar escapes from the castle, Edmund wounds his own arm with his sword. He tells Gloucester that Edgar tried to convince him to murder their father and then attacked him. Gloucester is outraged. He vows to hunt down Edgar and to legitimise Edmund. When Regan and her husband, the Duke of Cornwall, arrive they hear the gossip about Edgar confirmed and they congratulate Edmund on being a dutiful son. Regan also reveals that they have received letters from Goneril and Lear and that they have come to stay with Gloucester because they want to avoid seeing Lear. They also want Gloucester’s help with the problem that is developing.

Scene 2

Goneril’s steward, Oswald, has travelled to Gloucester’s castle with letters and meets Kent, still in disguise. Kent remembers his rudeness to Lear and quarrels with him, first with insults and then with his sword. As Oswald calls for help, Edmund arrives along with Gloucester, Regan and Cornwall. Kent continues to insult Oswald and also insults the Duke of Cornwall. The angry Duke places Kent in the stocks even though he reveals that he is in the king’s service and that he dishonours the king by publically punishing him. Cornwall and Regan are determined that Kent should be punished and do not listen when Gloucester tries to convince them against it. Kent is put in the stocks and when he is alone he reads a letter from Cordelia who has been told that he is in disguise with the King and promises to help.

Scene 3

Edgar, in a long soliloquy, reveals that he has escaped from the men who were sent to arrest him and that he is hiding in the woods for safety. His disguise is one of the ‘basest and most poorest shape’ and he has torn his clothes and dirtied his skin so that he resembles a lunatic beggar similar to the Bedlam beggars. He is no longer called Edgar but ‘Poor Tom’.

Scene 4

Lear arrives at Gloucester’s castle and is angry to find Kent in the stocks. He demands to know why and goes to speak to Regan. He is even more angry when he is told they are too tired from their journey and will not speak to him. Gloucester tries to help and eventually brings Regan and Cornwall out to speak to Lear. Kent is released from the stocks and Lear tells Regan that her sister Goneril has turned against him. He tells her of her ‘sharp-toothed unkindness’, but Regan stands up for her and advises Lear to return to Goneril and ask her forgiveness. Lear is horrified that his two daughters should treat him like this and as they talk a trumpet announces the arrival of Goneril. Regan and Goneril together try to convince Lear that he has no need of his train of knights, but should instead be dependent on them and their servants to serve him. Lear becomes increasingly distressed that his daughters, now that they have all his wealth and authority, have turned against him. He tries to hold back tears of rage and madness and leaves with Kent and his Fool. As he leaves a storm erupts, Gloucester tries to follow Lear to bring him back into the castle, but Goneril and Regan tell him that Lear has made his own choice and the castle is locked.

Scene 1

Out on the heath in the storm, Kent meets a gentleman who is loyal to the king and tells him of all that has happened. Kent also tells him of news and spies from France who are in England to await a French invasion. He gives the gentleman his ring and his purse and tells him to go to Dover and to give a report of all that is happening to Cordelia. 

Scene 2

In another part of the heath Lear has broken down in grief and anger and rages against the storm and against his unkind and ungrateful daughters. When his Fool tries to convince him to go back and ask their forgiveness so they can escape from the storm, he refuses and determines to say nothing. Kent arrives and finds a hovel which will provide a bit of shelter for them. Lear sees that his Fool is suffering from the cold and wet weather and tells him to move inside the hovel. 

Scene 3

Gloucester and Edmund talk privately in the castle and Gloucester tells Edmund that he will go and try to find the king to bring him some relief after the storm. He asks Edmund to tell Regan and Cornwall that he is in bed and he also mentions a letter he has received, and locked away, which tells of movement from France to come to Lear’s aid. When Gloucester has left, Edmund goes to tell Cornwall exactly what his father has done and also about the letter. He intends to win the favour of Regan and Cornwall and does not care about what will happen to either Lear or his own father.

Scene 4

Kent is still trying to convince Lear to stay in the shelter of the hovel as well, but Lear is determined to stay out in the ‘pitiless storm’. However, the Fool comes running out of the hovel in fright and they discover a mad man hiding in the hovel. It is Edgar in disguise as Poor Tom. As they question him Lear asks whether the cruelty of his daughters have driven him to this state and wonders if he too is going mad. Like Poor Tom, he tries to tear off his clothes and recognises that he is little more than a man who has been wronged and is at the mercy of the elements. Gloucester suddenly arrives and finds Lear, but does not recognise Poor Tom as his son. Gloucester tries to lead Lear to a place of shelter and warmth, but Lear insists on staying out in the storm to talk to Poor Tom who he calls his ‘philosopher’. Gloucester tells Kent that both he and Lear have cruel and ungracious children who have turned against them. They finally get everyone into the hovel and out of the storm.

Scene 5

Edmund tells Cornwall that his father has gone to find Lear. He also hands over the letter that Gloucester had locked away. Cornwall takes the letter to Regan and rewards Edmund by making him the new Earl of Gloucester.

Scene 6

Scene 7

At Gloucester’s castle, Cornwall sends out servants to seek Gloucester and hears form Oswald that he has sent Lear off on his journey to safety in Dover. When Gloucester is found and brought to the castle Regan and Cornwall bind him to a chair and torture him. Gloucester defiantly remains loyal to the king and Cornwall and Regan pluck out one of his eyes. Cornwall’s servant tries to stop him from plucking out his other eye, but Cornwall kills him and Gloucester is blinded in both eyes.  Cornwall himself is injured by the servant. As they throw Gloucester out of the castle they tell him that his son Edmund was the one who informed them. Gloucester begins to realise that Edgar was his true son and that Edmund had lied about him.

 

Scene 1

On the heath, Edgar sees the blinded Gloucester being led by an old man and is sad and angry to see he has been treated so violently by Cornwall and Regan. The old man leaves Gloucester with Edgar, still in disguise as Poor Tom, and Gloucester asks him to take him to Dover. Gloucester gives him all his money and asks him to take him to the edge of one of the cliffs so he can end his life. Edgar agrees and tells him that Poor Tom shall lead him there.

Scene 2

Goneril arrives at her husband’s home with Edmund, but her husband, Albury, does not come to greet her. She learns that Albury smiled at the news of the French soldiers who were coming to help Lear. Goneril was disgusted and as she sends Edmund back to Cornwall she kisses him and tells him that she will send word to him through her servant. Albury rebukes Goneril for her fiendish behaviour. When a servant arrives to tell them that Cornwall died from the wound inflicted by his servant, all Goneril cares about is that Regan is now alone with Edmund. Albury learns from the messenger that Edmund had betrayed his father and he swears to revenge old Gloucester.

Scene 3

Kent finds out from a gentleman at the French camp near Dover that the French general carries on with the plan to come to Lear’s aid. He hears how Cordelia wept to read what her father had suffered at the hands of her sisters. Kent tells the gentleman that Lear does not want to see Cordelia because he is ashamed of the way he has treated her. He brings the gentleman to meet Lear and leaves him to look after him.
 

Scene 4

Scene 1

At the British camp near Dover Regan asks Edmund if he loves her sister Goneril and Edmund promises her that he will not be too familiar with her. Goneril and her husband Albury arrive and Goneril is more concerned about losing Edmund than about losing the battle. Edmund and Albury leave to prepare for battle and Goneril and Regan stay in a different part of the camp. Just before leaving for battle Edgar arrives in disguise and gives Albany the letter from Goneril to Edmund.

Meanwhile Edmund wonders which of the two sisters he should marry and how he can get rid of Albany. He decides to wait until after the battle to get rid of him and to make sure that Albany has no opportunity to show mercy to Lear and Cordelia.

Scene 2

Just before the battle starts, Edgar makes sure his father has a safe place to stay and promises to come back for him. Edgar leaves to join the battle, but returns with news that Lear and Cordelia have been taken prisoner. At first Gloucester refuses to go with him and wants to suffer the same fate as the king, but Edgar convinces him to go with him. 

Scene 3

In the British camp near Dover, Edmund has Cordelia and Lear as prisoners and orders them to be locked up. As they are led off he gives the captain instructions to kill them and makes him promise to carry them out and send word to him. Albany arrives and praises Edmund for his part in the battle. He asks Edmund to hand over Lear and Cordelia to him. When Edmund refuses and Albany questions his right to refuse him, Regan supports Edmund and tells them that he is her husband. Goneril’s jealous reaction leads Albany to threaten Edmund and challenge him to a duel. Regan begins to complain that she feels ill and Goneril reveals to the audience that she has poisoned her.

A herald sounds out the challenge against Edmund and Edgar arrives, in disguise, to fight him. Edgar and Edmund fight and Edgar wins the fight and wounds Edmund. As Edmund is dying Albany confronts Goneril with the letter she wrote to Edmund and she runs away. Edmund asks for the name of the person who has defeated him and Edgar reveals his true identity. Edmund acknowledges the justice of dying at the hands of the brother he has wronged. Edgar tells them that he revealed his identity to his father and asked for his blessing just before fighting Edmund. He also told them how Gloucester was so happy and yet so distressed that he died as he smiled on him. As he speaks a man rushes in with a bloody dagger to say that Goneril has killed herself and confessed to poisoning her sister. As Edmund sees the dead bodies of Goneril and Regan brought in and as Albany asks where Lear and Cordelia are, he decides to confess before he dies. Edmund tells them to quickly run to Lear and Cordelia because he has given orders that they are to be killed. But it is too late. As Edmund is taken away, Lear arrives carrying the dead Cordelia and grieving over her. He tells them that he killed the guard who was hanging Cordelia and he dies of a broken heart as he weeps over her. Albany hands over the kingdom to Kent and Edgar, but Kent says he will shortly follow the king and Edgar is left as ruler as the play ends.