Study Guide by Arpita Karwa

King Lear by William Shakespeare

has found out about a crime he has committed and is

looking for him. Scared, Edgar escapes the house and
starts running towards the countryside. He calls himself
‘Poor Tom’ as he disguises himself as a mad beggar.
While travelling, he stumbles upon Lear and his Fool.

Gloucester learns that Lear is in a miserable state. He

tries to help Lear regain his sanity. Edmund gets to

m
know about this. To punish his father, he joins hands
with Regan and the Duke of Cornwall. They make him
blind and force him to move towards the countryside.
Gloucester meets Edgar, who brings him out of the

co
Written by William Shakespeare, King Lear is a tragedy storm and leads him to Dover, where they meet Lear.
featuring two intertwined stories — one of the King of
Britain and another of the Earl of Gloucester. The story Cordelia leads the French Army and lands in Dover to
goes on to show that although evil and good both exist in rescue her father and restore his authority in the
the world, good always outweighs and triumphs over evil. kingdom. Through her love and care, Cordelia is able to
a.
Lear, the King of Britain plans to retire. He wants to
divide the kingdom among his three daughters based on
restore his father’s sanity. Edmund-led troops reach
Dover to battle out the Cordelia-led French army. The
latter is defeated and Cordelia and Lear are made
w
how much they love him. The daughters — Goneril, prisoners. Edmund also secretly orders their execution.
Regan and Cordelia are asked to prove their love for him.
Goneril is the Duchess of Albany, and Regan is the Meanwhile, Goneril and Regan see that Edmund is the
Duchess of Cornwall. Both express their love in a sole heir of the Earl’s estate. Both the sisters get
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flamboyant manner. Cordelia is unmarried. She remains romantically closer to Edmund. In an attempt to seek
silent and says she has no words to express how much she complete attention of Edmund, Goneril poisons Regan.
ka

loves her father. This infuriates Lear and he disowns her. Shortly after, Goneril kills herself as Albany learns about
Cordelia marries the King of France. her affair with Edmund.

Lear divides his property equally between Goneril and Edgar duels with Edmund and subsequently kills him.
Regan. However, within some time, he realises that he Cordelia is executed in the prison. Lear holds her body
ta

committed a mistake. Goneril and Regan start to suppress and realises that she loved him the most among his three
even his little authority in the kingdom matters. Lear feels daughters. Lear dies in despair. Although Albany won
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betrayed and starts losing sanity. Cursing the two the battle, he voluntarily passes on the country’s
daughters, he decides to flee and steps outside into the responsibility to Edgar, who assumes the throne with an
pi

storm. He is accompanied by his Fool and a nobleman aim to bring back order to Britain.
named Kent.

Meanwhile, the Earl of Gloucester and his elder son Edgar

ar

become the victim of a conspiracy hatched by the younger

son Edmund. While Edgar is the legitimate son, Edmund
is illegitimate but despite that, he eyes the throne.
Edmund manages to create differences between Gloucester
and Edgar, so he becomes the sole inheritor of the Earl’s
estate.

Edmund makes Gloucester believe that Edgar is trying to

kill him. On the other hand, he tells Edgar that his father

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 Study Guide by Arpita Karwa

Mind Map

m
co
Cordelia
Lear’s Ioving youngest
daughter

Goneril
Loyal Lear’s deceptive
Earl of Gloucester
Loyal older nobleman
a. daughter eldest daughter
w
Nobleman Daughter

Forbidden
Lovers
Father
r
ka

King Lear Edumund

Aging king and father Gloucester’s deceptive
bastard
ta

The Good
EdgarAngel
Gloucester’s naive
legltimate son

Daughter
pi

Forbidden
Lovers
ar

Valdes
Regan
Lear’s deceptive
middle daughter

Father

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