A tragic fall of a tragic hero through Shakespeare's eyes .

1. KING
LEAR
by
William
Shakespeare
Submitted To: - Dr. Mouli Chowdhury
Submitted By: - Leeharika Jindal
Pranjal Madaan
Pratham Verma

2. CHARACTERS
•King Lear – King of Britain
•Earl of Gloucester
•Earl of Kent – later disguised as Caius
•Edgar – Gloucester's first-born son
•Edmund – Gloucester's illegitimate son
•Goneril – Lear's eldest daughter
•Regan – Lear's second daughter
•Cordelia – Lear's youngest daughter
•Duke of Albany – Goneril's husband
•Duke of Cornwall – Regan's husband
•King of France – suitor and later husband to Cordelia
•Duke of Burgundy – suitor to Cordelia

3. INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAY
King Lear is one of the Shakespeare’s many
influential plays. It is estimated to have been written
between 1603 and 1606. Set in Britain, the play is
based on the mythological pre-Roman Celtic King
Leir. Despite its early roots, the tragedy forces its
audience to grapple with enduring themes, and it has
maintained its powerful influence even up to the
present day.
The play was often revised after the English
Restoration for audiences who disliked its dark and
depressing tone, but since the 19th century
Shakespeare's original play has been regarded as

4. SYNOPSIS OF THE PLAY
King Lear is the story of the ageing king of Britain, Lear, and his three
daughters, Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. When he asks them to prove their
love for him in exchange for one third of his kingdom, all but Cordelia
manage to flatter him enough. Cordelia is clearly the daughter who loves
him the most, and yet she is banished; Regan and Goneril, meanwhile,
quickly reveal they despise him. They send him out of their houses in a
state of half-madness with only his most loyal servants to protect him.
Meanwhile, the Earl of Gloucester’s bastard son, Edmund, attempts to
usurp his father and elder brother Edgar, plotting to kill his father and have
Edgar banished from their home.
When the French army, led by Cordelia and her new husband the French
king, arrives on the British shore, Goneril fights with Regan for the love of
Edmund. Eventually, Goneril poisons her sister; however, when her
husband Albany confronts her for her cruelty, Goneril kills herself offstage.
Edmund captures Cordelia and has her put to death—his change of heart
comes too late to save her—, and Edgar kills his cruel half-brother in a duel.
Both Gloucester and Lear die of grief. Albany takes up the throne of Britain
after the play’s bloodbath concludes.

5. ACT I
SCENE – 1
• Kent and Gloucester discussing King Lear's plan.
• Gloucester introduced his illegitimate son, Edmund and
biological son, Edgar to Kent.
• Lear enters and announces that he is going to divide his
kingdom into three parts.
• Eldest daughter, Goneril insists that she loves her father "dearer
than eyesight, space, and liberty"; Lear awards her one third of
his kingdom, accordingly.
• Regan claims that she loves her father even more than Goneril
does; she is an "enemy to all other joys" but his "dear Highness'
love" . Lear grants her a third, in turn.
• When Cordelia's turn comes to speak, she can answer only
"Nothing, my lord". She insists that she loves him "according to
[her] bond, no more, no less".
• Lear disinherits Cordelia forever and banishes Kent and
afterwards announces alternate months of living with his two
other daughters.
• Upon learning that Cordelia is disowned, Burgundy disagrees to
marry her.
• Goneril and Regan shows their true colors saying they cannot
permit their father to exercise any real authority.

6. ACT I
SCENE – 2
• Edmund criticizes the injustice of the laws and customs that
deprive him of all legal rights just because he was born out of
wedlock.
• He has forged a letter and is plotting to steal the land of his half-
brother, "legitimate Edgar" by winning all his father, Gloucester's,
affection.
• Gloucester reads the letter that argues against the "aged tyranny".
In the letter it is shown that if Edmund will help Edgar dispose of
Gloucester, Edgar will grant him half of his legitimate wealth.
• Gloucester grows enraged, and Edmund pretends that he would
like to urge moderation.
• Gloucester says that he has recently observed disorder in the skies
that predicts all the chaos that has happened and is yet to happen.
• Edmund tells Edgar to go hide and if he leaves his hiding place
then make sure to carry a weapon to protect himself.
• Edgar is naive and won't suspect anyone, and Edmund will use it to
his advantage to take, the lands that he did not inherit by birth.

7. ACT I
SCENE – 3
• Lear is spending his first month at Goneril's place.
• Goneril instructs Oswald and the servants to neglect
Lear so that she he could leave as early as possible.
• Goneril says if he doesn't like it here then he can go
to Regan.
• She says that she will not be overruled by an "idle
old man" and "Old fools are babes again and must be
used with checks as flatteries".

8. ACT I
SCENE – 4
• Kent returns in the disguise of Caius, a commoner.
• Lear demands that Oswald say who Lear is. When
Oswald replies, "my lady's father", Lear grows enraged,
calling him names.
• Lear asks whether the Fool is calling him a fool, so it
replies that indeed he is: "all thy other titles thou has
given away. That thou wast born with". The Fool
continues to mock Lear, saying that Lear is worth even
less than he is.
• Goneril scolds Lear, telling him he must return to his
usual self.
• Lear, jokingly demands whether anyone present
recognizes him (i.e., as their former king). "Who is it that
can tell me who I am".
• Lear curses her and pleads the gods either to make her
infertile or to send her a "child of spleen" so that she
herself can know "how sharper than the serpent's tooth it
is to have a thankless child".
• As Lear departs, Albany enters, criticizing the lack of
hospitality that Goneril has shown to her father.
• Regan tells her husband that he is foolish to be so
gentle.

9. ACT I
SCENE – 5
• As he prepares to head for Regan's castle himself,
Lear is teased by his Fool, who predicts that Regan will
just be like Goneril.
• Meanwhile, Lear begins to go insane fearing that he
will go mad at the "monster ingratitude".
• Fool persists telling Lear "thou wouldst make a good
Fool".

10. IMPORTANT THEMES
JUSTICE
King Lear is a brutal play,
filled with human cruelty.
The play’s succession of
terrible events raises an
obvious question for the
characters—namely,
whether there is any
possibility of justice in the
world, or whether the world
is fundamentally indifferent
or even hostile to

11. IMPORTANT THEMES
AUTHORITY VS
CHAOS
King Lear is about political authority
as much as it is about family
dynamics. Lear is not only a father but
also a king, and when he gives away
his authority to the unworthy and evil
Goneril and Regan, he delivers not
only himself and his family but all of
Britain into chaos and cruelty. The
kingdom descends into civil strife,
and we realize that Lear has destroyed
not only his own authority but all
authority in Britain. The stable,
hierarchal order that Lear initially
represents falls apart and disorder

13. IMPORTANT QUOTATIONS
“Nothing will come of nothing.” – Lear
“Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave
My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty, According to my bond; nor more nor less.”
– Cordelia
“Let me if not by birth, have lands by wit.” – Edmund
“Old fools are babes again.” – Goneril
“Thou hadst little wit in thy bald crown when thou gavest thy golden one away.” – Fool