King Lear
Synopsis
Lear, King of Britain, aware of growing old, wants to retire from power. He decides to divide his realm among his three daughters, and offers the largest share to the one who loves him best. Goneril and Regan both proclaim in fulsome terms that they love him more than anything in the world. Cordelia refuses to flatter. Lear, infuriated, disinherits her, and divides the kingdom between the other two. Kent objects to this unfair treatment, but Lear banishes him from the country. Cordelia's two suitors enter. Learning that she is disinherited, the Duke of Burgundy withdraws his suit, but the King of France is impressed by her honesty and marries her.
Lear announces he will live alternately with Goneril and Regan, and their husbands, the Dukes of Albany and Cornwall. He reserves to himself a retinue of one hundred knights, to be supported by his daughters. Goneril and Regan, left alone, agreeing that Lear is old and foolish.
Edmund, bastard son of the Earl of Gloucester resents his status, and plots to supplant his legitimate older brother Edgar. He tricks their father with a forged letter, making him think Edgar plans to kill him. Kent returns from exile in disguise under the name of Caius, and Lear hires him as a servant. Lear, staying with Goneril and her husband Albany discovers that he is no longer respected by Goneril and her servant Oswald. Enraged at her request that he cut his retinue, Lear departs for Regan's home. The Fool mocks Lear's misfortune. Edmund fakes an attack by Edgar, and Gloucester is completely taken in. He disinherits Edgar and proclaims him outlaw.
Kent meets Oswald at Gloucester's home, quarrels with him, and Kent is put in the stocks by Regan and her husband Cornwall. When Lear arrives, he objects, but Regan takes the same line as Goneril. Lear rushes out into a storm to rant against his ungrateful daughters, accompanied only by his Fool. Kent later follows to protect him. Gloucester protests Lear's mistreatment. Wandering on the heath after the storm, Lear meets Edgar, now disguised as a mad beggar. Gloucester leads them all to shelter.
Edmund betrays Gloucester to Cornwall, Regan, and Goneril. He shows a letter from his father to the King of France asking for help against them; and in fact a French army has landed in Britain. Gloucester is arrested, and Cornwall blinds him. But one of Cornwall's servants is so outraged by this that he attacks and fatally wounds Cornwall. Regan kills the mutinous servant, and tells Gloucester that Edmund tricked him; then she turns him out to wander the heath too. Edgar in his madman's guise meets the blinded Gloucester. Gloucester begs him to lead him to a cliff, so that he may jump to his death.
Edmund meets Goneril, and she finds him far more attractive than her husband Albany. Albany is disgusted by the sisters' treatment of Lear and the mutilation of Gloucester, and denounces Goneril. Kent leads Lear to the French army, which is led by Cordelia. Albany leads the British army to meet the French. Regan too is attracted to Edmund, and the two sisters becomesuspicious of each other. Goneril sends Oswald with letters to Edmund, and also tells Oswald to kill Gloucester if he sees him. Edgar pretends to lead Gloucester to a cliff, then changes his voice and tells Gloucester he has miraculously survived a great fall. They meet Lear, who is now mad.
- Peter Holland