Subjects:
Act I. Scene I. - A Room of State in King Lear's Palace.
King Lear: "'tis our fast intent / To shake all cares and business from our age, / Conferring them on younger strengths, while we / Unburden'd crawl toward death."
King Lear gives his kingdom to daughters Regan and Goneril whom he believes truly love him. Angry that Cordelia his youngest daughter apparently does not, he banishes her, and Kent who tries in vain to make King Lear reconsider. Cordelia leaves and is taken by the King of France as his Queen...
The play begins with Kent setting the scene. We learn that King Lear is to divide and give up to his daughters his kingdom and that in doing so, he will not favor the Duke of Albany any more than the Duke of Cornwall as was expected. We learn that Gloucester, an ally of the King is embarrassed of his bastard son Edmund (Lines 12-26). Lear, The Duke of Cornwall, The Duke of Albany and Lear's three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia with Attendants arrive. Gloucester and Edmund depart to "Attend [meet, greet] the Lords of France and Burgundy," leaving Lear
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Goneril conspires to have her guest and her father, King Lear driven out of her house. Gloucester despairs but with support from Edgar, finds the strength to go on. She describes herself as being "made of that self metal [same character] as my sister," adding that "I profess [call / declare] / Myself an enemy to all other joys / Which the most precious square of sense possesses… In your dear highness' love" (Regan explains that her sister falls short of her love for him; she claims to be an enemy of all other joys but her love for her King), (Lines 71-78).
Edmund speaks with Curan, a Courtier. Oswald's letter, which comes from Goneril, reveals instructions for Edmund to kill her husband, The Duke of Albany.
Lear enters with the dead Cordelia in his arms.
Disgusted with what Oswald is, Kent challenges him to fight, shouting "Draw, you rascal; you come with letters against the king," (draw you rascal, you come with written letters against King Lear), (Line 39).
Despite the First Servant's death, Cornwall completes his gruesome task. Lear now despairs, asking the gods for patience towards "a poor old man," such as himself (Line 275).
Essay's Topics
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