Well, it's been several months since I read King Lear, but we're going to scrounge around in the old memory bank and see what we can come up with for a quick recap on what many regard as Shakespeare's supreme achievement. George Bernard Shaw said, "No man will ever write a better tragedy than Lear", and actors since the early 1600s have been willing to sell their kidneys in order to get a role in this iconic tragedy.
We open on an elderly King Lear pitting his daughters against each other in a gladiatorial-type contest for the biggest chunk of his kingdom. He's ready to retire and he'll pass on his daughters' inheritance to them if they love him enough to tell him exactly what he wants to hear.
Goneril and Regan (the two oldest) are only too happy to wax eloquent on the topic of their love for the old man and are, in turn, granted their share of the inheritance. Cordelia, however, will not be reduced to meaningless flattery. She keeps it short, sweet, and to the point and is rewarded with her father's hot temper and prompt banishment. Lear divides Cordelia's share of the inheritance between her two older sisters and summons Cordelia's two marriage prospects to let them know about her "treachery" while also banishing Kent for calling him out on his outrageously unfair treatment of his one honest daughter. Cordelia's suitors arrive and the Duke of Burgundy splits faster than a banana when he hears the latest family drama. (I mean, really, who can blame the guy?) But the King of France is impressed with Cordelia's conduct (and appalled by Lear's) and says he'll marry her anyway.
In the meantime, we learn that the Earl of Gloucester has two sons; one legitimate (Edgar) and one bastard (Edmund). As is easily surmised, there's no end of family turmoil there and Edmund is plotting to screw over Edgar in an attempt to set himself up as the heir to their father's estate.
King Lear has decided to divide his time between Goneril and Regan and let his loving daughters care for him in his old age, but Goneril is over it before the sun even sets. She immediately sets out to completely incapacitate her father who throws a temper tantrum and says she'll be sorry and he's going to her sister's house where he'll get the respect he deserves.
As if.
Lear's fool gives him the what-for regarding his stupidity in giving over his kingdom to his two ruthless daughters and predicts that Regan ain't got time for daddy either. (He's not wrong.)
Meanwhile, Kent, the most loyal and righteous subject ever to walk the face of the earth, comes back in disguise to offer his personal service to the king who just banished him and to look out for Lear's interests in this whole convoluted mess. (Seriously, this guy is an actual angel.)
So Kent ends up riding ahead of Lear to bring the message of Lear's impending arrival to his daughter Regan who puts him in stocks for his trouble. When Lear arrives, he's outraged at the treatment of his servant but finds Regan just as dismissive of him as Goneril was (surprise, surprise). He has a royal conniption and rages outside into a storm to rant against his ungrateful daughters. He comes across Edgar disguised as a madman wandering around babbling after being thrown out by his father after Edmund faked an attack of his person by Edgar. Kent manages to find them both and lead them into the nearby shelter of a cave.
Now that Edmund has gotten Edgar banished, he proceeds to set up his father to Regan and Goneril who decide to gouge out Gloucester's eyes. To add insult to injury, Regan ends up telling Gloucester that Edmund betrayed him and sets him out to wander, too. Edgar finds his blinded father who doesn't recognize his voice and begs Edgar to lead him to a cliff he can fling himself off of. Edgar leads him around, has him jump, and then convinces him he miraculously survived a great fall. (Why we go through this whole charade is beyond me, but that's what happens.)
Back in the kingdom, Goneril and Regan have both decided they have to have Edmund which, I guess, is okay for Regan since she's recently been widowed, but Goneril is still married to Albany who has finally grown a spine (earlier in the play she basically told him he was cute but dumb and to stay out of her way) and denounced his disgusting wife. Goneril writes a letter to Edmund basically telling him to off her husband so they can be together but Regan is not having one bit of that; she's obviously the better match for Edmund since she's actually available.
Out in the wild, Kent leads the embarrassed and half-mad Lear to Cordelia and the French army where Cordelia manages to calm her father (seeing as she's the only one of his daughters who actually does love him).
Regan realizes that if she's going to get Edmund to pick her over Goneril, she better send someone to kill Gloucester to cover all her bases. Edgar defends his father and kills the assassin who also happens to be the messenger carrying Goneril's letter to Edmund (the one where she's conspiring with him to kill her husband).
Regan convinces her brother-in-law Albany to join forces with her to stand against the French army being led by Cordelia and Lear, and Albany agrees on the condition that Lear and Cordelia are not to be harmed in the conflict. Meanwhile, Edmund is plotting the deaths of Albany, Lear, and Cordelia while trying to figure out what to do about Goneril and Regan seeing as he's made promises to both of them.
Somewhere in here Edgar shows up and hands over Goneril's treacherous letter to her husband Albany. (Like I said, it's been months since I read this one. The details of this are foggy.)
The battle ensues, the British (Goneril, Regan, & Co.) are victorious over the French (Cordelia & Lear) and Edmund issues an order in Goneril's and Regan's names to execute Cordelia and Lear.
The British leaders gather for their post-war meeting and Regan declares she will marry Edmund. Too late though because Goneril was a step ahead and had already poisoned her sister to get her out of the way. (Lord help the sister who comes between her and her man, right?) Albany exposes Edmund as a traitor and demands a trial by combat while Regan goes offstage to die. Edgar shows up in head to toe armor and challenges Edmund to a duel. No one knows who he is but he manages to fatally wound Edmund who finally grows a conscience and confesses to ordering the deaths of Lear and Cordelia. Goneril perceives that things are probably not going to go well for her and runs away to kill herself. Albany sends men to countermand Edmund's death warrant; again too late. Lear shows up carrying Cordelia's corpse in his arms after having killed the executioner to survive.
Albany urges Lear to take back his throne, but after everything he's been through, he dies (just like Gloucester who we found out from Edgar died from the shock when Edgar revealed himself to his father).
So basically, Albany, Edgar, and Kent are left standing and Kent promptly throws up the deuces and leaves the country. He served his king and he is done. So Albany and Edgar are left in charge of the country and just kindof sadly march off.
The end.
In sum: King Lear sets his three daughters on a course to their untimely ends and then dies himself from the pain of it all. Woof. Talk about a tragedy. This was, by far, the most depressing thing I've read by Shakespeare yet, though I will say that this play contained the best bit of name-calling I've ever read and Kent is possibly my favorite Shakespearean character ever. This is definitely not one you should skip. I'd say King Lear is a must-read for lit-lovers everywhere.
Now that I've caught up on my Shakespearean recaps, Cymbeline is on deck for my 2020 reading. I've heard that some critics consider this one a comedy even though it's listed as a tragedy so hopefully it won't be such a downer like King Lear.
Have you read King Lear or any of its famous retellings?
So Kent ends up riding ahead of Lear to bring the message of Lear's impending arrival to his daughter Regan who puts him in stocks for his trouble. When Lear arrives, he's outraged at the treatment of his servant but finds Regan just as dismissive of him as Goneril was (surprise, surprise). He has a royal conniption and rages outside into a storm to rant against his ungrateful daughters. He comes across Edgar disguised as a madman wandering around babbling after being thrown out by his father after Edmund faked an attack of his person by Edgar. Kent manages to find them both and lead them into the nearby shelter of a cave.
Now that Edmund has gotten Edgar banished, he proceeds to set up his father to Regan and Goneril who decide to gouge out Gloucester's eyes. To add insult to injury, Regan ends up telling Gloucester that Edmund betrayed him and sets him out to wander, too. Edgar finds his blinded father who doesn't recognize his voice and begs Edgar to lead him to a cliff he can fling himself off of. Edgar leads him around, has him jump, and then convinces him he miraculously survived a great fall. (Why we go through this whole charade is beyond me, but that's what happens.)
Back in the kingdom, Goneril and Regan have both decided they have to have Edmund which, I guess, is okay for Regan since she's recently been widowed, but Goneril is still married to Albany who has finally grown a spine (earlier in the play she basically told him he was cute but dumb and to stay out of her way) and denounced his disgusting wife. Goneril writes a letter to Edmund basically telling him to off her husband so they can be together but Regan is not having one bit of that; she's obviously the better match for Edmund since she's actually available.
Out in the wild, Kent leads the embarrassed and half-mad Lear to Cordelia and the French army where Cordelia manages to calm her father (seeing as she's the only one of his daughters who actually does love him).
Regan realizes that if she's going to get Edmund to pick her over Goneril, she better send someone to kill Gloucester to cover all her bases. Edgar defends his father and kills the assassin who also happens to be the messenger carrying Goneril's letter to Edmund (the one where she's conspiring with him to kill her husband).
Regan convinces her brother-in-law Albany to join forces with her to stand against the French army being led by Cordelia and Lear, and Albany agrees on the condition that Lear and Cordelia are not to be harmed in the conflict. Meanwhile, Edmund is plotting the deaths of Albany, Lear, and Cordelia while trying to figure out what to do about Goneril and Regan seeing as he's made promises to both of them.
Somewhere in here Edgar shows up and hands over Goneril's treacherous letter to her husband Albany. (Like I said, it's been months since I read this one. The details of this are foggy.)
The battle ensues, the British (Goneril, Regan, & Co.) are victorious over the French (Cordelia & Lear) and Edmund issues an order in Goneril's and Regan's names to execute Cordelia and Lear.
The British leaders gather for their post-war meeting and Regan declares she will marry Edmund. Too late though because Goneril was a step ahead and had already poisoned her sister to get her out of the way. (Lord help the sister who comes between her and her man, right?) Albany exposes Edmund as a traitor and demands a trial by combat while Regan goes offstage to die. Edgar shows up in head to toe armor and challenges Edmund to a duel. No one knows who he is but he manages to fatally wound Edmund who finally grows a conscience and confesses to ordering the deaths of Lear and Cordelia. Goneril perceives that things are probably not going to go well for her and runs away to kill herself. Albany sends men to countermand Edmund's death warrant; again too late. Lear shows up carrying Cordelia's corpse in his arms after having killed the executioner to survive.
Albany urges Lear to take back his throne, but after everything he's been through, he dies (just like Gloucester who we found out from Edgar died from the shock when Edgar revealed himself to his father).
So basically, Albany, Edgar, and Kent are left standing and Kent promptly throws up the deuces and leaves the country. He served his king and he is done. So Albany and Edgar are left in charge of the country and just kindof sadly march off.
The end.
In sum: King Lear sets his three daughters on a course to their untimely ends and then dies himself from the pain of it all. Woof. Talk about a tragedy. This was, by far, the most depressing thing I've read by Shakespeare yet, though I will say that this play contained the best bit of name-calling I've ever read and Kent is possibly my favorite Shakespearean character ever. This is definitely not one you should skip. I'd say King Lear is a must-read for lit-lovers everywhere.
Now that I've caught up on my Shakespearean recaps, Cymbeline is on deck for my 2020 reading. I've heard that some critics consider this one a comedy even though it's listed as a tragedy so hopefully it won't be such a downer like King Lear.
Have you read King Lear or any of its famous retellings?
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