The Tragedy of King Lear

Synopsis

The Tragedy of King Lear is a tragic play written by William Shakespeare, one of the greatest English playwrights who penned the most performed plays of the world such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, and The Tempest and Othello.

The Tragedy of King Lear narrates the disastrous end of King Lear and her daughters, caused by the King’s failure to realize the real love of his first daughter, and succumbing to persuasions of pretended love of his greedy and tainted daughters. The play opens up with the Britain King’s decision to exit the power and divide the realm to his three daughters. King announces to his three daughters that, largest portion of his kingdom will be given to the one who loves him most.

Cordelia, the first daughter is not persuaded by the king’s decision and do not change her real character of a true love. However Goneril and Regan pretend and express their exaggerated love, which impresses the King. Lear eventually disowns Cordelia and turned over all his wealth to Goneril and Regan. Cordelia’s sincerity was rewarded by King of France, whose proposal of marriage has been reluctantly accepted by her.

As soon as the powers were transferred, the evils come out from his deceitful daughters. Their plot to kill the king has been overheard by one of the king’s loyal servant. Meanwhile Cordelia has raised an army to save her father and the kingdom from her cunning sisters.

However Cordelia was defeated and imprisoned along with her father in their own Kingdom. The arrogant Goneril and Regan order execution of Cordelia and she was hanged to death. King mourns his daughter’s death and falls dead on top of her body. In the preceding incidents the devil rulers face their fate of getting killed by the greed of each other.

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