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Contents
Lear starts the play as a powerful king who makes a catastrophic decision out of vanity. He wants retirement and adoration at the same time. The play follows his fall from authority to madness to grief, and his slow, painful recognition of what he threw away.
Lear's youngest daughter refuses to perform love for land. She is banished, marries the King of France, and returns with an army to save her father. She forgives him completely. Her death at the end, after doing everything right, is the play's most devastating moment.
Lear's eldest daughter delivers a lavish speech of love to win her share of the kingdom, then immediately moves to strip Lear of his knights and dignity. She is calculating and ruthless. Her desire for Edmund eventually leads her to poison her own sister and kill herself.
Lear's second daughter mirrors Goneril in cruelty and outdoes her in some scenes, including watching Cornwall blind Gloucester without intervening. She competes with Goneril for Edmund and is poisoned by her sister before she can act on it.
Gloucester's illegitimate son resents his status and decides to take what he wants through manipulation. He forges a letter to destroy Edgar, betrays Gloucester to Cornwall, and plays Goneril and Regan against each other. He tries to undo his worst act at the very end, but too late.
Gloucester's legitimate son is framed by Edmund and forced to flee. He disguises himself as a mad beggar called Poor Tom and ends up on the heath with Lear. He guides his blinded father without revealing himself, then defeats Edmund in a duel and survives to help govern what is left.
Gloucester is deceived by Edmund and betrays Edgar. He tries to help Lear and is punished for it with blinding. Cast out, he is guided by Edgar in disguise. He dies when Edgar finally reveals himself, his heart breaking between grief and joy.
Kent is banished in Act 1 for defending Cordelia. He disguises himself and returns to serve Lear anyway. He stays loyal through the entire play, even when Lear cannot recognize him. He is one of the few characters who does the right thing consistently and pays for it throughout.
Lear's court jester accompanies him onto the heath and speaks hard truths through jokes and riddles. He tells Lear plainly that giving away the kingdom was a mistake. He disappears from the play partway through with no explanation, which scholars still debate.
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