King Lear summary for the reader's diary. Shakespeare's tragedy "King Lear": plot and history of creation

How was William Shakespeare's King Lear created? The great playwright borrowed the plot from the medieval epic. One of them tells about a king who divided his possessions between his eldest daughters and left the youngest without an inheritance. Shakespeare put a simple story into poetic form, added several details, an original plot line, and introduced a couple of additional characters. The result was one of the greatest tragedies of world literature.

History of creation

Shakespeare was inspired to write King Lear by a medieval legend. But the history of this legend begins in ancient times. Around the 14th century, the legend was translated from Latin into English. Shakespeare wrote his tragedy in 1606. It is known that at the end of the 16th century, the premiere of the play “The Tragic Story of King Lear” took place in one of the British theaters. Some researchers believe that this is Shakespeare's work, which he later renamed.

One way or another, the name of the author who wrote the tragedy at the end of the 16th century is unknown. However, according to some historical sources, Shakespeare completed work on King Lear in 1606. It was then that the first performance took place.

Division of inheritance.
In exile.
War.
Death of Lear.

Division of inheritance

The main character is a king who is tired of ruling. He decided to retire, but first he should hand over the reins to his children. King Lear has three daughters. How to divide the possessions between them? The main character makes what he thinks is a wise decision. He is going to bequeath to each of his daughters a property in proportion to her love, that is, the one who loves him the most will receive the largest part of the kingdom.

The older daughters begin to compete in flattery. The youngest, Cordelia, refuses to be a hypocrite and declares that love does not need proof. Foolish Lear is angry. He drives Cordelia out of the court, and divides the kingdom between his eldest daughters. The Earl of Kent, who tried to stand up for his youngest daughter, also finds himself in disgrace.

Time passes, King Lear realizes that he has made a terrible mistake. The daughters' attitude changes dramatically. They are no longer as courteous to their father as before. In addition, a political conflict is brewing in the kingdom, which also upsets Lear a lot.

In exile

The daughters drive away their father just as he once drove Cordelia away. Accompanied by the jester, Lear sets off to the steppe. Here he meets Kent, Gloucester and Edgar. The last two heroes are absent from British legend; they are characters created by Shakespeare. The ungrateful daughters, meanwhile, are developing a plan to eliminate their father. In addition to the main storyline, there is another one in the Shakespearean tragedy - the story of Gloucester and his son Edgar, who diligently pretends to be crazy.

War

Cordelia learns how cruelly the sisters treated their father. She gathers an army and leads it to the sisters' kingdom. The battle begins. King Lear and his youngest daughter are captured. Suddenly Edmund appears, Gloucester’s illegitimate son, whom the author mentions at the beginning of the tragedy. He tries to arrange the murder of Cordelia and her father. But he manages to carry out only part of the plan, namely to kill the youngest daughter of Lear. Edmund then dies in a duel with his brother Edgar.

Death of Lear

All of King Lear's daughters die in the finale. The eldest kills the middle one and then commits suicide. Cordelia is strangled in prison. King Lear is released and dies of grief. By the way, Gloucester also dies. Edgar and Kent remain alive. The latter also does not feel love for life, but thanks to the persuasion of the Duke of Albany, he gives up the idea of stabbing himself with a dagger.

The tragic creation is based on the famous basis - the chronicle of the English king Lear, who in his declining years decided to give his power to his children. As a result, the ruler became a victim of the terrible relationship between his two eldest daughters, and the socio-political situation in the kingdom worsened, threatening him with absolute liquidation. The author supplemented the famous legend with another storyline - the relationships in the family of the Earl of Gloucester, the illegitimate heir of whom, for power and position, did not spare either his brother or his parent. The death of the main characters at the end of the creation, the concept of heroes built in contrasts, are considered the unconditional properties of a classic tragedy.

At first glance, you might think that this tragedy is about the ingratitude of children. But if you think long and hard and look inside the story, you will find that this play, on the contrary, is about a terrible ruler and parent.

The mighty eagle Lear, feeling the approach of death, decided to divide the property between his daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. However, before the division, the king wanted to hear promises of love from them. Goneril and Regan were very crafty and declared their immense love. When it was soon the turn of the conscientious and shy Cordelia, she sparingly announced her own love for dad and lowered her eyes. the king fell into a rage and decided to divide the property only between the first two daughters. Despite the news, Cordelia accepted the agreement to become the wife of the King of France and left, begging her sisters to look after their father.

The Earl of Gloucester, who worked for King Lear for a long period, wanted to understand the circumstances of such a conclusion for the king. However, his fate was also unhappy. The problem is that Gloucester had two sons, the illegitimate heir Edmund and Edgar. Edmund decided to tarnish his brother's reputation in the eyes of his parent with lies. And he suggested to his brother that the count was planning something bad in spite of him. The result was that Gloucester gave the order to catch Edgar, but he managed to escape.

The daughters received a share of the kingdom, and King Lear went to live with each of them for a month. At first he went to Goneril, but immediately regretted it. Goneril, at every suitable opportunity, demonstrated to the pope her own advantage over him and dishonored him. In addition, she ordered her father to disband his own large retinue. Kent arrived to support Lear and hired himself to serve the king. Lear counted on his other daughter Regan and went to her. The day before he wrote her a notice and sent it with Kent. And while he was on the road, the no less dishonest Regan ordered to catch Kent and put shackles on him. When Lear arrived, he had no information about the vileness of his second daughter. However, seeing his own servant in the stocks, the king was furious. At that time, he realized what his daughters were really like. The pressure on Lear did not stop and soon he found himself outside the gates.

Kent begged to inform Cordelia about the king and his grief. Gloucester, not leaving his own king in trouble, decided to hide him and informed Edmund about it. The latter decided to take advantage of this in order to end his life with his parent. Gloucester took Lear to a refuge and offered to send him to Dover for protection. Soon he was shackled and tortured, since it was established from Goneril’s messenger that the earl had sent the king to Dover. When Gloucester told Regan that she was a flayer, her husband tore out his eyes. Gloucester's servant stood up for his master and the Duke of Cornwall died, tearing out his second eye before his death. Blind and defenseless Gloucester was pushed out into the street. He finally found out about Edmund's betrayal. The Count begged Edgar to take him to the cliff in order to throw himself off it. The son agreed, but brought him to an ordinary plane, and when Gloucester fell and hit the ground, Edgar was able to assure him that he had fallen from a cliff and was in good health.

At the same time, the Duke of Albany sought to force his wife Goneril to come to her senses. However, she didn't care. Goneril was only concerned that Edmund would pay attention to her sister. Thus, she gave Edmund permission to destroy her husband and take his place. Speaking of the king, Lear went crazy. When he met Cordelia, he asked her for mercy. Edmund took Lear and Cordelia into slavery and gave a hidden order to destroy them. Edgar appeared and began to fight with his brother, without showing his own face and without giving away his own name. He destroyed Edmund. Meanwhile, Goneril stabbed herself, and before her death, poisoned her sister. Unfortunately, Edmund's death had no effect on the fate of Lear and Cordelia.

Picture or drawing of King Lear

Other retellings and reviews for the reader's diary

Summary of Bulgakov Zoykina apartment
There was no devilry in this play. What the characters themselves do is enough.
Brief summary of Gray Neck Mamin-Sibiryak
In autumn, the birds were preparing to fly to warmer places. The duck and the drake were constantly arguing. She condemned her husband for being indifferent to their children. He assumed that he was acting correctly. All the quarrels were over a little wounded duck.
Summary of Tales by Phone Rodari
Mr. Bianchi had a daughter. As she saw off her father, she reminded him that she wanted to hear a new fairy tale. I only fell asleep when I listened to a new story. And he began to share new fairy tales with his daughter on the phone before going to bed.
Summary of Heart failure Aleksina
The work begins its narrative with the fact that Galya Androsova enters the institute. On this occasion, her mother and her husband, whom everyone affectionately called Pavlusha for some reason, decide to give her a ticket to a sanatorium for heart patients
Summary of The Red Wheel Solzhenitsyn
In his epic novel The Red Wheel, Alexander Solzhenitsyn describes the first decade of the 20th century. The author gives the reader the opportunity to immerse himself in the pre-revolutionary era and see that time through the eyes of his heroes

Britain, 11th century. The elderly ruler of the vast country Lear, feeling that he is becoming increasingly old and frail, decides to divide all his lands between his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. He calls all three girls to him and asks them to tell him how much they love him. The two eldest daughters, Goneril and Regan, swear to their father that they dote on him, that no one has ever loved their parents the way they do.

Lear really likes the words of the first daughters, dictated by cunning calculation, then he wants to hear the same from the youngest, his favorite Cordelia. However, a sincere and modest girl is absolutely not going to embellish her feelings. She directly answers the king that she loves him as her daughter’s duty tells her, no more and no less.

The enraged sovereign deprives Cordelia of any dowry, dividing the entire kingdom between Goneril and Regan. He leaves himself only a hundred servants and the right to live with each daughter for a month. One of the king’s close associates, the Earl of Kent, tries to reason with him, saying that Cordelia loves her father no less than the eldest daughters, and that the ostentatious expression of tender feelings does not mean that Regan and Goneril really feel that way about Lear. But the king absolutely does not want to listen to Kent and, in a rage, orders him to leave his native country and go into exile.

The Duke of Burgundy, one of Cordelia's suitors, immediately abandons her upon learning that the girl is deprived of any dowry. But the second of the contenders, the king of France, happily takes Cordelia as his wife, knowing the wonderful spiritual qualities of Lear’s youngest daughter. She says goodbye to her sisters, instructing them to take care of their father, but her soul is uneasy, since Cordelia knows very well that Goneril and Regan are only feigning love for the king for their own selfish interests.

The Earl of Gloucester, who served Lear faithfully for decades, is also upset by such a sudden and drastic decision of the sovereign. But he does not realize that his illegitimate son Edmund is intriguing against him, trying to set his father against his half-brother Edgar, who was born legally. The young man inflicts a slight wound on himself, but tells his father that he fought with Edgar, who attempted to assassinate Gloucester. The Count flies into a rage and orders Edgar to be captured; the innocent young man is forced to hide.

First, Lear stops with Goneril. The young woman now behaves completely differently towards her father, believing that he must remember who is now the boss. Her servants behave rudely and arrogantly towards the former king; Goneril herself soon begins to sharply demand from her father that he dismiss half of his entire retinue. Lear cannot believe what is happening; the husband of his eldest daughter, the Duke of Albany, is trying to rein in his wife at least a little, believing that the old man does not deserve such humiliation. However, Goneril does not want to listen to anyone and insists on his own.

Kent, who is unable to leave his master, disguises himself and hires himself to serve Lear under an assumed name. It is him who the old king sends to Regan, giving him a letter for his second daughter. Goneril, in turn, also sends her own envoy to her sister. Lear still counts on help and understanding from Regan, because he gave her a lot.

In the castle of the Earl of Gloucester, where Regan and her husband, the Duke of Cornwall, arrive, Kent, who arrived with a letter, is immediately put in the stocks, despite the intercession of Gloucester. But Regan, like her sister, strives in every possible way to humiliate her father as much as possible, which is why she treats his messenger so cruelly. When Lear arrives at this castle and sees that his ambassador is in the stocks, he does not understand who dared to treat him like that. The answer that his daughter and son-in-law did this shakes the former ruler to the core.

Lear tries to talk to Regan, but she refuses to accept him, saying that she is too tired from the road. When he finally meets with his daughter and son-in-law, the king begins to complain to her about Goneril, but Regan advises him to immediately return to her sister and apologize to her. Lear cannot believe his ears, but at that moment Goneril herself arrives.

The sisters are merciless towards their father, they insult him without any ceremony. One insists on reducing the size of his retinue by half, the other believes that twenty-five people will be enough, in the end both come to the conclusion that old Lear does not need servants at all. The shocked former king realizes that he has nothing more to hope from these heartless creatures, he realizes that he has treated Cordelia extremely unfairly.

A real storm begins, and Lear's daughters leave their old father on the street at the mercy of the uncontrollable elements, slamming the castle gates in front of him. Kent is looking for his king in the endless steppe and at the same time asks one of Lear's former courtiers to inform Cordelia in France about how badly the elderly king is now being treated and how he needs help.

While wandering through the steppe in the pouring rain, the old man finally gives up his illusions. Kent finds Lear and persuades him to hide in the hut, where Edgar is already located, also forced to hide from the authorities due to a slander on the part of his half-brother.

Meanwhile, Edmund decides to get rid of his father and denounces the Earl of Gloucester to the Duke of Cornwall. Having arrested the elderly count, the duke tears out his eyes, but the count's servant, unable to bear what is happening, inflicts a mortal wound on Regan's husband. The blind Gloucester realizes that he was betrayed by his son Edmund, who had previously slandered the innocent Edgar.

Edgar, having heard about his father's terrible misfortune, volunteers to become his guide, although he does not give his real name. At the same time, Goneril returns to her husband’s palace with Edmund, and the woman sends him to command the army; before parting, they swear an oath of eternal love to each other.

The Duke of Albany, having learned about how the sisters treated their father, greets Goneril with an angry and contemptuous speech, but the wife does not want to listen to his reproaches and does not admit her guilt. At the same time, it becomes known about the death of the Duke of Cornwall and what he and Regan did to the Earl of Gloucester. Goneril is upset that her sister has become a widow and Edmund is now with her; the woman fears that her lover will not remain faithful to her.

Edgar, accompanying his blind father, meets Lear in the forest, completely covered with flowers. The old man has lost his mind, which those around him immediately understand from his incoherent speeches. Cordelia, having learned about how shamelessly the older sisters acted with their father and what a terrible situation he is now in, hurries to help Lear.

When the old king, after a long period of unconsciousness, comes to his senses in the French camp and sees his youngest daughter in front of him, he kneels before Cordelia and begs to forgive him. At the same time, Edmund and Regan are at the head of the British army fighting the French. Regan suspects that Edmund is having an affair with Goneril as well, but he assures her that he loves only her. Goneril, in turn, realizing that her sister is competing with her for her lover, decides to poison her.

The French troops are defeated, Lear and Cordelia are captured by Edmund. However, the former king is happy that his beloved youngest daughter is next to him again, they do not part for a minute. Edmund gives secret orders to kill both.

The Duke of Albany, Goneril's husband, insists that the old man and his daughter be handed over to him as prisoners, but Edmund refuses. The Duke discovers the sisters' fierce rivalry over this young man and accuses all three of committing treason. Edgar, hiding his true name and appearance, expresses his readiness to fight Edmund and mortally wounds his half-brother. Before his death, Edmund finds out who took revenge on him and admits himself defeated.

The Duke of Albany is informed that Goneril stabbed herself with a dagger, having previously managed to add poison to Regan. Before his death, Edmund talks about his secret order and asks everyone to hurry to save Cordelia and Lear. But it turns out that it is too late, the young and beautiful daughter of the former king of Britain has already been killed. Lear, who has suffered a lot of grief and disappointment, is unable to come to terms with her loss.

An elderly man dies with his last words of despair. Edgar tries to bring Lear back to life, but Kent stops him, saying that it would be much more merciful to let the former king go quietly, making him suffer again would be extreme cruelty and heartlessness.

Everything that happens ends with the Duke of Albany’s statement that the era forces people to be persistent, no matter how severe the melancholy that grips their souls, that those who survived must still find strength in themselves and continue to move on their path.

Scene 1

In the throne room of King Lear's palace, the Earl of Kent and the Earl of Gloucester discuss the division of the kingdom. Gloucester introduces Kent to his natural son Edmond. King Lear appears in the hall with his daughters, the Dukes of Cornwall and Albany and his retinue. He orders Gloucester to go for the King of France and the Duke of Burgundy.

King Lear asks his daughters how much each of them loves him? Goneril, the wife of the Duke of Albany, gives an eloquent and poetic declaration of love, for which she inherits a huge part of the kingdom. Regan, the wife of the Duke of Cornwall, says that she and her sister are “of the same breed” and know no other joys than love for their father. As a reward, the girl receives an equally beautiful part of the kingdom. Cordelia, for whose hand the King of France and the Duke of Burgundy are arguing, admits that she loves her father as her duty dictates, and after marriage she will be forced to give part of her tenderness to her husband. King Lear becomes angry and disowns his youngest daughter. He gives a third of Cordelia's inheritance to her older sons-in-law and says that he will live with each of his daughters for a month. The Earl of Kent tries to reason with the king, but Lear does not want to listen to anything. He orders him to leave the kingdom within five days, otherwise death awaits the traitor.

The Duke of Burgundy does not want to take the disinherited Cordelia as his wife. The King of France sees in the girl, who was once Lear's beloved daughter and suddenly fell out of favor, a precious treasure of purity and sincerity and happily makes her his queen. Saying goodbye to her sisters, Cordelia asks them to be merciful to their father. Goneril and Regan agree to weaken Lear's power in order to retain his inheritance.

Scene 2

In the hall of the Earl of Gloucester's castle, Edmond, with a letter in his hands, discusses his right to his father's inheritance. The young man plans to commit forgery to frame his brother Edgar.

When his father appears, Edmond hastily hides the letter in his pocket. The Earl of Gloucester begs his son to give him "Edgar's" letter, in which the latter writes about his desire to manage his father's finances without waiting for his death. Edmond promises his father to bring Edgar to clean water, and turns Edgar against his father.

Scene 3

In the palace of the Duke of Albany, Goneril asks her butler Oswald whether it is true that King Lear killed one of her courtiers for cursing him as a jester? Having received an affirmative answer, the king’s eldest daughter calls in sick and gives Oswald orders to treat her father’s servants as coolly as possible.

Scene 4

Kent, in disguise, is hired as a servant to Lear. The royal jester is moping. Oswald treats the king without due respect. The jester who comes to Lear's call calls him a fool for giving his power into the hands of those who do not love him. Goneril asks his father to pacify the riot of his people by dismissing a significant part of his retinue. King Lear is furious at his daughter's words. He curses her with infertility. The Duke of Albany tries in vain to understand the reason for his father-in-law's discontent. Getting ready to set off, King Lear discovers that out of a hundred people in his retinue, he has fifty left. Goneril sends Oswald with a letter to Regan.

Scene 5

Courtyard in the castle of the Duke of Albany. King Lear sends Kent with a letter to his daughter. The jester entertains his master.

Act II

Scene 1

Courtyard of the Earl of Gloucester's castle. The courtier Kuran tells Edmond about the upcoming visit of the Duke of Cornwall with his wife and a possible war between him and the Duke of Albany.

Edmond, who was ordered by his father to arrest Edgar, arranges a mock fight with the latter, supposedly necessary for his escape. He tells Gloucester about his brother’s desire to kill his father and the attempt on his, Edmond’s, life. The Count sends his servants in pursuit of Edgar.

The Duke of Cornwall and Regan sympathize with Gloucester and offer Edmond a place in their retinue. The count promises his side son the transition to the status of legal heir.

Scene 2

In front of Gloucester's castle, Oswald asks Kent where he can park the horses. Kent insults the vile scoundrel and draws his sword against him. Owners and servants come running to hear the noise. Having found out the cause of the quarrel, the Duke of Cornwall orders Kent to be put in stocks until lunch. Regan says that this is not enough and extends the sentence until the morning. Gloucester asks the Duke to write about what happened to the King and give Lear the opportunity to punish his servant himself. The Duke of Cornwall refuses. Gloucester apologizes to Kent. Falling asleep in the stocks, the latter reads Cordelia's letter.

Scene 3

Edgar, hiding in the forest, decides to change his appearance and become a crazy beggar.

Scene 4

King Lear asks Kent, who was chained in stocks, who dared to do this to him? The faithful servant tells of Oswald's treachery, which interrupted Kent's report and caused the Duke of Cornwall and Regan to flee to the count's possessions.

Gloucester conveys to the king the words of the Duke and Regan that they are sick and tired from the road. Lear demands to be accepted. The Duke of Cornwall and his wife come to the king. Regan believes that her father should return to Goneril and ask her for forgiveness.

The Duke of Cornwall admits that Kent was put in stocks on his orders. Regan happily meets Goneril and invites his father to dismiss part of his retinue and live, as he planned, with one or the other daughter. Lear does not want to return to Goneril. Regan refuses to accept her father, citing the fact that she did not have time to prepare the palace for his arrival, and asks to visit her with a retinue of twenty-five people. Arguing about how many personal servants their father should have, the daughters gradually come to the conclusion that - none: King Lear, in their opinion, would have enough servants of Goneril or Regan.

A storm is coming. King Lear and his retinue leave. Goneril and Regan justify their actions to each other.

Act III

Scene 1

Steppe. The courtier tells Kent how King Lear battles the storm alone. Kent explains to him that France has decided to conquer the kingdom, weakened by ducal disputes. The courtier, at Kent's request, goes to Dover to notify Cordelia of the king's unfortunate fate.

Scene 2

At the other end of the steppe, King Lear calls thunder and lightning on his head. The jester invites him to return to his daughters’ dry house. Kent finds King Lear and invites him to wait out the storm in a hut. The jester prophesies that when people become noble, then the end of the world will come.

Scene 3

A room in Gloucester Castle. Gloucester complains to Edmond about the heartlessness of the dukes, talks about the army landing in the country and the mysterious letter he locked in his room. The Earl asks his son to distract the attention of the dukes while he helps King Lear. Edmond immediately decides to hand over his father to his new master in order to clear his path to inheritance.

Scene 4

Kent persuades King Lear to hide from the weather in a hut. Upset by his daughter's ingratitude, the ruler wants to be left alone with the storm, since it helps him not to think about the misfortune that happened to him. The Jester finds Edgar in the hut, pretending to be crazy Tom. King Lear believes that the latter suffered the same misfortune as himself. Edgar reveals that in the past he was a pleasure-living rake. King Lear admires poor Tom for being a real man.

Gloucester appears in the hut. He offers King Lear shelter. The latter refuses to leave the hut without “his philosopher.”

Scene 5

The Duke of Cornwall thanks Edmond for his loyalty and makes him the new Earl of Gloucester.

Scene 6

Gloucester brings King Lear to a farm adjacent to the castle. The maddened ruler arranges a funny trial of his daughters, appointing Edgar as a judge, noise as a sage, and Kent as a juror.

Gloucester tells Kent about the plot against the king. Together they put the sleeping Lear on a stretcher and set off for Dover. Edgar feels better at the sight of the royal grief.

Scene 7

The Duke of Cornwall orders Edmond to accompany Goneril to her husband. He asks the Duke of Albany to start arming himself in order to give a worthy rebuff to the French troops. Oswald reports on the betrayal of Gloucester and the king's flight to Dover.

The servants bring Gloucester to the castle. The Duke of Cornwall orders the “traitor” to be tied up. Regan, in a fit of anger, pulls his beard. Enraged by his subject's disobedience, the Duke of Cornwall tears out his eye.

The first servant comes to Gloucester's defense. The Duke of Cornwall draws his sword. A servant wounds his master. Regan snatches the sword from another servant and kills the first. The Duke of Cornwall deprives Gloucester of his second eye. From Regan, the Count learns about Edmond's betrayal and understands that Edgar has been slandered. The second and third servants take the blinded Gloucester with them.

Act IV

Scene 1

Edgar meets his blinded father in the steppe. Gloucester asks the guide to find clothes for the beggar. He takes the latter as a guide and asks him to lead him to a large cliff hanging over the abyss.

Scene 2

In front of the palace of the Duke of Albany, Goneril is surprised that her husband did not meet her. Oswald reports to the hostess about the strange behavior of the ruler. Goneril orders Edmond to return to the Duke of Cornwall to lead the troops. In return, she offers him her love.

The Duke of Albany reproaches his wife for her unworthy behavior towards her father. Goneril insults her husband. The latter can hardly restrain himself from tearing her into pieces.

A messenger brings news of Cornwall's death. Goneril leaves to compose a letter to her sister. The Duke of Albania promises to reward the unfortunate Gloucester and King Lear.

Scene 3

In the French camp near Dover, Kent asks the courtier what forced the king of France to leave the army (state affairs), who is now in command last (Marshal of France - Mr. Lafar) and what impression the letter received made on the queen (she cried).

Scene 4

Cordelia orders the officer to send soldiers to find her father. The doctor says that only rest and medicinal herbs can restore the patient’s sanity. A messenger reports to Cordelia that British troops are approaching.

Scene 5

Regan asks Oswald to show her her sister's letter to Edmond, to whom she became engaged after her husband's death. Goneril's butler does not give the message, but promises Regan support in eliminating Gloucester.

Scene 6

Edgar allows his father to make an imaginary jump from a cliff and repent of his desire to die. On the plain they meet King Lear, decorated with flower wreaths, carrying nonsense full of deep meaning.

King Lear runs away from a courtier and servants. Oswald wants to kill Gloucester. Edgar comes to his father's defense. Before his death, Oswald asks Edgar to deliver a letter to Edmond, in which Goneril asks the latter to kill her husband.

Scene 7

King Lear sleeps inside a French tent. Cordelia thanks Kent for his help. The awakened King Lear gradually begins to recognize those around him. Kent and the courtier talk about the upcoming battle with the British.

Act V

Scene 1

In the British camp near Dover, Edmond swears to Regan that he never had any plans for Goneril. Edgar, in disguise, gives the Duke of Albany a letter from Goneril to Edmond. Before the battle, Edmond reflects on his plans for the future.

Scene 2

The British are winning. Edmond takes King Lear and Cordelia prisoner. He orders the officer to take them to the fortress and hands him a letter with further instructions regarding the prisoners.

The Duke of Albania wants to decide the fate of the prisoners. Edmond opposes him on the grounds of supposed brotherhood. Regan and Goneril argue over a potential husband. The Duke of Albany accuses Edmond of treason. Regan feels bad.

Shakespeare's play King Lear was first published in 1608. A brief summary of this work is presented in this article. The playwright worked on it for two years - from 1605 to 1606. And on December 25, 1606, the first performance of the play “King Lear” took place on stage. We will describe its brief content sequentially, by acts and scenes. A portrait of the author of the work is presented below.

William Shakespeare is an outstanding playwright and poet, often called the national poet of England, and one of the world's best playwrights. The years of his life are from 1564 to 1616. Shakespeare's works that have come down to us include 38 plays, 4 poems, 154 sonnets and 3 epitaphs. Shakespeare's plays have been translated into many languages and are staged in theaters around the world more often than the works of all other playwrights.

Brief biography of Shakespeare

Between 1585 and 1592 Shakespeare's career began. It was at this time that he moved to London. After some time, William became a successful playwright, actor, and also co-owner of a theater company, later known as the King's Men. At the age of 48, around 1613, he returned to his native Stratford, where he died three years later. Little historical information has been preserved about the life of this playwright, so numerous theories are created by researchers based on the testimony of contemporaries and official documents. His religious views and appearance are still discussed in the scientific community. There is also a view that the works attributed to Shakespeare were created by someone else. Most Shakespeare scholars, however, reject it.

So, let's begin to describe the brief content of the work.

Lear divides his inheritance between his three daughters

The first scene of the first act begins as follows. Lear, the king of Britain, having grown old, decided to divide the kingdom between his three daughters and spend the end of his life in peace. He demands, having gathered his relatives, that his daughters express their love to him before he transfers the lands to them. The two eldest - Regan and Goneril (wives of the Dukes of Cornwall and Albany) - make flattering, sugary speeches to their father.

However, the third daughter, Cordelia, a straightforward girl, is disgusted by her sisters' insincerity. She refuses to vent to her father, limiting herself to only a few restrained words. King Lear is indignant at this. The summary of the work continues with the fact that he loudly renounces Cordelia. The king says that the kingdom will be divided in half between Regan and Goneril, giving nothing to his youngest daughter.

The expulsion of the Earl of Kent, the marriage of the French king to Cordelia, the insidious plan of Regan and Goneril

The noble Earl of Kent, who is present, tries to dissuade the king from taking an unreasonable step. But Lear, showering Kent with abuse, expels him from the country. One of Cordelia's two suitors, the Duke of Burgundy, having learned that the girl was deprived of her inheritance, renounces his betrothed. However, the second, who is the French king, admires the girl’s selflessness. He happily takes her as his wife. Cordelia says that time will tell Lear which of his daughters truly loved him. This prophecy will later come true. The greedy Regan and Goneril at the end of this scene confer in private on how to curb the “crazy father” in order to take away the last remnants of power from the king.

Edmund's plan

Let's move on to the description of the second scene of the first act of the play "King Lear". We will continue the summary of this work with the insidious plan of Edmund, who is the illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester. He wants to take possession of his father's inheritance, pushing aside his legitimate son, the trusting and kind Edgar. For this purpose, Edmund shows Gloucester a letter written in the forged handwriting of his beloved Edgar. In it, he allegedly offers his brother to kill his father in order to divide his county into two. Gloucester buys into this deception. Edmund tells Edgar that Gloucester is very angry with him because of some slander. He advises his brother not to walk around without a weapon and not to catch his father's eye.

Lear goes to Goneril

In the third scene of the play that Shakespeare created ("King Lear"), we will supplement the summary with new events. Lear, having given his two eldest daughters the kingdom, comes to live with the Duke of Albany and Goneril. The daughter, having learned that her father liked one of her courtiers, orders Oswald, her butler, to communicate with Lear as rudely as possible in order to deliberately cause a break with him.

Kent enters the king's service

And here it is - the fourth scene. The Earl of Kent, expelled from Britain, does not lose his loyalty to Lear, who expelled him. Realizing that the two daughters will soon begin to oppress the king, he dresses up, changes his appearance, and then comes to Goneril’s palace and enters the service of Lear. He already notices that Goneril’s people are treating him without due respect. His favorite jester laughs at him because, having voluntarily given up power, he acted like a fool.

Lear quarrels with Goneril, goes to Regan

Goneril, who came to Lear, talks to him arrogantly and harshly. She reproaches her father for the outrages allegedly committed by his 100 bodyguards. The girl demands to dissolve at least half. Lear, outraged, curses his daughter. He gathers people to go to Regan. Then Goneril sends Oswald to her sister with a letter in which she calls on Regan to act together with her against her father’s “madness.”

In the fifth scene, Lear instructs Kent, who is unrecognized by him, to deliver a message to Regan, in which her father tells her about the quarrel with Goneril. His jester continues to laugh at the king. He prophesies that the second daughter will treat him no better than the first.

Edgar's flight

The first scene of the second act of the tragedy begins, the author of which is Shakespeare (“King Lear”). A summary of the events described in it is outlined below. Edmund convinces Edgar that the Earl of Gloucester is even more furious against him. He persuades his brother to run away. Edgar follows his advice. Edmund tells his father that before fleeing, Edgar tried to kill him by attacking him with a sword. Gloucester decides to disown his legitimate son. He says that he will bequeath all his possessions to Edmund. Regan, along with her husband, the Duke of Cornwall, arrives at Gloucester Castle. The girl received a letter from her sister and intends to help Goneril in her intrigues against her father.

Skirmish between Kent and Oswald

This is a very interesting episode, which Shakespeare introduces us to in the second scene (King Lear). It is impossible to compose a chapter-by-chapter summary without mentioning it. Kent, disguised as an earl, arrives with a message from Lear to Regan. He meets Oswald, Goneril's messenger, and attacks this vile man with a sword. Regan and Cornwall, who came running in response to the noise, order Kent to be put in stocks. He says that such humiliation of the ambassador of King Lear himself is an insult to the king. But neither Cornwall nor Regan is deterred. Like Goneril, they seek to openly break with him.

Edgar pretends to be crazy

In the third scene, Edgar, having fled from his father's castle, learns that they are looking for him in order to punish him as a traitor. Then Edgar decides to change clothes and hide behind the guise of a wandering madman.

The impasse in which the king found himself

The events of the play continue in the fourth scene. Let us describe their very brief content. King Lear, who arrived at the castle belonging to Gloucester, sees Kent, his ambassador, chained in stocks. Lear initially refuses to believe that such a terrible insult was inflicted on him. Regan and Cornwall come out to him. The king tells them about Goneril's insolence. However, Regan justifies her sister in everything. Goneril herself arrives at the castle. She calls her father "grumpy" and "crazy" to his face. Regan refuses to give Lear shelter. The girl insists that he return to Goneril and order all his bodyguards to be dismissed. The king, shocked, leaves the castle. He doesn't know where to go. Thus, King Lear finds himself at a dead end. The summary of the acts, however, does not end there. All the most interesting things are yet to come. A terrible thunderstorm is approaching, but Lear's daughters lock all the gates, not caring where their father will spend this stormy night.

Kent finds Lear

In the first scene of the third act, the Earl of Kent, as well as one of the king's courtiers, are looking for Lear, abandoned by his daughters. The king, meanwhile, wanders in despair in the open air in the middle of a raging thunderstorm.

In the second scene, William Shakespeare describes the heartfelt monologues that King Lear pronounces in the pouring rain. Their summary is as follows: Lear speaks of the heartlessness and ingratitude of Regan and Goneril. Then Kent finds him and takes him to a hut nearby.

French troops landing in Britain

Further events unfold in the third scene. The Earl of Gloucester tells Edmund that the French army has landed in Britain. Gloucester sympathizes with Lear. He wants to help the king regain his throne. Edmund intends to convey this intention to his father to Cornwall, hoping that he will take the earldom from Gloucester and transfer it to him.

Further intrigue

In the fourth scene of the third act, the jester, Kent and the main character of the work that W. Shakespeare created, King Lear, come to the hut. We will describe a brief summary of further events, mentioning in a nutshell the unexpected meeting. Three of these heroes find Edgar here, dressed in a beggar's dress. Edgar pretends to be mad. The Earl of Gloucester, who appeared immediately, takes Lear and his companions under the protection of a reliable shelter. Gloucester recognizes neither the Earl of Kent nor Edgar, his son.

In scene five, Edmund brings a forged letter to Cornwall. It says that Gloucester, his father, allegedly spied for the French. Cornwall orders to find and capture Gloucester. He transfers his counthood to Edmund.

How King Lear Lost His Mind

A summary of the scenes of the work we are interested in approaches the description of one dramatic event. In the sixth scene, brought by Gloucester to a farm located near the castle, King Lear practically loses his mind from grief. In his semi-insanity, he plays out the scene of the trial of his daughters. Since Lear may be in danger from Regan and Cornwall, the jester and Kent carry the king, on the advice of Gloucester, to the port of Dover on a stretcher. Everything has already been prepared for his escape.

Gloucester is blinded

In the last, seventh scene of the third act, Shakespeare talks about the following events. Cornwall learns that Gloucester helped King Lear escape. He is captured and brought to Cornwall and Regan. Regan's husband tears out both eyes from Gloucester. In an attempt to intercede for the latter, one of the servants wounds Cornwall with a sword. Blind Gloucester is thrown into the street. The servants give him as a guide a madman wandering around the area, that is, Edgar.

Reunion of father and son

In the first scene of the fourth act, blind Gloucester is brought to Edgar. Edgar hears his father moaning loudly about his injustice towards him, but decides not to reveal himself for some time. Gloucester asks Edgar to take him to Dover, where he wants to throw himself off a cliff into the sea.

Goneril enters into a relationship with Edmund, death of Cornwall

In the second scene, Edmund, as Regan's envoy, comes to Goneril. The latter's husband, the Duke of Albany, does not approve of her arrogant treatment of her own father. He is not very eager to fight the French army that landed in order to restore the rights of King Lear. Goneril, dissatisfied with her husband, tries to enter into a love affair with Edmund. Regan's messenger informs her, as well as her husband, that the Duke of Cornwall has died. He died from a wound he received in a fight with a servant who stood up for Gloucester.

Return of Cordelia

Shakespeare tells us in the third scene what Kent learns in the French camp. It turns out that Cordelia is at the head of the army that landed on the shore. She, unlike her sisters, did not lose her love for her father, and arrived here with an army in order to protect Lear from her sisters. The forces of Cornwall and Albany had already moved against the French.

Sisters' rivalry over Edmund

In the fourth scene, Cordelia, having learned that her father had almost lost his mind from grief, orders him to be found and cured. In the next scene, Regan, now a widow, makes plans to marry Edmund. She sees a dangerous rival in her sister Goneril. Regan sends the butler Oswald to find the blind Gloucester in order to kill him.

The Wanderings of Gloucester and King Lear, the Death of Oswald

The play continues with the following events in the sixth scene. Edgar, continuing to play the role of a madman, brings his father to the vicinity of Dover. Here he puts it down out of the blue and says that in front of Gloucester there is a sea cliff. Edgar's father, having decided to commit suicide, takes a step forward. After this, Edgar approaches him and, now playing the role of another person, convinces his father that he flew off the cliff, but, nevertheless, remained alive. They notice Lear, a crazed king wearing a flower crown, wandering around the area delivering bizarre monologues. After some time, Cordelia's servants find him and take him to the doctor. Oswald, who suddenly appeared, wants to kill Gloucester. However, he dies in a fight with Edgar. At Oswald's, Edgar finds a letter from Goneril addressed to Edmund. She convinces him to kill the Duke of Albany, her husband, during the battle with the French.

In the seventh scene, Lear is restored to sanity by the care of the doctors. Having come to his senses, King Lear talks with Cordelia. The summary of the actions does not convey the details of the conversations between the characters. Let's just say that the king thanks his daughter for her love and devotion and repents for the injustice towards her.

The beginning of the fifth act of "King Lear"

The summary of actions and phenomena is already approaching the end. Let's move on to the description of the last act. In its first scene the following events occur. Regan, in the British camp, offers his love to Edmund. An already open rivalry over him simmers between her and Goneril. Edgar, in disguise, comes to Albany. He hands him a letter in which his wife makes plans to murder Albany at the hands of Edmund. Edgar is ready to prove the authenticity of this letter in a legal duel with Edmund.

Final Events

So we have come to the finale of the work that Shakespeare created - “King Lear”. A summary of the acts of this tragedy does not, naturally, convey all the tension and drama inherent in the play. In the second scene, Gloucester and Edgar learn that Cordelia’s army was defeated in the battle, and King Lear and her were captured by the British. In the final scene of the play, Edmund, having captured Cordelia and Lear, orders them both imprisoned and then secretly orders their murder.

Regan announces that she wants to become Edmund's wife. However, Goneril, who foresaw this turn in advance, manages to give her sister poison. Regan, feeling sick, is taken to a tent.

As you can see, William Shakespeare came up with a very poignant plot for his work. "King Lear" (chapter summary) ends with a very dynamic finale. Albany, having read the letter given to him by Edgar, accuses Edmund of betrayal and lies. The herald summons someone who wants to support this accusation by force of arms. Edgar answers the call. He enters into a duel with Edmund, mortally wounds his opponent and reveals his real name. Her husband shows Goneril a letter in which she makes plans to murder Albany. The girl leaves, after which she stabs herself with a dagger. Before her death, she confesses that she poisoned her sister.

"King Lear", a summary of which we describe chapter by chapter, does not end there. Before his death, Edmund talks about the order he gave (to kill Cordelia and Lear). People are running to prison, trying to save the unfortunate. However, it turns out that Cordelia has already been hanged there. King Lear, brought from prison, dies near the body of his daughter. Albany orders the burial of both of them and asks Kent and Edgar to support him in the revival of the country. This is where King Lear ends. The chapter summary describes only the main events, without touching on details. We have tried to present them briefly.