List of characters:

King Lear
Cordelia, Regan and Goneril (Lear's daughters)
Gloucester (nobleman loyal to king)
Edgar and Edmund (first is Gloucester's legitimate son, and the
second is illegitimate son)
Kent (nobleman loyal to king)
Albany (Goneril's husband)
Cornwall (Regan's husband)
Fool
Oswald (works in Goneril's house)

A long time ago, in ancient, pre-Christian Britain, King Lear decides it's time
to retirehe's getting old and he's just not feeling as he once was. Besides,
Lear wants to avoid any family or political conflict that might arise after his
death. So, he decides to split up his kingdom between his three daughtersCordelia, Goneril and Regan. He wants to know which one loves him the
most and give that one the biggest piece of land. Goneril and Regan want to
show how much they love him (but they don't love him actually). Cordelia
(Lear's favorite and also the nicest daughter), refuses to play, insisting that
words and language are not enough to express the love she feels for her
father. Lear takes this the wrong way and refuses to give Cordelia a dowry
for marriage, so she runs away with the King of France.
He divides his kingdom between the wicked Goneril (who is married to the
Duke of Albany) and the mean and nasty Regan (married to the Duke of
Cornwall). Kent (Lear's main man) warns Lear that he's making a huge
mistake, and Lear banishes Kent for being sassy.
Meanwhile, there are Gloucester and his illegitimate son Edmund.
Gloucester is calling him "bastard". So, Edmund manages to trick everyone

into believing that Edgar (who is Gloucester's real son, and also nice guy) is
trying to kill Gloucester. Edgar runs away and disguises himself.
Lear spends his time with his daughter Goneril and her husband, Albany. He
brings along his Fool (his personal comedian), a new servant ("Caius", who
is actually the loyal Kent in disguise) and 100 rowdy knights. Goneril is soon
fed up with entertaining. She tells Lear to get rid of 50 of his knights. But,
she was afraid that Lear will decide he wants all his land back from her and
her sister. Lear is pretty ticked off and he runs over to Regan's house (with
his hundred rowdy knights). He complains to Regan that Goneril is
ungrateful. She and Goneril demand that Lear should get rid of seventy-five
of his hundred rowdy knights (they are his own power).
Then, he realizes that Goneril and Regam don't love him as much as they
said- they don't love him at all. He runs into the storm and Goneril and
Regan lock the door behind him. Lear runs into "Poor Tom" (Edgardisguised as a naked and mad beggar). He realizes that being homeless
really stinks and that he should have done more about Britain's homeless
population when he was king.
Then Lear takes off all his clothes. He had gone insane out on the heath.
Gloucester decides to help Lear. He says they should run off to Dover and
join Cordelia. Cordelia and the King of France are preparing for a little war
against Goneril and Regan.
Goneril has a secret lover- Edmund and she was worried when she found
out that Duke of Cornwall is dead. Somehow, Gloucester ends up travelling
to Dover in the care of "Poor Tom", who is really his good son, Edgar.
Then, Oswald tries to kill Gloucester, but Edgar intervenes and kills Oswald.
Oswald gives the letter he's carrying, from Goneril to Edmund, asking him to
kill Albany so they can be together.
Cordelia forgives Lear and they reunite. They were captured because they
lost the battle against Regan and Goneril. In the end, Regan dies. She was
poisoned by Goneril. Gloucester had a heart attack and he died, too. Goneril
commits a suicide, Edmund dies, and Cordelia is hanged. Lear realizes
what has become of his family and he dies because his heart was broken.

Conclusion: You must think of everything you want to do. You can't measure
love, it's something that you need to show to people. Lear made a mistake
because he didin't believe his daughter Cordelia, and also paid it hard in the
end. As Cordelia said, words and language are not enough to express the
love.

Danica Nikoli II-2