Professional Documents
Culture Documents
By Lily Rockefeller
Updated December 26, 2019
When the French army, led by Cordelia and her new husband the French
king, arrives on the British shore, Goneril fights with Regan for the love of
Edmund. Eventually, Goneril poisons her sister; however, when her husband
Albany confronts her for her cruelty, Goneril kills herself offstage. Edmund
captures Cordelia and has her put to death—his change of heart comes too
late to save her—, and Edgar kills his cruel half-brother in a duel. Both
Gloucester and Lear die of grief. Albany takes up the throne of Britain after
the play’s bloodbath concludes.
Major Characters
Lear. King of Britain and the play’s protagonist. He starts the play as an
insecure and cruel old man, but grows to realize his children’s true natures.
Edgar. The legitimate son of Gloucester. A loyal son, Edgar maintains his
status as “legitimate” and true son.
Goneril. Lear’s eldest daughter. Goneril is loyal to no one, not even her sister
and partner-in-crime Regan.
Major Themes
Nature vs. Culture, Family Roles. With its depiction of two daughters
who only proclaim their love for their father based on his ability to give them
land, the play demands that we investigate this theme. After all, the natural
thing for daughters to do is to love their father; however, the culture of Lear’s
court sees them hating him, and lying about it to win power within their
social sphere.
Nature vs. Culture, Hierarchy. In one of the most famous scenes of the
play, Lear attempts to prove his power over even nature, despite the fact that
he cannot control his own daughters.
Literary Style
King Lear has had remarkable literary significance from its first performance,
which is estimated to have been between 1603 and 1606. It is a tragedy, a
genre with roots in classical Greek theatre. Shakespeare’s tragedies generally
end in multiple deaths; King Lear is no exception. Generally acknowledged to
be one of Shakespeare’s masterpieces, it is a play that makes use of complex
language and imagery concerned with nature, culture, loyalty, and legitimacy.
The play was written during the reign of Elizabeth II. There are numerous
early versions of the play still in existence; each, however, has different lines,
so it is the job of the editor to decide which version to publish, and accounts
for the many explanatory notes in editions of Shakespeare.