King Lear is a tragic play written by William Shakespeare sometime in the early 1600s. The play was first performed in front of an audience on December 26, 1606 at Whitehall Palace as part of his company’s Christmas celebrations. According to the introduction of the book “King Lear is Shakespeare’s most perfect embodiment both of his own artistic vision as a “poet” and of the tragic genre he and other early modern dramatists inherited from classical authors” (Ioppolo viii). The story is about a man named King Lear deciding that he wants to split up his kingdom and hopes to give a third of the kingdom to each of his three daughters: Goneril, Reagan, and Cordelia. Goneril and Reagan, alongside their husbands, joined together to take over all
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She, alongside with Regan, passed her father’s love-test by saying “Sir, I love you more than word can wield the matter, / … / Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare,” (Shakespeare 5). The passing of King Lear’s love-test lead to Lear giving her a section of the kingdom. After the love test, Goneril would become cruel and join up with her other evil sister Regan to plot against Lear and take all of his power as King. When talking to Oswald, Goneril finds out about Lear striking her husband for “chiding of his fool” (Shakespeare 19), and states “By day and night, he wrongs me; every hour / He flashes into one gross crime or other / That sets us all at odds. I’ll not endure it” (Shakespeare 19). She also states that Lear’s knights have become riotous. This really sparked her rebellion against her father, who finds out about her betrayal and repents giving her half of his knights. Goneril’s husband Albany than argues with her over the way she has treated her father, which leads to Goneril talking with Edmund. Later on Goneril realizes that Edmund has also been talking with Regan, which leads to a falling out between the two sisters. Goneril than poisons Regan before stabbing herself, which leads to her
She, alongside with Regan, passed her father’s love-test by saying “Sir, I love you more than word can wield the matter, / … / Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare,” (Shakespeare 5). The passing of King Lear’s love-test lead to Lear giving her a section of the kingdom. After the love test, Goneril would become cruel and join up with her other evil sister Regan to plot against Lear and take all of his power as King. When talking to Oswald, Goneril finds out about Lear striking her husband for “chiding of his fool” (Shakespeare 19), and states “By day and night, he wrongs me; every hour / He flashes into one gross crime or other / That sets us all at odds. I’ll not endure it” (Shakespeare 19). She also states that Lear’s knights have become riotous. This really sparked her rebellion against her father, who finds out about her betrayal and repents giving her half of his knights. Goneril’s husband Albany than argues with her over the way she has treated her father, which leads to Goneril talking with Edmund. Later on Goneril realizes that Edmund has also been talking with Regan, which leads to a falling out between the two sisters. Goneril than poisons Regan before stabbing herself, which leads to her