The aging King Lear resolves to turn his kingdom over to his three daughters – once each tells him how much she loves him. This test of eloquence yields consequences Lear little expects when the favored Cordelia says nothing. Lear disowns her, leaving himself vulnerable to the whims of his two older daughters. Ultimately, King Lear loses everything, including his mind, as he finds himself betrayed by the honeyed words and false promises that seduced him. His reason shattered in the storm of violent emotion that ensues, King Lear is stripped of all that has defined him as a king. Stripped down to his essence and wandering about in the storm, King Lear discovers the essence of his own humanity.
King Lear guide sections
