King Lear is a play by Shakespeare and one of his four great tragedies. Its story comes from an ancient British legend and is set around the eighth century AD. The play has two parallel plotlines. The main plot follows Lear, the elderly and foolish king of ancient Britain, who plans to divide his kingdom among his three daughters according to how much they love him. His eldest and middle daughters flatter and deceive him with honeyed words, while his youngest, Cordelia, speaks honestly. Enraged, Lear banishes her and sends her to France, then divides his kingdom between his two deceitful daughters. In the secondary plot, the Earl of Gloucester is tricked by his illegitimate son, Edmund, into banishing his eldest son, Edgar. After inheriting the title, Edmund becomes entangled with both of Lear’s elder daughters, driving them to jealousy and mutual destruction. The events unfolding around these two plotlines are gripping, and the tragic ending is rich with philosophical meaning and invites deep reflection.
