A thousand splendid sunds

Act 1

Act1 Scene1
King Lear wants to divide up his land between his three daughters
He wants to know which one of his daughters loves him the most so that he can give that one the largest share of his land.
Goneril and Regan take the approach to flatter there father thinking he will believe that they love him the most.
But Cordelia (the youngest daughter) takes a different approach and refuses to go on about how much she loves her father
Cordelia says she loves her father as much as a daughter should
She always says that if the other two sisters had loved Lear they would not have married
Lear is offended by this and disowns Cordelia
The land is then divided between Goneril and Regan
The king of France and duke of Burgundy were both interested to marry Cordelia.
Lear tells them that Cordelia no longer has any title or land.
Burgundy decides that he no longer wants to marry her
King of France is impressed and decides to make her his queen.
Regan and Goneril realize that they now have complete power over the kingdom but must work together to make their father feel as though he has no power
Act1 Scene2
Edmund who is evil and manipulative tries to set up Edgar by writing a letter that makes it seem as though he is going to kill their father Gloucester
Gloucester is so mad and furious once Edmund uses his manipulative ways to tell him about the letter
When Edmunds done with Gloucester he goes to Edgar and tells him that he’s furious so its best that Edgar avoids there father
Act1 Scene3
Lear decides to go spend time at his daughter Goneril’s house
Goneril complains that Lear is annoying
She orders her servants to act rude to Lear

Act1 scene4
Lear realizes that Goneril’s servants are being rude and disrespectful
The fool indirectly tells Lear that he has made a bad decision by giving his land to the older daughters
Goneril and Regan do not want to house all of Lear’s knights
When Lear has had enough he says he announces that he is leaving to go live with Regan
Goneril’s husband Albany thinks that it was wrong for her to treat her father that way
Act1 Scene5
The fool once again indirectly tells Lear that he has made the wrong decision
He tells Lear that Regan will treat him the same way Goneril has
Lear and his knights leave to go stay with Regan

Act 2
Act2 Scene1
Edmund is excited that Regan and her husband the duke of Cornwall are coming over that night
He wants to get the duke to help him get rid of Edgar
Edmund tells Edgar that Gloucester is aware of his hiding spot
In front of Gloucester, Edmund play fights with Edgar
He pretends to cut his wrist to show Gloucester
Gloucester sends out people to look for Edgar

Act2 Scene2
Oswald is attacked by Kent both verbally and physically
Kent is put in that stocks for abusing Oswald
Act2 Scene3
Edgar tries to disguise himself as a poor man so that Gloucester and his men can’t find him
Act2 Scene4
Lear finds Kent in the stocks and upset that someone would do that to his servant
Lear tells Regan about the way Goneril had treated him
Regan refuses to allow Lear to stay at her place
Act 3
Act3 Scene1
Kent is trying to find Lear
He is told by one of the knights that Lear is somewhere nearby
Kent gives a ring to the knight to hand over to Cordelia
Kent goes to look for Cordelia
Act3 Scene2
Lear is frustrated and walking through horrible weather conditions
The storm symbolizes the feelings and emotions going on inside Lear’s head
He is taking out the anger of his two daughters on the weather
The fool once again tries to explain to Lear how to act upon the situations he’s in.
Kent finds the fool and Lear and tells them to go inside because the weather is getting bad.
Act3 Scene3
Gloucester tells Edmund that he feels weird about how Lear is being treated
Gloucester thinks that its wrong from them to take control of Lear’s castle and leave him out in the storm
Gloucester wants to go out and find Lear, so he leaves Edmund in charge of making sure no one comes to the realization that he has left
Edmund being evil and manipulative goes and does exactly the opposite of what Gloucester told him to
Edmund betrays his father but expects to inherit everything of his once he dies
Act3 Scene4
Lear won’t go inside a shelter, saying that he won’t be effected by the storm
Lear and fool come across disguised Edgar
Lear asks if the reason why is a “mad man” is because his daughters have disobeyed him as well
Gloucester finds Lear and tries to bring him back to the castle
Lear brings along disguised Edgar as well
Act3 Scene5
Now that Cornwall is aware that Gloucester has betrayed him, he wants to get him back
Act3 Scene6
Gloucester goes to tell Kent that he has recently heard a rumor that Lear will be killed
Gloucester begs for Kent to send Lear away
Edgar sees what Lear is going through and no longer feels like his problems are as bad
Act3 Scene7
Cornwall sends Goneril and Edmund to Albany’s while Gloucester is punished for betraying duke of Cornwall Gloucester and Cornwall fight
Gloucester calls out for Edmund but it told that Edmund is the one who betrayed him in the first place
Here Gloucester realized that Edgar is the good one and really cares
Both Gloucester and Cornwall are left with deep wounds
Act 4
Act4 Scene1
Edgar realizes that things aren’t actually that bad
Gloucester still doesn’t know that Edgar is disguised as the poor man
Gloucester is telling an old man that he wishes he could just see and touch Edgar again
Gloucester goes blind
Act4 Scene2
Albany is not pleased with Goneril and Regan’s actions
Albany and Goneril get into a huge fight
News is delivered that Cornwall died from wounds
Goneril has mixed emotions because now Regan has less power but this also means that she can marry Edmund
When Albany hears how Edmund betrayed his father and was not there when he was being blinded, Albany goes ahead with helping Gloucester
Act4 Scene3
Lear comes to realization that he had treated Cordelia poorly
Cordelia is now the queen of France
Act4 Scene4
Cordelia sends out 100 of her men to search for Lear
Cordelia is told that British Armies are marching toward them but she is prepared as the French army is standing there waiting for their arrival
Act4 Scene5
Regan tells Oswald that she wants Edmund all to herself
Regan also tell him that she has already spoken to Edmund and he feels it’s better for them to continue since she is a widow rather than pursuing something with Goneril, who is still marries
Regan tells Oswald that she promises to reward him if he kills Gloucester

Act4 Scene6
Edgar leads Gloucester to Dover
Gloucester believes that he is standing at the top of a cliff
He attempts to commit suicide because he can no long bare his emotions
Lear has gone mad
When Cordelia’s men try to capture him so that they can take him back to Cordelia’s castle he runs away
Oswald comes across Gloucester and Edgar, and is about to kill Gloucester so that he get his reward
Oswald is killed by Edgar
Gloucester is sad that he was not killed
Act4 Scene7
Cordelia speaks to Kent
She is aware of Kent’s real identity
Lear believes that Cordelia hates him but really she forgives him
Edmund is leading Cornwall’s troops, now that he is dead
Act 5
Act5 Scene1
Regan expresses that Edmund should stay away from Goneril as
Just as Albany is about to leave, he is handed a letter stating Goneril’s feelings of Edmund
Edmund says that he loves both Goneril and Regan
He can’t choose between the two because he does not want to leave one angry
Act5 Scene2
The battle begins
Lear and Cordelia are said to have been captured
Gloucester says that he will remain where is and wait to be captured or killed
Edgar convinces him that death only comes when it is supposed

Act5 Scene3
Edmund keeps Cordelia and Lear as his prisoners
Cordelia wants to confront her sisters but Lear does not
Edgar reveals his true identity
Goneril kills herself, and just before she does, she poisons her sister
Cordelia is hung and Lear carries her body in his arms
Edmund dies
As Cordelia’s buttoned are loosened, Lear begins to see her breathing again but dies
Albany gives Edgar and Kent there powers back
Albany invited them to rule with him
Kent feels as though he’s going to die so he refuses
Edgar accepts and the very few people still alive watch as the funeral proceeds