Rather than simply divide the kingdom up equally, Lear makes a game out of it, telling them, “Which of you shall we say doth love us most, that we our largest bounty may extend where nature doth with merit challenge” (I, I, 51-53).Īgain, it is clear through the actions of the characters on stage that both Goneril and Regan have no sense of true affection for their father but are instead attempting to win as much property as they can acquire.Ĭordelia, on the other hand, seems most concerned with her father’s welfare and refuses to play the game. There is also a deeper sense of nobility in that he wants to divide his kingdom between his three daughters instead of giving to just one. His loyalty is evidenced in the crown he wears on his head, the cane he holds in his hand, his position about the other actors and in the great respect his subjects show him.

He imagines himself growing old as he takes turns relaxing in the castles of the first one and then another grateful daughter: “’tis our fast intent / To shake all cares and business from our age, / Conferring them on younger strengths while we / Unburdened crawl toward death” (I, i, 38-41). It is clear from the way he slumps back in the chair that he is tired of the responsibilities of his office, so he decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters – Goneril (Emily Swallow), Regan (Aubrey Saverino) and Cordelia (Catherine Gowl). His power is reflected in the raised platform on which he sits and the crowds of court people that surround this platform in attendance upon him. The emptiness of his life is reflected in the void of the stage, the only significant prop being the leather armchair in which he sits and the raised central platform of the staging area. It is this aspect of the play that emerges most clearly as it was performed at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, CA.Īs he shifts from being a strong ruler of a wide domain to a penniless madman to dying king, Lear experiences a much longer journey than he anticipated while a modern audience gains some insight into Shakespeare’s world.Īs the play opens, King Lear (Robert Foxworth) is seen to be a strong but aging king. However, because of his choices, Lear undergoes a much longer spiritual journey to death. Intended to be performed before an Elizabethan audience, the main action of the game follows the path of King Lear, a powerful monarch who has decided to retire.

The dramatic play King Lear is no exception.

King Lear by William Shakespeare