![]() ![]() It’s a heartbreaking ending to a remarkable play filled with deception, seduction, madness, and tragedy. ![]() He dies old and defeated, trying to find a sign of life in her face. The final scene sees Lear enter with the body of his youngest and most beloved daughter in his arms. The play ends with the pile of bodies typical to a Shakespearean tragedy. Hearing of his poor treatment, Cordelia returns to England with an army to save her father, but (spoiler alert) that army is defeated, and Cordelia is captured. After her departure, Lear falls victim to the increasingly poor treatment of his two eldest daughters before eventually wandering exiled and mad around the English countryside. ![]() His youngest daughter, Cordelia, refuses to engage in the deceptive tactics of her sisters, so Lear disinherits her and marries her off to the King of France. Shakespeare’s King Lear tells the story of a proud King who divides his kingdom amongst his daughters based on who best expresses her love for him. It is also frequently staged I saw a brilliant production starring Colm Feore a few years ago at the Stratford Festival of Canada (I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get the image of their version of the blinding of Gloucester out of my head). The play is commonly taught in high schools (I read it in grade twelve). King Lear is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays and one often used to celebrate that playwright’s unique genius. ![]()
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