Learn English through story King Lear by William Shakespeare

King Lear King Lear was old and tired he

was a weary of the business of his

kingdom and wished only to end his days

quietly near his three daughters two of

his daughters were married to the Dukes

of Albany in Cornwall and the Duke of

Burgundy and the King of France were

both suitors for the hand of Cordelia

his youngest daughter Lear called his

three daughters together and told them

that he proposed to divide his kingdom

between them but first said he I should

like to know how much you love me

Goneril who was really a very wicked

woman and did not love her father at all

said she loved him more than words could

say she loved him dear than eyesight

space or Liberty more than life grace

health beauty and honour I love you as

much as my sister and more professed

Regan since I care for nothing but my

father’s love Lear was very much pleased

with Regan’s professions and turned to

his youngest daughter Cordelia

now our joy though last not least said

he the best part of my kingdom I have

kept for you what can you say nothing my

lord answered Cordelia

nothing can come of nothing speak again

said the king and Cordelia answered I

love your majesty according to my duty

no more no less

and this she said because she was

disgusted with the way in which her

sisters professed love when really they

had not even a right sense of duty to

their old father I am your daughter she

went on and you have brought me up and

loved me and I returned those duties

back as a ride and fit obey you

love you and most honor you Lear who

loved Cordelia best had wished her to

make more extravagant professions of

love than her sisters go he said be

forever a stranger to my heart and me

the Earl of Kent one of Lear’s favorite

courtiers and captains tried to say a

word for Cordelia sake but Lear would

not listen he divided the kingdom

between Goneril and Regan and told them

that he should only keep a hundred

knights at arms and would live with his

daughters by turns when the Duke of

Burgundy knew that Cordelia would have

no share of the kingdom he gave up his

courtship of her but the King of France

was why

and said the eye dowerless daughter king

is queen of us of ours and our fair

friends take her take her said the king

for i will never see that face of hers

again so Cordelia became queen of France

and the Earl of Kent for having ventured

to take her part was banished from the

kingdom the king now went to stay with

his daughter Goneril who had got

everything from her father that he had

to give and now began to grudge even the

hundred Knights that he had reserved for

himself

she was harsh and undutiful to him and

her servants either refused to obey his

orders or pretended that they did not

hear him now the Earl of Kent when he

was banished made as though he would go

into another country but instead he came

back in the disguise of a serving men

and took service with the king the King

now had two friends the Earl of Kent

whom he only knew as a servant and his

fool who was faithful to him

Goneril told her father plainly that his

knights only served to fill her court

with riot and feasting and so she begged

him only to keep a few old men about him

such as himself might rain our men who

know all parts of duty said Lear Goneril

I will not trouble you further yet I

have left another daughter and his

horses being saddled he set out with his

followers for the castle of Regan but

she who had formerly outdone her sister

in professions of attachment to the King

now seemed to outdo her in undutiful

conduct saying that fifty knights were

too many to wait on him and Goneril who

had hurried thither to prevent Regan’s

showing any kindness to the old King

said five were too many since her

servants could wait on him then when

Lear saw what they really wanted was to

drive him away he left them it was a

wild and stormy night and he wandered

about the heath half mad with misery and

with no companion but the poor fool but

presently his servant the good Earl of

Kent met him and at last persuaded him

to lie down in a wretched little hovel

at daybreak the Earl of Kent removed his

royal master to Dover and hurried to the

court of France to tell Cornelia what

had happened

Cordelia’s husband gave her an army and

with it she landed at Dover he or she

found poor King Lear wandering about the

fields wearing a crown of Ned

and weeds they brought him back and fed

him and clothed him and Cordelia came to

him and kissed him you must bear with me

said leer forget and forgive I am old

and foolish and now he knew at last

which of his children it was that had

loved him best and who was worthy of his

love

Goneril and Regan joined their armies to

fight Cordelia’s army and were

successful and Cordelia and her father

were thrown into prison then goneril’s

husband the Duke of Albany who was a

good man and had not known how wicked

his wife was heard the truth of the

whole story

and when Goneril found out that her

husband knew her for the wicked woman

she was she killed herself having a

little time before given a deadly poison

to her sister Regan out of a spirit of

jealousy but they had arranged that

Cordelia should be hanged in prison and

though the Duke of Albany sent

messengers at once it was too late the

old king came staggering into the tent

of the Duke of Albany carrying the body

of his dear daughter Cordelia in his

arms and soon after with words of love

for her upon his lips he fell with her

still in his arms and died and if King

Lear

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