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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