At a public ceremony before dividing his kingdom among his three daughters, King Lear asks his children to tell him how much they love him. Lear?s ungrateful, oldest daughters, Regan and Goneril, embellish their answers of love for their father leaving him to believe that their love for him is so great that it leaves no room for them to love their husbands. As the eldest-born, speaking first, Goneril says:

Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter;

Dearer than eye-sight, space, and liberty;

Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare;

No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour;

As much as child e'er loved, or father found;

A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable;

Beyond all manner of so much I love you. (I.i.60-67)

Her unembellished remark angers Lear. Not understanding what she said correctly, Lear judges Cordelia to be impudent, then he disinherits and disowns her. After doing this, Lear then divides his kingdom up between his two remaining daughters. Before long, Lear makes his first visit to Goneril and her husband, Duke of Albany. There, he is made to feel unwelcome. With her newfound power, Goneril strips her father of his men, disempowering him, and takes away fifty of his knights. A disgusted Lear curses her and leaves with his remaining knights to his other daughter, Regan?s castle. Before Lear arrived at the castle of Regan and her husband, Duke of Cornwall, Goneril sent a message to her sister telling her of the fight that she had with their father and his impending visit to her castle. In an effort to avoid the visit form her father, Regan and her husband ride to the castle of the Duke of Gloucester. When he did not find Regan at her castle, Lear then sent his messenger, Kent, to send word of his arrival to Gloucester. Outside of the walls of Gloucester, Kent quarrels with Oswald, Goneril?s steward. The two of them create a racket and because of Kent?s outrageous behavior he is put in the stocks. Mortified by the treatment of his messenger, Lear begins an argument with Regan. As the argument begins, Goneril arrives and joins forces with her sister. They begin to humiliate their father and deprive him of his remaining knights. A tormented Lear now regrets his treatment of hid youngest daughter Cordelia. Having been disowned and without a dowry, Cordelia is taken in by the King of France who realizes her true worth

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Approximate Word count = 1099
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)