King Lear
Dramatis Personae | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5
2.1 | 2.2, part 1 | 2.2, part 2
3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.6
The Story So Far: Against the orders of Regan and the Duke of Cornwall, the Earl of Gloucester has found the mad old King Lear wandering around outside in a storm, and has brought him, his Fool, the disguised Earl of Kent, and the madman Poor Tom (actually Gloucester's son Edgar in disguise) to shelter.
You have to feel sorry for Kent. The guy is just trying to do the right thing and look after his king, and where does he end up? Stuck in a shack with a crazy old man, a mud-covered madman, and a jester who keeps spouting apparent non sequiturs at random. I'm always surprised that Kent doesn't go insane. I certainly would.
This scene, incidentally, is generally presented as a composite between the Folio text and the Quarto text. As I've mentioned before, the text I'm working with is based on the Folio, which excludes the mock-trial of Goneril the Joint-Stool, but I edited it back in here because it's too fun to miss.
Stop by again on Friday for the eye-popping conclusion to Act 3!
King Lear
Dramatis Personae | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5
2.1 | 2.2, part 1 | 2.2, part 2
3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.6