King Lear (Tragedy)
By William Shakespeare (1605)
The monumental tragedy of filial ingratitude: aged Lear dividing his kingdom by flattery, Cordelia's silent truth, the madness on the stormy heath, and the tragic price of vanity. Dramatis Personae: King Lear, Cordelia, Goneril, Regan, Edmund, Edgar, Gloucester, Kent, The Fool.
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Week 1 — Act I, Sc 1: The Love-Test and the Division of the Kingdom
King Lear (Tragedy) • Term Study Week 1 of 12
Week 1 — Act I, Sc 1: The Love-Test and the Division of the Kingdom
Scene Summary & Living Narrative: Lear demands his daughters profess their love; Goneril and Regan flatter him; Cordelia speaks her plain truth: 'Nothing, my lord.' Lear banishes her in fury.
Key Quotation for Recitation & Copywork: 'Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth: I love your majesty according to my bond; nor more nor less.'
[Public Domain: William Shakespeare, First Folio / Globe Edition.]
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Table of Contents
12 ChaptersEvery chapter below is pre-indexed for oral narration and easy 1-click scheduling into your weekly Charlotte Mason lesson plan.
Week 1 — Act I, Sc 1: The Love-Test and the Division of the Kingdom
King Lear (Tragedy) • Term Study Week 1 of 12
Week 2 — Act I, Sc 2–4: Edmund's Treason and Goneril's Insult
King Lear (Tragedy) • Term Study Week 2 of 12
Week 3 — Act I, Sc 5 & Act II, Sc 1–2: Kent in the Stocks
King Lear (Tragedy) • Term Study Week 3 of 12
Week 4 — Act II, Sc 3–4: Shut Out into the Storm
King Lear (Tragedy) • Term Study Week 4 of 12
Week 5 — Act III, Sc 1–3: Blow, Winds, and Crack Your Cheeks!
King Lear (Tragedy) • Term Study Week 5 of 12
Week 6 — Act III, Sc 4–6: The Hovel and the Mock Trial
King Lear (Tragedy) • Term Study Week 6 of 12
Week 7 — Act III, Sc 7: The Cruelty at Gloucester's Castle
King Lear (Tragedy) • Term Study Week 7 of 12
Week 8 — Act IV, Sc 1–4: Edgar Leads His Blind Father
King Lear (Tragedy) • Term Study Week 8 of 12
Week 9 — Act IV, Sc 5–6: The Cliffs of Dover and the Cuckoo-Crown
King Lear (Tragedy) • Term Study Week 9 of 12
Week 10 — Act IV, Sc 7: Cordelia Kneels before Her Father
King Lear (Tragedy) • Term Study Week 10 of 12
Week 11 — Act V, Sc 1–3 (Part I): The Battle and the Prison Cage
King Lear (Tragedy) • Term Study Week 11 of 12
Week 12 — Act V, Sc 3 (End): The Feather at Cordelia's Lips
King Lear (Tragedy) • Term Study Week 12 of 12
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