King Lear

Lear, the ageing King, wants to abdicate, dividing up his kingdom between his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia, the youngest and his favourite. He will apportion it, he announces, in proportion to how much each daughter says she loves him. Whilst his two elder daughters eagerly toady to him, his one loving daughter, Cordelia refuses play along with this foolish charade. In a rage, Lear exiles her with his most loyal aide, Kent, who dares to take her side.

This foolish move works against Lear as his two remaining daughters cruelly and gradually strip him of his possessions and his honour. It leads to Lear’s downfall and descent into madness as he realises his own folly and seeks for redemption through the forgiveness and love of his youngest daughter, Cordelia. She arrives back from exile with her husband, the King of France in time to confront the armies of her two sisters who, with their husbands, have seized the kingdom for themselves, but it is too late.
Only in his own death and that of Cordelia, together, will he find the simplicity and true meaning of love that he has been searching for.