King Lear demands Cordelia declare her love for him to receive her inheritance. Cordelia, unwilling to flatter him, states her love is according to her duty, leading Lear to disinherit and disown her in a fit of rage.
LEAR
0092Although our last and least, to whose young love
0093[The vines of France and milk of Burgundy
0094Strive to be interessed,] what can you say to draw
0095A third more opulent than your sisters’? Speak.
CORDELIA
0096Nothing, my lord.
[LEAR
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Director's Notes
King Lear audition scene: Lear disowns Cordelia. This intense Shakespearean drama duologue features a powerful father-daughter conflict. Perfect for actors seeking challenging medieval period pieces.
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Act III, Scene 2 — Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks
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Lear's Awakening and Reconciliation
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An aging king, recovering from a descent into madness, awakens to find his estranged daughter Cordelia by his side. He struggles with his fading memory and deep-seated guilt, eventually begging for her forgiveness in a moment of profound vulnerability.
Edmund's Declaration of Nature
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Edmund, the illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester, rejects the societal laws that brand him as inferior due to his birth. He vows to overthrow his legitimate brother Edgar and seize his inheritance through a cunning deception, appealing to nature to favor his ambition.
Lear banishes Kent
from King Lear
King Lear, enraged by Cordelia's refusal to flatter him, disinherits her. Kent attempts to intervene, urging Lear to reconsider his rash decision and see the truth in Cordelia's honesty. Lear, however, is unyielding and banishes Kent for his defiance.
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