Lear and Gloucester

The parallelism between Lear and Gloucester displayed in the play cannot possibly be accidental. The subplot of Gloucester corresponds the major plot of Lear. The two fathers have their own loyal legitimate child, and their own evil and disloyal kin. Gloucester and Lear are both honorable men, who have children that return to them in their time of need, and are sightless to the truth. Like Lear, Gloucester is tormented, and his favored child recovers …

…parallel incidents of Lear and Gloucester add towards the dramatic irony in the audience. Parallelism between Cordelia and Edgar is very similar. When Lear was suffering from the bitter torture of the storm, Cordelia invaded Albion not to take land, but to allow Cordelia to nurture and recover her father from the cruel abandonment from Regan and Goneril. This rescue coincides with Edgar's assistance to his father after his fall down the cliff at Dover.