King Lear Characters guide study.

Lear, King of England: The tired ruler of England, his plan to divide his kingdom between his three daughters and then place his welfare in their trust leads to his humiliation and total loss of power at the hands of his cruel daughters, Regan and Goneril. He misjudges all those around him in the first act, banishing those who care for him the most whilst rewarding those whose kind words prove false. Only after enduring …

…Goneril, he mistreats both King Lear and his entourage to provoke Lear into leaving his master's (Goneril's) castle. Killed by Edgar when he attempts to kill the now blind and harmless Gloucester. Old Man: Tenant to Gloucester. Fool: One of the most famous characters in the play, his comic asides often reveal the very foolishness of Lear's actions. His words are often ironically the only source of wisdom, coherence and insight in Lear's pathetic entourage.