Vision of Lear

A nurse is reading to an old man from Shakespeare’s King Lear. During the man’s reminiscences of his life, his memories fuse with the story of Lear … Before the aged king divides his kingdom among his heirs, he demands that his three daughters declare their love for him. Only the youngest daughter, Cordelia, refuses to make the required profession of love and is banned from the kingdom. Edmund, the illegitimate son of Gloucester, convinces his father that Edgar, the legitimate heir, is planning to murder his father. Edgar is also banned. As soon as Lear’s elder daughters, Goneril and Regan, have divided the inheritance between them, they begin to treat their father with contempt.
The old man, shunted off into hospital, becomes agitated: in his visions, he thinks he is bringing Goneril and Regan to court. The nurse continues to read: Gloucester attempts to save Lear and in turn is brought into Regan’s clutches. The old man continues to fantasise. In Lear’s own words, he begins to threaten the figures of his fantasies. The nurse remains unperturbed …
Consumed by her desire for Edmund, Goneril poisons her rival Regan. Edgar acts out his revenge on Edmund in a duel. Edmund admits too late that he has issued instructions for Lear and Cordelia to be killed. Lear appears with the corpse of Cordelia in his arms and dies of despair. With these visions, the death struggle of the old man also comes to an end. Enthralled by the story, the nurse continues to read her book. Only her laughter can be heard echoing from the stage...