Student Question
What does King Lear do after cursing Goneril and Regan?
Quick answer:
After cursing Goneril and Regan for their betrayal and refusal to house him and his knights, King Lear leaves their home and ventures into a fierce storm. He declares his decision to face the harsh elements rather than endure their harsh conditions. This act of defiance and the cruelty of his daughters' actions contribute to Lear's descent into madness as he wanders in the storm.
In Act II, Scene IV the King, unhappy with both his daughters for refusing to house both he and his knights, curses them for forsaking him in his old age, and then leaves the home of Regan and goes outside where a fierce storm is brewing up, blowing, with lightening and thunder.
He tells them that he cannot remain with them under the harsh and unforgiving conditions that they have set.
"No, rather I abjure all roofs, and choose
To wage against the enmity o' the air;
To be a comrade with the wolf and owl", (Act II, Scene IV)
The cruelty of the betrayal by his daughters, as well as their disregard for his health, lead King Lear to go mad as he wanders in the harsh elements of the storm.
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