Lear, king of Britain, has decided to step down from the throne and divide the realm among his three daughters: Goneril, who is married to the Duke of Albany; Regan, married to the Duke of Cornwall; and his youngest, Cordelia, who is being wooed by both the Duke of Burgundy and the King of France. In formally announcing this division of the kingdom, Lear requires that each daughter in turn make a speech declaring how much she loves him – only to be enraged by the unexpected result. Meanwhile, the Earl of Gloucester is deceived by his illegitimate son, Edmund, into believing that his legitimate son, Edgar, plans to murder him. Both fathers misjudge their children – errors for which both will pay a terrible price.