Characters Of King Lear In Brief
Cordelia - A true daughter of her father who unconditionally loved him with no hidden greed to his share of the kingdom. She is plain and simplistic and doesn't want to show off the love towards her father she has in her heart. This is her only flaw, she is too honest to be misunderstood. This brings her from being an apple of her father's eyes to one whose father banish her with hatred. But she remains faithful to his father till the end despite earlier his rude conduct.
Goneril and Regan - Both of these elder daughters of King Lear share a common character of conditional love for their father. They pretend to show love to their father just to get a bigger share of the kingdom after his retirement. Their love was fake. Both of them remain greedy first for the larger share, then for Edmund. Both of them admit that they could face defeat at the hands of French but could not see Edmund with the other. Their intention was to marry Edmund and in this race, both lost their lives. Both exhibit the resilient and manly features even more than their husband. They command their armies, participate in every crucial state affair. Their husbands bow to their wishes and orders.
Kent - A faithful nobleman to King Lear throughout the play. From the very beginning, we witness his genuine character who counsels the king honestly but the arrogance of king cost him his trustworthy. Lear banished him from the kingdom. Even after humiliated by Lear, he doesn't keep any grudge against him instead enter into a disguise and help Lear throughout his tough time. Kent deserves much and Lear owes him for his faithfulness. Kent is a planning mastermind who doesn't reveal his true self until the end, he carries out his plan to execute accordingly but couldn't save the life of Cordelia.
Albany - Albany is one of the good characters on the side of the villains. He never liked the treatment of King Lear at the hands of his daughters. He is bit coward as compared to his wife, Goneril who mocked him for his inaction. He was initially unaware of the contemptuous treatment given to Lear, but later admit the mistreatment. But during all these times, he was loyal to Lear and was not in favour of punishing Lear and Cordelia in the end when his wife, sister-in-law and Edmund were intending on not sparing Lear. Due to Kent, Albany came to know about the real face of evil Edmund.
Cornwall - Cornwall is portrayed as a hotheaded official who always supports his wife's counsel. He ill-treats Kent without authenticating his words about Oswald, the flattering servant of Goneril. Edmund deceives Cornwall into making him believe that Gloucester was a spy for France and the implication was the blindness of Gloucester. Cornwall doesn't use his mind wisely and act on his whims. He was murdered by Gloucester's loyal servant while attempting to kill Gloucester.
Edmund - Edmund is the master villain of the play. His ingenious character made way for his inheritance of his father. Edmund was shrewd and desired the privileges of royal duty. It was not possible for his initial condition to get a share of his father as he was a bastard son. People didn't regard him as Gloucester's legacy with Edgar as a sole inheritor and legitimate of Gloucester. Edmund despised it and wanted the prerogative of a legitimate son of Gloucester one way or another. He chose the way of deceit and created misunderstandings between Edgar and his father. Soon he became successful in tagging Edgar a criminal. Slowly, he won everyone's trust and he began to fancy grand ambitions. Moreover, Goneril and Regan were pursuing him for amorous love and he used them to further his plans. But fate reversed his intentions and he was killed in a battle with Edgar.
Edgar - Edgar is a character which depicts goodness, innocence and hero like qualities. From the beginning, we witness his decency. He regards Edmund as his own brother and believes what he tells him unquestionably. Due to Edgar naivety, Edmund succeeds in planting a seed of mistrust between Edgar and their father, Gloucester. In a planned manner, Edgar was sidelined and he had to suffer and lived as a mad beggar. This deplorability taught him about the difficulty faced by the poor. Noblemen can't understand this kind of life unless they lead one. But fate brings light in Edgar's life when he under disguise meet dejected king Lear. He came in the vicinity of people of his fostering and things unravel itself and Edgar got what he deserved.