King Lear – William Shakespeare

"How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!"

The aging King Lear decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, basing the share on who loves him most. He is flattered by the false praise of Goneril and Regan but enraged by the honest silence of Cordelia, whom he banishes. His error leads to civil war, madness, and the destruction of his family, leaving him to wander the heath in a storm, stripped of his power and dignity.

King Lear is Shakespeare's bleakest and most profound tragedy. It is a cosmic drama about the breakdown of authority, the cruelty of nature, and the redemptive power of suffering. It asks the ultimate question: is there any justice in the universe?