Act V, Scenes 1-3
Plot Summary
Act 5 begins in the British camp in Dover. The jealous Regan asks Edmund about his love affair with Goneril, and he denies all. Regan is jealous anyway, and asks Edmund to keep his distance from Goneril. Goneril and Albany enter with their army, and bring news that the French army has been joined by King Lear, and Albany declares that he will fight alongside Edmund, Regan and Goneril. Neither Regan nor Goneril will leave Edmund alone, and the three exit together.
Edgar, disguised as a common peasant, joins Albany at the camp and gives him the letter that he took from Oswald - the one which reveals Goneril's secret affair with Edmund and her plot to have Albany killed. Edgar promises that if Albany wins the battle, he will defend Albany against the claims made in the letter and promises to be his champion. Edmund returns as Edgar leaves, and Albany quickly leaves the scene to prepare for battle. Edmund has a soliloquy in which he confesses his love for both Goneril and Regan and ponders over which sister he should choose. He resolves to make the decision after the battle, and decides that Goneril can kill Albany herself if he survives. He menacingly threatens to show Lear and Cordelia no mercy if the British should win.
Scene 2: the battle. Still posing as a peasant, Edgar guides Gloucester to shelter and takes Lear's side of the fight. When he returns, he says that Lear and Cordelia have lost and been captured. Gloucester wants to stay and await death or capture, but Edgar persuades him to safety.
In the final scene, Edmund leads Cordelia and Lear in and Lear is showing signs of insanity, fantasising about living with Cordelia as birds in a cage. Edmund sends them away with secret instructions on what to do with them. Albany enters with Goneril and Regan, full of praise for Edmund's fight and requests to see Lear and Cordelia. Edmund lies to Albany, saying that he feared mutiny if the British forces saw them, so he had them sent away. Albany is telling Edmund that it wasn't his place to make such a decision, when Regan interrupts with her plans to marry Edmund. Goneril argues, but Regan, who is suspiciously feeling sick, claims him as her lord and husband.
Albany arrests Edmund for treason, sounding a trumpet to summon Edgar (as previously agreed), whom Edmund must fight against for his freedom. Edgar wins the combat, and Edmund is kept alive for questioning. Goneril goes to Edmund to nurse his wounds, but makes herself scarce when Albany reveals the letter containing their secrets.
Edgar finally reveals his identity and tells everyone how he has disguised himself and led Gloucester to Dover. He also reveals that he only unveiled his identity to his father before coming to fight Edmund, and that upon hearing the news, Gloucester died of grief and joy.
A servant rushes in, clutching a bloody knife, and exclaims that Goneril has committed suicide after poisoning her sister, Regan. The two bodies are brought in. Kent arrives, enquires where Lear is, and Albany demands that Edmund reveals Lear and Cordelia's location. He confesses his crimes, and says that he sent Cordelia to be hanged, so a messenger is sent to prevent the hanging.
Lear arrives at the scene, carrying a dead Cordelia. He slips in and out of sanity, grieving for his daughter, and does not recognise Kent when he speaks to him. A messenger brings news that Edmund has died. Lear thinks that he sees Cordelia breathe again, and then he dies.
The play ends with Albany restoring Edgar and Kent's titles, as he invites them to rule Britain with him. Kent feels that his death is imminent and refuses, but Edgar accepts. The final remaining characters exit the stage together as a funeral march plays.
BBC Production
Back at the British camp, scenes of smoke over houses and
military warfare covers the streets of England. Edgar (still disguised) guides
Gloucester to a house and settles him on a sofa, before returning outside to
discover the truth. He returns from the battle site to his father, and tells him that Lear and Cordelia have been captured. Gloucester dies in
his arms. The noise of bombs and guns stops abruptly. For me, this emotional scene was cut too short, as the impact on Gloucester has been lost. Broadbent (as always) was terrific in the role, triggering sympathy from the viewer as he shows unconditional love toward the King. It needed just a moment longer, perhaps just before his death or after, to reinforce the amount that he has sacrificed and the heartbreaking truth that, in spite of everything, Lear has lost the battle, but Gloucester can finally rest in peace.
The British army march Cordelia and King Lear to the castle,
and Lear speaks sweetly to him daughter and embraces her when she protests
against her capture. His speech moves her to compliance, and she returns to the
guards who march her into the castle. Upstairs, Edmund whispers secret instructions to a
soldier, then joins Albany and Regan, who is looking pale, in the war room.
Goneril arrives, and tensions rise again as she quarrels with her sister. Albany accuses Edmund of treason, clearly hurt by what he has recently witnessed between him and his wife.
Regan yells that her sickness is becoming worse and leans on the table for support. Goneril lays her hand on
Edmund’s back as Albany’s back is turned, suggesting their affair is far from over.
Outside, Edmund must face a champion to determine whether he
is a traitor. This was Albany's challenge to him as per the agreement with Edgar, although this did not come across in this production - the conversation between Albany and Edgar had been cut entirely, so Edmund's challenge would seem random to anyone who was not familiar with the play. The British army surround the two fighters (Edgar was masked for the entire fight), creating a ring for them to fight
within, cheering them on. Goneril smirks and Albany frowns as Edmund appears to
be winning, and she grins widely when Edmund spits out his mouth guard to bite
Edgar turning the fight dirty. She shrieks and the masked champion breaks
Edmund’s back against his leg, and finally reveals his identity as Edgar, removing his
mask. I expected a moment of emotion or honesty between the two brothers, but there was nothing.
A soldier runs in with a knife, telling of Regan's murder and Goneril's suicide, and Albany demands that he
produces the bodies. Regan’s
sickness suddenly makes sense, although Goneril’s suicide seems sudden and
almost too quick. Their bodies are brought in on a trailer, and faces revealed from beneath a thick
blanket. A quick reminder that Edmund has not yet died: Edmund’s final breath is that of Cordelia’s fate – although if you
weren’t listening you would have missed it. His body is dragged to a nearby
tent out of sight, and Lear comes in dragging a bag. Guards open it to reveal
Cordelia’s face... Edmund told the truth too late.
Lear is calm and frank as he confirms that she is dead.
Hopkins’ clarity in his final speech brings sincerity and reality to this final
scene, as he addresses his men for the final time. His conversation with Kent
reveals his confusion as his words are a tangled web of misunderstanding. Emotion returns as he spots Cordelia again with a
noose still around her neck. He touches her head and cries for her.
Lear, beginning to choke from crying and then struggling to
breathe: “Pray you undo this button”. Edgar undoes it, and Lear takes a deep
breath. His attention returns to Cordelia, and he appears to hallucinate that
she is alive. He steps toward her and falls, tears in his eyes and gasping for
breath. One final breath and he dies, resting upon Edgar and Kent. All present
remove their hats in respect. They lift him to lie next to his daughters. Kent
goes to remove all bodies but suddenly finds himself weak, and soldiers take
them away instead.
Edgar ends the play with an address to the surrounding
soldiers and looks at the camera upon the line “nor live so long”. The
production ends with a view of Kent walking out of the castle gates, following
as the corpses are taken out, and the light fades to white to symbolise death.
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