The Tragedy of King Lear
by William Shakespeare (excerpt)
Act 1, Scene 1
In this excerpt from Shakespeare's The Tragedy of King Lear, Lear, the aging ruler of Britain, has announced his plan to divide his kingdom among his
three daughters. The greatest share of his gift will go to the daughter who persuades Lear that she loves him the most. The older daughters profess their
love in exaggerated terms that appall Cordelia, Lear's beloved youngest daughter. She refuses to use such language, saying only that she loves her
father as much as a daughter should Angrily, Lear disowns her. In these lines, the King of France and the Duke of Burgundy are waiting to hear which of
them will marry Cordelia. Note that characters are often referred to by the name of the territory that they rule (for example, Gloucester is the Earl of
Gloucester).
(Flourish Re-enter GLOUCESTER, with FRANCE, BURGUNDY, and Attendants.)
Based on the text, it can be inferred that the man kissing the hand of the central figure in the painting is Cordelia's father, King Lear
because
does not want to marry a woman without a dowry.
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