King Lear and The Gardener’s Dog: Summaries of Two Classic Plays
King Lear: A Tragedy of Betrayal and Reconciliation
King Lear, a tragedy by William Shakespeare, tells the story of an aging king who decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters based on their declarations of love. He disowns his youngest and most sincere daughter, Cordelia, after she refuses to flatter him, favoring his older daughters, Goneril and Regan, who shower him with false affection.
Cordelia marries the King of France and leaves her father’s home. Regan marries the cruel Duke of Cornwall, and Goneril marries the ambitious Duke of Albany. Driven by their husbands, Goneril and Regan soon grow tired of their father, finding him to be bad-tempered, lacking judgment, and increasingly senile. They mistreat him, causing him immense pain, despite his belief that he would find refuge in their homes.
Lear is eventually cast out of the palace during a fierce storm. He finds himself in the wilderness, accompanied by the disguised Earl of Kent, the disguised Edgar (posing as a beggar), and his former jester. Meanwhile, Lear’s daughters move to the palace of the Earl of Gloucester. They, along with the Duke of Cornwall and informed by Edmund, blind the Earl of Gloucester for his loyalty to King Lear. When the Duke of Cornwall blinds the Earl, a servant of the Duke is killed, and Regan becomes a widow.
Cordelia, upon learning of her father’s suffering, rushes to his aid. However, her army is defeated by the forces led by her sisters and Edmund. King Lear and Cordelia are captured and sentenced to death by Edmund, without the Duke of Albany’s consent. The Duke of Albany, aware of Edmund’s treachery, challenges him upon his victory against the French troops. Edgar, his brother, then challenges and defeats Edmund.
An order is given to halt the execution, but it arrives too late for Cordelia. Lear dies of grief, holding the body of his faithful daughter, whose pure love he realized too late. Lear’s other two daughters also die, committing suicide after Edmund’s defeat. The play concludes with the Duke of Albany, Edgar, and the Earl of Kent victorious, but weary.
The Gardener’s Dog: A Comedy of Love and Deception
The Gardener’s Dog, a comedy by Lope de Vega, begins with Teodoro and Marcela conversing in Countess Diana’s bedroom. Tristan stands guard at the door. When Fabio and Teodoro attempt to flee, Fabio tumbles down the stairs. The Countess discovers her servants gathered in a circle and realizes a man had been in her room. Marcela confesses everything to her. The Countess decides that Marcela and Teodoro should marry, but she is secretly in love with Teodoro herself.
Diana writes a love letter to Teodoro, expressing her jealousy. He rejects Marcela upon seeing the Countess. Later, the Countess receives two suitors, Count Federico and Marquis Ricardo. She chooses Teodoro as her future husband, who then rejects Marcela. Observing the Countess’s love for Teodoro, Ricardo and Federico hire Tristan to kill him. Tristan, however, cleverly keeps the money and does not betray his master. Instead, he tricks the old Count Ludovico into believing that Teodoro is his long-lost son who had been living in Italy.
Now a nobleman, Teodoro can marry the Countess. He rejects Marcela, who marries another. The enraged Marquis Ricardo attempts to make Teodoro jealous of Marcela, but he fails. Ultimately, Teodoro and Diana marry.