The closing lines from each character leave them with little hope in the unjust world. Goneril and Regan are jealous of and thus defeat each other because they both love Edmund. Their final lines again show that Goneril is the leader in scheming and takes action more than her sister. She poisons Regan, who complains about feeling sick. Similar to her first speech, Cordelia speaks the truth in her last words. She understands that she and Lear are not the only people with good intentions and morals who have suffered unjustly. She understands her father's pain and does not blame him for not seeing the truth in his daughters. She knows that she will die soon, but Lear comforts her because she should not give up hope yet. However, he only holds on to his sanity as long as she holds on to her life. After she is hanged, he forgets who Kent is and believes Cordelia is still alive. He laments the injustice of a world, where mere animals live while his precious daughter is dead. He exclaims that Cordelia is breathing before he dies.
Edgar delivers the last lines of the play King Lear. He says the oldest has suffered the most, which refers to Lear who suffers throughout the play because his daughters. In the beginning, he is deceived by flattery from his Goneril and Regan and believes that Cordelia who he has always favored does not love him. Then, in addition to realizing his two oldest daughters take advantage of him to gain his wealth, he is afraid of becoming old and powerless. He has nothing after losing his home, sanity, and someone to care for him. Edgar sympathizes with Lear because the young will never see so much suffering as Lear and they will not bear the burden for so long in their life. Although Lear continues to suffer, he is determined to endure in hopes that Cordelia will redeem the unjust and hostile world. After she dies, he quickly follows because there is nothing left for him to live for.
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