Modern Interpretation of Act One of Goneril, Reagan and Cordelia
Goneril
My father has asked us, we three sisters, to express our love for him,
to take our stake of his land. Death knocks at his door, we know and I fear his
amplified love for Cordelia will diminish me. I must convince him otherwise in
order to claim my land.
I love you more than life itself. This is the jest of my attempt to
please him. He assumes a pitiful yet contented expression upon his face and I
know I have succeeded. He believes me to be honest with him, yet mine husband
knows I am the depth of cruelty itself. We understand the corruption that
wealth beseeches, and pray to embrace it.
My young fool of a sister, Cordelia – the honoured little wretch, she
refuses our great king, with her arrogance and dreaming. Money does not come
from love it comes through deceit. Oh, she has but failed to love him the way I
do. He is furious – thank the lord above. Her protector amongst the ranks – Kent
My youngest sister stands before me, bidding us farewell. She knows
nothing of wealth and honour. She will betray her husband through idiocy – she
knows not how to lead a people – only guide them with idealism. I tell her, she
must be obedient to her husband, and not stray from loyalty as she hath done
with our great father.
Now the traitor and
her wiling slave of a husband have left, Reagan and I study our lands
of wealth. I can sense her greed – an ambition we both harbor. We shall please
our lord the king as best we can until he perishes, although I have no wish to
please anyone but myself. My own means are the most important as of late. I
must protect my heritage, with my husband, as weak as he is, by my side.
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