Deciding to leave England to his three daughters, King Lear (Paul Scofield) bases the division on how much they say they love him. While Goneril (Irene Worth) and Regan (Susan Engel) exaggerate their claims of devotion, his favorite, Cordelia (Anne-Lise Gabold), tells him the truth: she loves him as a daughter should, no more, no less. Insulted, Lear banishes Cordelia and divides his realm between her two sisters. Later, finding Goneril and Regan ungrateful, Lear wanders the countryside, his anger turning to madness. Cordelia returns to England with an army, but is defeated by her sisters, who then turn upon themselves and are killed. Lear stumbles across Cordelia's body and completely shattered by what he's done, dies.