# Goneril — King Lear character guide

> Goneril in King Lear by William Shakespeare.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Enter Goneril, Albany O Goneril, Goneril Sister, Goneril Holla, Goneril Aside, Goneril Marry, Goneril Sir

**First appearance:** 0002-act-i-scene-i

## Snapshot

Lear's eldest daughter, fluent in flattery and ruthless in practice, who takes her half of the kingdom and then resents every inch her father still claims.

## Who they are

Goneril rules the northern half of Britain beside Albany and quickly tires of hosting Lear and his hundred knights, seeing in his retinue a threat to her authority rather than a father's comfort. Her contempt for his demands hardens into open cruelty, and her rivalry with Regan sharpens into something closer to appetite than politics. She is the first crack in Lear's world, the daughter whose coldness teaches him what his vanity has cost.

## Relationships

### [King Lear](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_lear_se/characters/king_lear)

_family_

Goneril is Lear's eldest daughter, who betrays him by stripping his power and treating him cruelly.

### [Edmund](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_lear_se/characters/edmund)

_romantic_

Edmund and Goneril have a passionate, adulterous affair, driven by mutual ambition and lust for power.

### [King Lear](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_lear_se/characters/king_lear)

_family_

Goneril is Lear's eldest daughter, who betrays him by stripping his power and treating him cruelly.

### [King Lear](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_lear_se/characters/king_lear)

_family_

Goneril is Lear's eldest daughter, who betrays him by stripping his power and treating him cruelly.

## In the story

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_lear_se/chapters/act-i-scene-i)

Receives her portion of the kingdom and conspires with Regan to manage Lear.

### [Scene III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_lear_se/chapters/act-i-scene-iii)

Expresses resentment toward Lear's actions and plots to undermine his authority by instructing Oswald to neglect him.

### [Scene IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_lear_se/chapters/act-i-scene-iv)

Goneril confronts Lear about his knights' behavior, reduces his retinue, and plots with Oswald to inform Regan.

### [Scene IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_lear_se/chapters/act-ii-scene-iv)

Goneril arrives and joins Regan in humiliating Lear, insisting he dismiss all his followers.

### [Scene VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_lear_se/chapters/act-iii-scene-vii)

Present at the start; suggests plucking out Gloucester's eyes, then departs.

### [Scene II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_lear_se/chapters/act-iv-scene-ii)

Welcomes Edmund, criticizes Albany's cowardice, and sends Edmund to hasten his brother's forces.

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_lear_se/chapters/act-v-scene-i)

Goneril is wary of Regan's intentions and determined not to lose Edmund to her sister.

### [Scene III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_lear_se/chapters/act-v-scene-iii)

Poisons Regan and commits suicide after her plot with Edmund is exposed.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_lear_se/characters/goneril
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_lear_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_lear_se/characters