King Lear’s Last Lesson Readers Theater Script | Classical Dramas | Shakespeare

This King Lear’s Last Lesson Readers’ Theater Script is a dynamic retelling of Shakespeare's 1606 masterpiece for high school classrooms. In ancient Britain, King Lear, driven by pride, divides his kingdom among daughters Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia, misjudging Cordelia’s honest love and unleashing betrayal, madness, and political ruin.

Students will bring to life iconic moments: Lear’s “Nothing will come of nothing,” Cordelia’s “My heart loves you,” the Fool’s “Your crown’s a jest,” and the Chorus’ “Pride breeds catastrophe.” Ideal for performances or deep analysis, it fosters fluency, critical thinking, and emotional connection to themes of pride, loyalty, and redemption.

Perfect For

• End-of-Year Performance
• Companion to Shakespeare’s Original
• Emergency Substitute Plans
• Collaborative Classroom Drama

(a single PDF with links to Google Docs/Slides, if print format is preferred you can download from your Google Drive to word/pdf/ppt/etc)

What’s Included

• 14-scene script (~2200 words, 9 pages, 19 characters, Google Doc)
• Teacher guide with CCSS alignment, answer keys, rubric, lexical breakdown, themes (12 pages, Google Doc)
• Student worksheet with vocabulary, questions, discussion (25 Google Slides)
• 20-question multiple-choice exit quiz (Self-Graded Google Forms)

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Skills Addressed

• Reading fluency and comprehension
• Literary analysis (themes, symbolism, dramatic irony)
• Collaborative performance and discussion
• Critical thinking and real-world application
• Vocabulary development and textual evidence

Worksheet Components

• Vocabulary: 10 terms (e.g., “pride,” “madness”) with script quotes.
• Short-Answer: Basics like “What does Lear divide?”
• Discussion Questions: Themes like pride, loyalty.
• Challenge Questions: Analysis like “How does pride develop tragedy?”
• Application Questions: Scenarios like “How can Lear’s regret guide accountability?”
• Exit Quiz (Google Forms Self-Graded): Tests plot recall and analysis (e.g., irony).

Teaching Tips

Assign roles using the casting breakdown (e.g., Lear for advanced, Servant for struggling). Rehearse in groups, using the rubric to assess fluency/expression. Discuss pride and betrayal to connect to SEL, like owning mistakes. Administer the quiz post-performance to evaluate comprehension and analysis.

Script Summary

• Scene 1: Lear divides Britain among daughters; Cordelia’s honesty angers him.
• Scene 2: Lear banishes Cordelia and Kent; France marries Cordelia.
• Scene 3: Goneril scorns Lear, reducing his knights; he seeks Regan.
• Scene 4: Regan rejects Lear, aligning with Goneril; he flees to the heath.
• Scene 5: Lear rages in a storm, mad, joined by Kent and Edgar.
• Scene 6: Gloucester aids Lear, risking Edmund’s betrayal.
• Scene 7: Chorus reflects on Lear’s pride, Britain’s chaos.
• Scene 8: Edmund betrays Gloucester, who is blinded.
• Scene 9: Cordelia returns with France to save Lear.
• Scene 10: Cordelia heals Lear, who regrets his pride.
• Scene 11: Edmund defeats Lear and Cordelia, imprisoning them.
• Scene 12: Cordelia is hanged; Lear grieves.
• Scene 13: Chorus reflects on madness, Britain’s lesson.
• Scene 14: Lear dies; Albany and Edgar plan to heal Britain.

Still on the fence?

Download this similar but 100% Free Romeo and Juliet Script to make sure this will meet your needs.