King Lear a tragic play written by William Shakespeare opens with King Lear the elderly king of Britain deciding to retire and divide his kingdom between his three daughters: Regan Goneril and Cordelia. Before splitting his kingdom Lear asks his daughters to express the depth of their love for him. Regan and Goneril Lear's oldest daughters both offer over-the-top proclamations of love for their father much to the egotistical Lear's delight.