The aging king of Britain and the protagonist of Shakespeare's play "King Lear." Lear is used to enjoying absolute power and to being flattered, and he does not respond well to being contradicted or challenged. At the beginning of the play, his values are notably hollow—he prioritizes the appearance of love over actual devotion and wishes to maintain the power of a king while unburdening himself of the responsibility. Nevertheless, he inspires loyalty in subjects such as Gloucester, Kent, Cordelia, and Edgar, all of whom risk their lives for him.
King Lear has been suggested to play 39 roles. Click below to see other actors suggested for each role, and vote for who you think would play the role best.
