Activity Overview
Students can create and show a storyboard that captures the concept of the Five Act Structure by making a six-cell storyboard, like the one below. For each cell, have students create a scene that follows the acts in order: Prologue, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Denouement.
Example King Lear Five Act Structure
Act 1: Prologue
King Lear, in his old age and wavering wits, wishes to give up his throne to his daughters so that he can retire with 100 knights for an entourage and enjoy the time he has left. He demands that each daughter tell him how much she loves him so that he can divide up their inheritance to them.
Act 1: Conflict
King Lear unwisely chooses his two older daughters, Goneril and Regan, over his youngest, Cordelia, because they flatter him while Cordelia believes in deeds over speech. The king disinherits her, and Cordelia goes off to marry the King of France instead. Lear banishes the Earl of Kent for defending Cordelia. Meanwhile, Edmund, the illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester, is plotting to turn his father against his legitimate son Edgar, so that he can inherit the Earl’s properties.
Act 2: Rising Action
Goneril and Regan mistreat their father and show nothing but disdain for him. Kent returns in disguise, loyally serving the king to keep an eye on things. Edmund stages a fake fight with Edgar and convinces his father that Edgar wants to kill Gloucester. After Kent is put into the stocks by Cornwall for fighting with Oswald, the king arrives and becomes enraged. Goneril arrives, and she and Regan solidify their alliance by demanding that the king get rid of all of his knights. The king, in near tears and losing his senses with grief, gallops off into the stormy night.
Act 3: Climax
The King of France has called for a war against England. Gloucester goes after King Lear to help him, telling Edmund of his plans, who promptly betrays his father to the sisters. Out in the stormy night, King Lear, his Fool, Kent, and Edgar, disguised as a beggar and calling himself “Tom”, are sheltering in a hut. Gloucester finds them and smuggles the king to Dover because there are plots against him. Gloucester is arrested by Cornwall’s men, and Cornwall gouges his eyes out. One of Cornwall’s servants steps in and mortally wounds Cornwall before he himself is killed.
Act 4: Falling Action
Gloucester is in despair, but Edgar, still in disguise, saves him from suicide and takes him to Dover. Meanwhile, Goneril and Edmund have begun a romance, and Goneril wants her husband Albany out of the picture because she finds him to be weak. Cornwall dies, and she worries that widowed Regan will steal Edmund. Goneril’s servant Oswald finds and tries to kill Gloucester, but Edgar kills him instead. He retrieves a letter from Oswald from Goneril showing her plans to kill Albany and marry Edmund. At the same time, King Lear has been brought to Cordelia, who is nursing him back to sanity.
Act 5: Denouement
Edgar delivers the letter to Albany before the battle. Goneril and Regan are fighting over Edmund, who has pledged himself to both sisters. Edmund captures Lear and Cordelia in battle and orders Cordelia to be killed by making it look like a suicidal hanging. Albany reveals his wife and Edmund’s treachery. Albany challenges Edmund to fight, and Edgar arrives in armor, fights Edmund, and defeats him. He reveals his identity and the fact that his father is dead. Edmund kills himself shortly after finding that Goneril poisoned Regan and then stabbed herself. Lear kills the man hanging Cordelia but not in time, and he dies from grief. Albany surrenders power to Kent and Edgar.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a visual plot diagram of King Lear.
- Separate the play into the Prologue/Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Denouement.
- Create an image that represents an important moment or set of events for each of the acts.
- Write a description of each of the steps in the plot diagram.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | Try Again | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Descriptive and Visual Elements | Cells have many descriptive elements, and provide the reader with a vivid representation. | Cells have many descriptive elements, but flow of cells may have been hard to understand. | Cells have few descriptive elements, or have visuals that make the work confusing. | Cells have few or no descriptive elements. |
| Grammar/Spelling | Textables have three or fewer spelling/grammar errors. | Textables have four or fewer spelling/grammar errors. | Textables have five or fewer spelling/grammar errors. | Textables have six or more spelling/grammar errors. |
| Evidence of Effort | Work is well written and carefully thought out. Student has done both peer and teacher editing. | Work is well written and carefully thought out. Student has either teacher or peer editing, but not both. | Student has done neither peer, nor teacher editing. | Work shows no evidence of any effort. |
| Plot | All parts of the plot are included in the diagram. | All parts of the plot are included in the diagram, but one or more is confusing. | Parts of the plot are missing from the diagram, and/or some aspects of the diagram make the plot difficult to follow. | Almost all of the parts of the plot are missing from the diagram, and/or some aspects of the diagram make the plot very difficult to follow. |
Activity Overview
Students can create and show a storyboard that captures the concept of the Five Act Structure by making a six-cell storyboard, like the one below. For each cell, have students create a scene that follows the acts in order: Prologue, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Denouement.
Example King Lear Five Act Structure
Act 1: Prologue
King Lear, in his old age and wavering wits, wishes to give up his throne to his daughters so that he can retire with 100 knights for an entourage and enjoy the time he has left. He demands that each daughter tell him how much she loves him so that he can divide up their inheritance to them.
Act 1: Conflict
King Lear unwisely chooses his two older daughters, Goneril and Regan, over his youngest, Cordelia, because they flatter him while Cordelia believes in deeds over speech. The king disinherits her, and Cordelia goes off to marry the King of France instead. Lear banishes the Earl of Kent for defending Cordelia. Meanwhile, Edmund, the illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester, is plotting to turn his father against his legitimate son Edgar, so that he can inherit the Earl’s properties.
Act 2: Rising Action
Goneril and Regan mistreat their father and show nothing but disdain for him. Kent returns in disguise, loyally serving the king to keep an eye on things. Edmund stages a fake fight with Edgar and convinces his father that Edgar wants to kill Gloucester. After Kent is put into the stocks by Cornwall for fighting with Oswald, the king arrives and becomes enraged. Goneril arrives, and she and Regan solidify their alliance by demanding that the king get rid of all of his knights. The king, in near tears and losing his senses with grief, gallops off into the stormy night.
Act 3: Climax
The King of France has called for a war against England. Gloucester goes after King Lear to help him, telling Edmund of his plans, who promptly betrays his father to the sisters. Out in the stormy night, King Lear, his Fool, Kent, and Edgar, disguised as a beggar and calling himself “Tom”, are sheltering in a hut. Gloucester finds them and smuggles the king to Dover because there are plots against him. Gloucester is arrested by Cornwall’s men, and Cornwall gouges his eyes out. One of Cornwall’s servants steps in and mortally wounds Cornwall before he himself is killed.
Act 4: Falling Action
Gloucester is in despair, but Edgar, still in disguise, saves him from suicide and takes him to Dover. Meanwhile, Goneril and Edmund have begun a romance, and Goneril wants her husband Albany out of the picture because she finds him to be weak. Cornwall dies, and she worries that widowed Regan will steal Edmund. Goneril’s servant Oswald finds and tries to kill Gloucester, but Edgar kills him instead. He retrieves a letter from Oswald from Goneril showing her plans to kill Albany and marry Edmund. At the same time, King Lear has been brought to Cordelia, who is nursing him back to sanity.
Act 5: Denouement
Edgar delivers the letter to Albany before the battle. Goneril and Regan are fighting over Edmund, who has pledged himself to both sisters. Edmund captures Lear and Cordelia in battle and orders Cordelia to be killed by making it look like a suicidal hanging. Albany reveals his wife and Edmund’s treachery. Albany challenges Edmund to fight, and Edgar arrives in armor, fights Edmund, and defeats him. He reveals his identity and the fact that his father is dead. Edmund kills himself shortly after finding that Goneril poisoned Regan and then stabbed herself. Lear kills the man hanging Cordelia but not in time, and he dies from grief. Albany surrenders power to Kent and Edgar.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a visual plot diagram of King Lear.
- Separate the play into the Prologue/Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Denouement.
- Create an image that represents an important moment or set of events for each of the acts.
- Write a description of each of the steps in the plot diagram.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | Try Again | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Descriptive and Visual Elements | Cells have many descriptive elements, and provide the reader with a vivid representation. | Cells have many descriptive elements, but flow of cells may have been hard to understand. | Cells have few descriptive elements, or have visuals that make the work confusing. | Cells have few or no descriptive elements. |
| Grammar/Spelling | Textables have three or fewer spelling/grammar errors. | Textables have four or fewer spelling/grammar errors. | Textables have five or fewer spelling/grammar errors. | Textables have six or more spelling/grammar errors. |
| Evidence of Effort | Work is well written and carefully thought out. Student has done both peer and teacher editing. | Work is well written and carefully thought out. Student has either teacher or peer editing, but not both. | Student has done neither peer, nor teacher editing. | Work shows no evidence of any effort. |
| Plot | All parts of the plot are included in the diagram. | All parts of the plot are included in the diagram, but one or more is confusing. | Parts of the plot are missing from the diagram, and/or some aspects of the diagram make the plot difficult to follow. | Almost all of the parts of the plot are missing from the diagram, and/or some aspects of the diagram make the plot very difficult to follow. |
How Tos about King Lear Summary | Five Act Structure
Organize a King Lear Five Act Structure group project
Divide students into small groups and assign each group one act of King Lear to analyze and storyboard. Group work helps students collaborate and develop deeper understanding through discussion and shared creativity.
Guide students to identify key moments in their assigned act
Ask each group to read their act aloud and highlight turning points or major events. Clarifying key moments ensures students focus on the most important plot developments for their storyboards.
Support groups in creating visual representations
Encourage students to sketch or use digital tools to illustrate their act's main events. Visualizing scenes fosters creativity and helps students remember details and character motivations.
Have students write concise scene descriptions
Guide groups to write a one- or two-sentence summary for each image. Clear descriptions reinforce plot understanding and help peers follow the story during presentations.
Facilitate a class storyboard gallery walk
Display all group storyboards and let students walk around, view each act, and discuss how the five act structure unfolds. Peer feedback encourages engagement and deeper insights into Shakespeare's play.
Frequently Asked Questions about King Lear Summary | Five Act Structure
What is the five act structure in King Lear?
The five act structure in King Lear breaks the play into Prologue (Exposition), Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Denouement. Each act highlights key plot developments, helping students better understand the story's progression and dramatic tension.
How can I create a storyboard for King Lear’s five act structure?
To create a storyboard for King Lear’s five act structure, divide your board into six cells: Prologue, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Denouement. Illustrate and describe a key scene from each act to visually represent the play’s main events.
What are some examples of key scenes for each act in King Lear?
Key scenes include: Lear dividing his kingdom (Prologue), Cordelia’s disinheritance (Conflict), Lear’s rage in the storm (Rising Action), Gloucester’s blinding (Climax), Edgar saving Gloucester (Falling Action), and the tragic deaths in the finale (Denouement).
Why is the five act structure useful for teaching King Lear?
The five act structure helps students organize complex events, making it easier to follow King Lear’s plot, understand character motivations, and discuss themes. It’s a proven tool for analyzing classical drama in an accessible way.
What are some tips for teaching King Lear to grade 9-10 students?
Use visual aids like storyboards, encourage group or individual plot diagrams, break down the language, and connect characters’ choices to real-life dilemmas. Focusing on the five act structure simplifies the material for younger students.
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King Lear
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