Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.

Walter P. Paepcke, Aspen Institute Co-Founder
Search
  • In Person

Sharing Shakespeare: King Lear, Act IV

Add to Calendar

Add to Calendar

Download
Office 365
Google Calendar
Mon Jan 12, 2026
Aspen, CO

Date

Mon Jan 12, 2026
6:00pm – 8:00pm MST

Location

Aspen Meadows
1000 N. Third St.

Contact

    acp@aspeninstitute.org
    970.544.7992

Hosts

  1. Aspen Community Programs

Back by popular demand, the Aspen Institute presents Sharing Shakespeare, a moderated, roundtable discussion series that takes place one night a month for 6 months.  Beginning in October, the 2025-26 session will explore one of Shakespeare’s most significant works, King Lear.  We will focus the entire six-month series on one play, and by doing so, participants will read one act per month and share their insights and questions to reach a deeper understanding of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved and performed plays. Volunteer moderators will lead participants through lively discussions dissecting the intriguing scenes and characters in King Lear while uncovering themes that still resonate today.  

Dates and Times:  Monday nights from 6:00–8:00 pm MT October 20, November 17, December 15, January 12, February 9, March 9.

Location: Aspen Institute, Aspen Meadows Campus

Registration is now closed as the 2025-26 series has begun. Please email acp@aspeninstitute.org for more information.

King Lear, Act IV
Buckle Up – The Drama Deepens
The plot, already thick with betrayal and heartbreak, continues to intensify as key characters cross paths once more. Two deaths mark this act, adding weight to the unfolding tragedy.

Blind Gloucester begins to sense the true identity of his son Edgar — the loyal “Good Brother” — who remains disguised as a madman. Meanwhile, the scheming “Bad Sisters” deepen their thirst for vengeance and discover they share romantic feelings for Edmond, the manipulative “Bad Brother.”

In a poignant reunion, King Lear and Gloucester meet. Though Gloucester, blind, recognizes Lear, the king does not immediately recognize his old ally. Lear, lost in madness, delivers one of the play’s most haunting lines:
“A man may see how this world goes with no eyes. Look with thine ears.”

And just when hope seems dim, Cordelia — the “Good Sister” — returns to search for her father, bringing a flicker of light to the darkness.

Stay tuned. The storm is far from over.

Module 2

January 12
King Lear, Act IV moderated by Cathy O’Connell and Donna Grauer

February 9
King Lear, Act V moderated by Julie Comins and Bobby Moyer

March 9
King Lear, Wrap up moderated by Ken and Carol Adelman