10. How do parallel plots in King Lear complement or offset each other?
Parallel plots or minor plots give the reader the opportunity of experiencing a secondary storyline going along with the main plot.
1. Parallelism between Lear and Gloucester. The two fathers have their own loyal legitimate child (who are with their fathers in need) and their own evil and disloyal child and both suffer because they are sightless to the truth.
In the early beginning of King Lear, Cordelia says that her love for her father is the love between father and daughter, no more, no less. In response, Lear flies into a rage, disowns Cordelia, and divides her share of the kingdom between her two unworthy sisters.
Such folly and injustice is encountered by Gloucester in the secondary plot. Gloucester fooled by his wick bastard son, Edmund, attacks Edgar (his loyal son).
2. Parallelism between Cordelia and Edgar. The protagonists of this play, Cordelia and Edgar, hide in the beginning of the play and reveal themselves at the end to defeat Edmund's malicious plans.
Cordelia is safely sheltered in France (because of her sisters) and Edgar hides himself in order to escape Edmund's torment. When Lear was suffering from the bitter torture of the storm Cordelia helped her father to recover from the cruel abandonment from Regan and Goneril.
This rescue coincides with Edgar's assistance to his father after his fall down the cliff at Dover. Edgar compliments God's grace for saving his father's life and thus comforts him afterwards.
Cordelia and Edgar, when in need from their parents, appears and rescues them from worst situations.
3. The parallel betrayal in King Lear. Both Lear and Gloucester are mislead by their children.
When Lear divided his kingdom between two daughters, both Regan and Goneril intend to reduce their father's remaining authority so that Albion will be under their control (so they betrayed him).
Edmund also decides to inherit all of Gloucester's power, and thus plots Edgar's forged letter with orders to kill his father. After Gloucester leaves and gives orders for Edmund to find Edgar, Edmund boasts of his trickery of Gloucester and Edgar.
4. Gloucester's death in the secondary plot is parallel to that of Lear's in the main plot, despite the fact that Gloucester does not have the tragic catastrophic death of Lear.
Lear's anguish led him to insanity while Gloucester is led to despair and attempted suicide. Before Gloucester's attempt at suicide, he realizes that he has wronged Edgar and condemns his blindness of Edmund's plan. This parallels Lear's death as he also condemns his insightfulness and wronging Cordelia (both Lear and Gloucester die as better and wiser men than they showed themselves at first).