This shows us that Goneril is a character who proves to be as strong as any before her with aggression and selfish ambition. To reduce the power of her father, she denies him shelter from an impending storm. On the pretense that his knights have been rowdy and disruptive, Goneril manages to make herself look like a victim as she throws her father to the cold. She plays the role of the schemer throughout the play, the female equivalent of a male character named Edmund. .
In perhaps a fitting match, she later seeks an affair with him, boldly offering herself as his mistress. Goneril's greed is a defining characteristic, and it shows until her death. Her strength in scheming is highlighted when she learns of an impending war against her youngest sister and the King of France. Overstepping her husband's role, she sends Edmund and her servant to rally troops for battle. When her husband, the Duke of Albany, shows his disapproval and outrage at her actions, she shows no fault or guilt. As her scheming and selfishness drive her to plot for Albany's murder, it is also the factor that drives him to strive for what's right. At the end of the play, Goneril fears the consequences of her disgusting actions; after the success of a final scheme, she stabs herself and dies. Goneril's character is one of selfishness and she shows no moral fibre. The opposite behavior of what could be expected from a King's daughter presents itself in such a wholly immoral woman. .
Regan, the King's middle daughter, proves to be the most fierce and brutish of all Shakespeare's female characters. Not only does she scheme and plot alongside Goneril, but manages to take things a step further by enacting physical violence, torture and murder. After lying to the King and aiding Goneril in evil plans, she and her husband punish the King's comrade, believed to be his servant: knowing it is disrespectful and abhorrent, they lock him in the stocks.