"Better thou hadst not been born than not to have pleased me better," Anthony Hopkins gravely declares in this first teaser trailer for the BBC's new adaptation of King Lear.

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In this two-hour modern retelling of the Shakespeare play, the ageing ruler divides his kingdom among his daughters Goneril (Emma Thompson), Regan (Emily Watson) and Cordelia (Florence Pugh) according to their affection for him – or at least, that's his plan.

Unexpectedly, as we see in this clip, Cordelia refuses to flatter her father and is cruelly banished.

The Shakespeare play is adapted by Bafta and Olivier Award-winning director Richard Eyre, with an all-star cast including Tobias Menzies, Jim Carter, Christopher Eccleston, Jim Broadbent and Andrew Scott.

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King Lear will air on Monday 28th May at 9.30pm on BBC2


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Authors

Eleanor Bley GriffithsDrama Editor, RadioTimes.com
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