Professor Corputt and a former student named Frank meet for the first time in twenty years. Frank recalls how Corputt's love for Shakespeare's King Lear has not changed. A few days after their encounter, Frank's housekeeper informs him that professor Corputt passed away. She read in the paper that he was found dead at eighty-one, with a hand-written copy of KingLear _under his pillow. Frank remembers the last summer he spent with Professor Corputt in their town of Marlin twenty years ago. Frank was twenty-four, and Corputt was around sixty. The academic year was over, and they would walk through the tumultuous streets of Marlin. There were "vices everywhere," such as riots in the town's Playhouse and secret sexual affairs. Frank and Professor Corputt felt solace in their alienation from the other townspeople. Corputt told Frank that summer that he planned to write several plays and novels. Frank recalls how Professor Corputt desired to be a writer but chose teaching as the most financially-reliable career. As a result, he was frustrated because his creative urge was unfulfilled. Frank remembers Corputt's passion for English literature, and Frank often felt inspired to be like him.    Corputt constantly told Frank he felt stuck when attempting to write. He also showed Frank his love for _King Lear _which grew more and more each year. At the bar they would frequent, Corputt read excerpts of the play to Frank and discussed it for hours. Frank felt his appreciation for _King Lear _also grow. They spent most days of the summer together in that manner, reading or doing other leisure activities. The following fall, Frank accepted a teaching position at another university's English department. Before he left, Frank encouraged Corputt to write his long-desired play. The two wrote to each other for five years but struggled to plan to spend a summer together. Corputt notified Frank of his plans to quit his professorship and finally focus on writing. However, after eight years, their communication slowed down and then stopped.    After twenty years, Frank returned to Marlin after being offered a position as the head of the English department by the president of the university. When Frank returned, he asked the president for news about Professor Corputt and found out he retired eight years prior. The president had seen Corputt six months before and told Frank he was writing a play.    Frank visited an older, more fragile Corputt in his home. Corputt showed Frank a thick manuscript with a play he had finished writing the night before. Corputt revealed that its idea came to him only three weeks prior, and he had written nonstop since then. He read to Frank what he believed was the best speech of his new play, explaining that it is spoken by his protagonist, an old king named Lear. Professor Corputt read the excerpt: a speech from Shakespeare's _King Lear he had recited to Frank countless times many years ago.