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King Lear
The Tragedy of King Lear, often shortened to King Lear, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare in late 1605 or early 1606. Set in pre-Roman Britain, the play depicts the consequences of King Lear's love-test, in which he divides his power and land according to the praise of his daughters. The play is known for its dark tone, complex poetry, and prominent motifs concerning blindness and madness.
The earliest known performance was on Saint Stephen's Day in 1606. Modern editors derive their texts from three extant publications: the 1608 quarto (Q1), the 1619 quarto (Q2, unofficial and based on Q1), and the 1623 First Folio. The quarto versions differ significantly from the folio version.
In 1681, after the English Restoration, Nahum Tate produced a revised version with a romantic subplot and a less bleak ending. This version displaced Shakespeare's from the professional stage until 1838. However, since then, Shakespeare's original play has come to be regarded as one of his supreme achievements. In his A Defence of Poetry (1821), Percy Bysshe Shelley called King Lear "the most perfect specimen of the dramatic art existing in the world", and the play is regularly cited as one of the greatest works of literature ever written.
Notable casts
The play begins with the Earls of Gloucester and Kent discussing Lear's succession plans. Gloucester introduces his illegitimate son, Edmund. The court arrives and Lear announces he will finalise the marriage of his youngest daughter, Cordelia, to either the Duke of Burgundy or the King of France. Lear will also abdicate, granting a third of his kingdom to each daughter, provided they declare their love for him. Goneril and Regan make flattering speeches but Cordelia says she loves him according to her duty. Outraged, Lear disowns Cordelia, dividing her inheritance between her two sisters. Lear sets conditions: he retains the title of king, he will reside with Goneril and Regan, and he keeps a retinue of a hundred knights. Kent chastises Lear for abdicating and for disowning Cordelia, so Lear banishes him. Lear offers Cordelia without a dowry to her suitors. France accepts, admiring her honesty.
Ambitious Edmund resents his bastardy and plots to supplant his legitimate brother, Edgar, with a forged letter. Meanwhile, rather than leaving, Kent has disguised himself as 'Caius'. Lear hires him after he beats Goneril's servant, Oswald, for lack of manners. Goneril has lost patience with hosting the king and his retinue, and so orders him to dismiss half his knights. Enraged, Lear curses Goneril and threatens to take back his power, before departing for Regan's residence. In a private conversation, Lear fears he might be going mad. After encouraging Edgar to fly the castle, Edmund insinuates his brother was planning to murder Gloucester. Convinced, the earl disinherits Edgar, proclaiming him an outlaw. Edgar is pursued across the countryside, causing him to adopt the persona of a mad beggar named Tom o' Bedlam.
Regan and her husband, the Duke of Cornwall, arrive at Gloucester's home. Kent and Oswald quarrel, leading Cornwall and Regan to place Kent in the stocks. When Lear sees his messenger stocked, he struggles to control his rage. Together, Goneril and Regan decide to dismiss his knights. Lear goes mad, running out into a storm. Regan, Goneril, and Cornwall shut the gates after him, despite Gloucester's protests. Lear and the Fool are found on the heath by Kent, who leads them to shelter. In a hovel, they encounter Edgar as the mad beggar. During the stormy night, Gloucester arrives and encourages Kent to take Lear to Dover, where he knows a French army will land to restore the king. Edmund reveals Gloucester's intelligence to Cornwall and Regan. When Gloucester returns, Cornwall gouges out his eyes as retribution. One of Cornwall's servants intervenes, mortally wounding Cornwall. Discovering Edmund's betrayal, Gloucester realises that Edgar was innocent. The blinded earl is thrown out, hiring Poor Tom, whom he fails to recognise as his outlawed son, to lead him to Dover.
Goneril instructs Oswald to kill Gloucester and to deliver a letter to Edmund, for whom she has an adulterous infatuation. The widowed Regan is also attracted to Edmund, who is pitting the two sisters against each other. Edgar tricks the suicidal Gloucester into thinking he has survived a leap from the cliffs of Dover. They meet Lear again, who discourses madly about kingship, flattery, and hypocrisy. Oswald tries to kill Gloucester but is slain by Edgar. In Oswald's pocket, Edgar finds Goneril's letter to Edmund. Cordelia is reconciled with Lear, whose madness abates enough for him to ask her forgiveness. Regan, Goneril, Albany, and Edmund meet with their forces, preparing for battle. In disguise, Edgar gives Goneril's letter to Albany. The British defeat the French, capturing Lear and Cordelia. Edmund sends them to prison with covert orders for execution.
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King Lear
The Tragedy of King Lear, often shortened to King Lear, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare in late 1605 or early 1606. Set in pre-Roman Britain, the play depicts the consequences of King Lear's love-test, in which he divides his power and land according to the praise of his daughters. The play is known for its dark tone, complex poetry, and prominent motifs concerning blindness and madness.
The earliest known performance was on Saint Stephen's Day in 1606. Modern editors derive their texts from three extant publications: the 1608 quarto (Q1), the 1619 quarto (Q2, unofficial and based on Q1), and the 1623 First Folio. The quarto versions differ significantly from the folio version.
In 1681, after the English Restoration, Nahum Tate produced a revised version with a romantic subplot and a less bleak ending. This version displaced Shakespeare's from the professional stage until 1838. However, since then, Shakespeare's original play has come to be regarded as one of his supreme achievements. In his A Defence of Poetry (1821), Percy Bysshe Shelley called King Lear "the most perfect specimen of the dramatic art existing in the world", and the play is regularly cited as one of the greatest works of literature ever written.
Notable casts
The play begins with the Earls of Gloucester and Kent discussing Lear's succession plans. Gloucester introduces his illegitimate son, Edmund. The court arrives and Lear announces he will finalise the marriage of his youngest daughter, Cordelia, to either the Duke of Burgundy or the King of France. Lear will also abdicate, granting a third of his kingdom to each daughter, provided they declare their love for him. Goneril and Regan make flattering speeches but Cordelia says she loves him according to her duty. Outraged, Lear disowns Cordelia, dividing her inheritance between her two sisters. Lear sets conditions: he retains the title of king, he will reside with Goneril and Regan, and he keeps a retinue of a hundred knights. Kent chastises Lear for abdicating and for disowning Cordelia, so Lear banishes him. Lear offers Cordelia without a dowry to her suitors. France accepts, admiring her honesty.
Ambitious Edmund resents his bastardy and plots to supplant his legitimate brother, Edgar, with a forged letter. Meanwhile, rather than leaving, Kent has disguised himself as 'Caius'. Lear hires him after he beats Goneril's servant, Oswald, for lack of manners. Goneril has lost patience with hosting the king and his retinue, and so orders him to dismiss half his knights. Enraged, Lear curses Goneril and threatens to take back his power, before departing for Regan's residence. In a private conversation, Lear fears he might be going mad. After encouraging Edgar to fly the castle, Edmund insinuates his brother was planning to murder Gloucester. Convinced, the earl disinherits Edgar, proclaiming him an outlaw. Edgar is pursued across the countryside, causing him to adopt the persona of a mad beggar named Tom o' Bedlam.
Regan and her husband, the Duke of Cornwall, arrive at Gloucester's home. Kent and Oswald quarrel, leading Cornwall and Regan to place Kent in the stocks. When Lear sees his messenger stocked, he struggles to control his rage. Together, Goneril and Regan decide to dismiss his knights. Lear goes mad, running out into a storm. Regan, Goneril, and Cornwall shut the gates after him, despite Gloucester's protests. Lear and the Fool are found on the heath by Kent, who leads them to shelter. In a hovel, they encounter Edgar as the mad beggar. During the stormy night, Gloucester arrives and encourages Kent to take Lear to Dover, where he knows a French army will land to restore the king. Edmund reveals Gloucester's intelligence to Cornwall and Regan. When Gloucester returns, Cornwall gouges out his eyes as retribution. One of Cornwall's servants intervenes, mortally wounding Cornwall. Discovering Edmund's betrayal, Gloucester realises that Edgar was innocent. The blinded earl is thrown out, hiring Poor Tom, whom he fails to recognise as his outlawed son, to lead him to Dover.
Goneril instructs Oswald to kill Gloucester and to deliver a letter to Edmund, for whom she has an adulterous infatuation. The widowed Regan is also attracted to Edmund, who is pitting the two sisters against each other. Edgar tricks the suicidal Gloucester into thinking he has survived a leap from the cliffs of Dover. They meet Lear again, who discourses madly about kingship, flattery, and hypocrisy. Oswald tries to kill Gloucester but is slain by Edgar. In Oswald's pocket, Edgar finds Goneril's letter to Edmund. Cordelia is reconciled with Lear, whose madness abates enough for him to ask her forgiveness. Regan, Goneril, Albany, and Edmund meet with their forces, preparing for battle. In disguise, Edgar gives Goneril's letter to Albany. The British defeat the French, capturing Lear and Cordelia. Edmund sends them to prison with covert orders for execution.