King Lear

by Shakespeare, William

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Description

Washington Square Press. Mass Market Paperback. Good. FOLGER LIBRARY EDITION. 252 pages. Minor highlighting, pages slightly toned, light shelf wear. "King Lear is generally regarded as one of William Shakespeare's greatest tragedies. It is based on the legend of King Leir, a king of pre-Roman Britain. After the Restoration, the play was often modified by theatre practitioners who disliked its nihilistic flavour, but, since World War II, it has come to be regarded as one of Shakespeare's supreme achievements. The tragedy is particularly noted for its probing observations on the nature of human suffering and kinship on a cosmic scale. There are two distinct versions of the play: The True Chronicle of the History of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters, which appeared in quarto in 1608, and The Tragedy of King Lear which appeared in the First Folio in 1623, a more theatrical version. The two texts are commonly printed in a conflated version, although many modern editors have argued that each version has its individual integrity. The part of King Lear has been played by many great actors, but despite the fact that Lear is an old man, it is usually not taken on by actors at an advanced age, because it is so strenuous both physically and emotionally." -- Wikipedia. Editor's Preface; Shakespeare's King Lear; Reading Shakespeare's Language; Shakespeare's Life; Shakespeare's Theater; The Publication of Shakespeare's Plays; An Introduction to This Text; The Tragedy of King Lear; Text of the Play with Commentary; Textual notes: King Lear: A Modern Perspective by Susan Snyder; Further Reading; Key to Famous Lines and Phrases

Book summary

Planning to will the largest portion of his kingdom to the daughter who can articulate her filial love most effectively, King Lear is furious when his youngest of three daughters, the unwed Cordelia, simply states "I cannot heave my heart into my mouth." As the elder sisters, Regan and Goneril, each flaunted their love with exuberant metaphors, Lear resolves to divide his kingdom between them, disinheriting Cordelia. Worried that their father has gone mad, and fearful such a descent might hold consequences to their inheritances, Regan and Goneril decide to exert their newfound authority by rebuking their father when he attempts to enter their territories. A mocking Fool who travels with Lear underscores Lear's lack of scruples in prematurely yielding his power. With nowhere to go, Lear finds himself alone as a storm rages; a crown of wildflowers poignantly emphasizes Lear's loss of power, and the disintegration of his sanity. As Lear goes increasingly mad in his wanderings, Regan and Goneril turn against one another, beginning a deadly cycle of destruction to both the family and the kingdom. Performed at King James's court on the day after Christmas--a festival day--the play was understood as a celebration of the restoration of peace to England, which was poised on the verge of civil war before the peaceful accession of King James. Written between 1603 and 1606, KING LEAR was probably influenced by an earlier anonymous version of the plot, performed in Shakespeare's day as KING LEIR. Richard Burbage was the original Lear in Shakespeare's debut, which was staged before the Court of King James.