An aging king divides his kingdom between his daughters, with tragic results
A king, his daughters and a storm
King Lear, old and tired of ruling, decides to divide Britain among his three daughters, giving the largest share to the one who loves him most. Goneril and Regan flatter him extravagantly, but his youngest and favorite, Cordelia, refuses to exaggerate her love. Furious, Lear disowns her, and soon discovers how his other daughters really feel about him.
Who will enjoy it
Readers, students and theatergoers who want to explore one of Shakespeare's most powerful tragedies, especially with helpful notes.
What you will get
A powerful, deeply moving tragedy about family, pride, loyalty and ageing that remains one of the greatest and most searching plays ever written.
King Lear Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Classics · Tragedy · Family · Power
Length
384 pages · ≈ 11 h
More about this book
Lear's loyal follower, the Earl of Kent, protests the banishment of Cordelia and is exiled too, but he returns in disguise to serve the king. Goneril and Regan soon strip their father of his knights and his dignity, and Lear, accompanied only by his Fool and a few loyal companions, wanders out into a terrible storm, where his rage turns into madness. The Fool's riddles and jokes reveal painful truths that the king refused to see.
A second story runs alongside. The Earl of Gloucester is deceived by his ambitious son Edmund into believing that his loyal son, Edgar, is plotting against him. Edgar disguises himself as a mad beggar called Poor Tom, and Gloucester, betrayed and cruelly injured, is guided by his own unrecognized son. Cordelia returns from France with an army to rescue her father, leading to a tender reunion and a devastating ending. The play is bleak and contains violence, but its language and insight are extraordinary. The Folger edition includes notes and summaries on facing pages.
Overwhelming, profound and unforgettable. About 384 pages in the Folger Shakespeare Library paperback.
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The Tragedy of Macbeth
The Tempest
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
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Death of a Salesman
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Little Women
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Heart of the Matter