The Tragedy of King LearA king foolishly divides his kingdom between his scheming two oldest daughters and estranges himself from the daughter who loves him. So begins this profoundly moving and disturbing tragedy that, perhaps more than any other work in literature, challenges the notion of a coherent and just universe. The king and others pay dearly for their shortcomings--as madness, murder, and the anguish of insight and forgiveness that arrive too late combine to make this an all-embracing tragedy of evil and suffering. |
Contents
Shakespeares Life | ix |
Textual Notes | 263 |
A Modern Perspective | 289 |
Copyright | |
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actors Alack ALBANY arms Bastard Burgundy CALIFORNIA/SANTA CRUZ Cordelia CORNWALL CRUZ The University cuckooflowers daughter death doth Dover Duke Duke of Albany Duke of Cornwall edition Edmund Enter Edgar Enter Kent Enter Lear exits eyes F corr F uncorr father fear Folger Shakespeare Library Folio follow Fool fortune France GENTLEMAN give Gloucester's gods Goneril grace hast hath hear heart Henry Peacham honor King Lear knave lady Lear's letter lines earlier look lord madam means messenger nature night noble nuncle omit Q1 OSWALD perhaps Philip Henslowe play's poor Pray Prithee Q1 corr Q1 uncorr quartos reading REGAN scene SD F sentence servant Shake Shakespeare's Language Shakespeare's plays sirrah sister speak speech stage stand sword tell theater thee thine Tragedy traitor trumpet University Library UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA/SANTA villain William Shakespeare words