King LearStandard Ebooks King Lear is a tragedy by Shakespeare, written about 1605 or 1606. Shakespeare based it on the legendary King Leir of the Britons, whose story is outlined in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s pseudohistorical History of the Kings of Britain (written in about 1136). The play tells the tale of the aged King Lear who is passing on the control of his kingdom to his three daughters. He asks each of them to express their love for him, and the first two, Goneril and Regan do so effusively, saying they love him above all things. But his youngest daughter, Cordelia, is compelled to be truthful and says that she must reserve some love for her future husband. Lear, enraged, cuts her off without any inheritance. The secondary plot deals with the machinations of Edmund, the bastard son of the Earl of Gloucester, who manages to convince his father that his legitimate son Edgar is plotting against him. After Lear steps down from power, he finds that his elder daughters have no real respect or love for him, and treat him and his followers as a nuisance. They allow the raging Lear to wander out into a storm, hoping to be rid of him, and conspire with Edmund to overthrow the Earl of Gloucester. The play is a moving study of the perils of old age and the true meaning of filial love. It ends tragically with the deaths of both Cordelia and Lear—so tragically, in fact, that performances during the Restoration period sometimes substituted a happy ending. In modern times, though, King Lear is performed as written and generally regarded as one of Shakespeare’s best plays. This Standard Ebooks edition is based on William George Clark and William Aldis Wright’s 1887 Victoria edition, which is taken from the Globe edition. This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks. |
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... (Exeunt GLOUCESTER and EDMUND .) Meantime we shall express our darker purpose. Give me the map there. Know that we have divided In three our kingdom: and 'tis our fast intent To shake all cares and business from our age; Conferring them ...
... , our love, our benison. Come, noble Burgundy. (Flourish. Exeunt all but KING OF FRANCE , GONERIL , REGAN , and CORDELIA .) Bid farewell to your sisters. CORDELIA REGAN GONERIL CORDELIA KING OF FRANCE GONERIL REGAN GONERIL.
... (Exeunt KING OF FRANCE and CORDELIA .) Sister, it is not a little I have to say of what most nearly appertains to us both. I think our father will hence to-night. That's most certain, and with you; next month with us. You see how full of ...
... your fellows so : I would breed from hence occasions , and I shall , That I may speak : I'll write straight to my sister , To hold my very course . Prepare for dinner . ( Exeunt . ) SCENE IV A hall in the same KENT KING LEAR.
... ( Exeunt KING LEAR , KENT , and Attendants . ) Do you mark that , my lord ? I cannot be so partial , Goneril , To the great love I bear you- Pray you , content . What , Oswald , ho ! ( To the FOOL . ) You , sir , more knave than fool ...