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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... A Captain employed by Edmund Gentleman attendant on Cordelia A Herald Servants to Cornwall Goneril , Regan , Cordelia , daughters to Lear Knights of Lear's train , Captains , Messengers , Soldiers DRAMATIS PERSONAE ...
... daughters' several dowers, that future strife May be prevented now. The princes, France and Burgundy, Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn, And here are to be answer'd. Tell me ...
... daughter . Good my liege― Peace , Kent ! Come not between the dragon and his wrath . I loved her most , and thought ... daughters ' dowers digest this third : Let pride , which she calls plainness , marry her . I do invest you jointly ...
... daughter does not love thee least; Nor are those empty-hearted whose low sound Reverbs no hollowness. Kent, on thy life, no more. My life I never held but as a pawn To wage against thy enemies; nor fear to lose it, Thy safety being the ...
... daughter : what , in the least , Will you require in present dower with her , Or cease your quest of love ? Most royal majesty , I crave no more than what your highness offer'd , Nor will you tender less . KING LEAR Right noble Burgundy ...