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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... fear to lose it, Thy safety being the motive. Out of my sight! See better, Lear; and let me still remain The true blank of thine eye. KING LEAR Now, by Apollo— KENT KING LEAR ALBANY CORNWALL KENT Now, by Apollo, king, Thou swear'st thy ...
... fear. I pray you, have a continent forbearance till the spied of his rage goes slower; and, as I say, retire with me to my lodging, from whence I will fitly bring you to hear my lord speak: pray ye, go; there's my key: if you do stir ...
... fear judgment; to fight when I cannot choose; and to eat no fish. What art thou? A very honest-hearted fellow, and as poor as the king. If thou be as poor for a subject as he is for a king, thou art poor enough. What wouldst thou? KENT ...
... fear too far . GONERIL Safer than trust too far : Let me still take away the harms I fear , Not fear still to be taken : I know his heart . What he hath utter'd I have writ my sister If she sustain him and his hundred knights When I ...
... fear; And thereto add such reasons of your own As may compact it more. Get you gone; And hasten your return. (Exit OSWALD .) No, no, my lord, This milky gentleness and course of yours Though I condemn not, yet, under pardon, You are ...