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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... pity him , they took from me the use of mine own house ; charged me , on pain of their perpetual displeasure , neither to speak of him , entreat for him , nor any way sustain him . Most savage and unnatural ! Go to ; say you nothing ...
... pity ! Sir , where is the patience now , That thou so oft have boasted to retain ? ( Aside . ) My tears begin to take his part so much , They'll mar my counterfeiting . The little dogs and all , Tray , Blanch , and Sweet - heart , see ...
... pity thee . O my follies ! then Edgar was abused . Kind gods , forgive me that , and prosper him ! Go thrust him out at gates , and let him smell His way to Dover . ( EXIT one with GLOUCESTER . ) How is't , my lord ? how look you ? I ...
... pity who are punish'd Ere they have done their mischief . Where's thy drum ? France spreads his banners in our noiseless land ; With plumed helm thy slayer begins threats ; Whiles thou , a moral fool , sit'st still , and criest " Alack ...
... pity not be believed ! " There she shook The holy water from her heavenly eyes , And clamour moisten'd : then away she started To deal with grief alone . It is the stars , The stars above us , govern our conditions ; Else one self mate ...