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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... ) GLOUCESTER Why so earnestly seek you to put up that letter ? EDMUND I know no news , my lord . GLOUCESTER What paper were you reading ? EDMUND Nothing , my lord . GLOUCESTER EDMUND GLOUCESTER EDMUND No ? What needed , then.
... letter ! Abhorred villain ! Unnatural , detested , brutish villain ! worse than brutish ! Go , sirrah , seek him ; I'll apprehend him : abominable villain ! Where is he ? EDMUND GLOUCESTER I do not well know, my lord. If.
... seek him out: wind me into him, I pray you: frame the business after your own wisdom. I would unstate myself, to be in a due resolution. I will seek him, sir, presently: convey the business as I shall find means and acquaint you withal ...
... seek it.” Strong and fasten'd villain Would he deny his letter? I never got him. (Tucket within.) Hark, the duke's trumpets! I know not why he comes. All ports I'll bar; the villain shall not 'scape; The duke must grant me that: besides ...
... seek your life ? He whom my father named ? your Edgar ? GLOUCESTER O , lady , lady , shame would have it hid ! REGAN GLOUCESTER EDMUND REGAN CORNWALL Was he not companion with the riotous knights That tend upon my father ? I know not ...