King LearSimon and Schuster, 2015 M10 20 - 384 pages The authoritative edition of King Lear from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers. Shakespeare’s King Lear challenges us with the magnitude, intensity, and sheer duration of the pain that it represents. Its figures harden their hearts, engage in violence, or try to alleviate the suffering of others. Lear himself rages until his sanity cracks. What, then, keeps bringing us back to King Lear? For all the force of its language, King Lear is almost equally powerful when translated, suggesting that it is the story, in large part, that draws us to the play. The play tells us about families struggling between greed and cruelty, on the one hand, and support and consolation, on the other. Emotions are extreme, magnified to gigantic proportions. We also see old age portrayed in all its vulnerability, pride, and, perhaps, wisdom—one reason this most devastating of Shakespeare’s tragedies is also perhaps his most moving. This edition includes: -Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play -Full explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play -Scene-by-scene plot summaries -A key to the play’s famous lines and phrases -An introduction to reading Shakespeare’s language -An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play -Fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library’s vast holdings of rare books -An annotated guide to further reading Essay by Susan Snyder The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is home to the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs. For more information, visit Folger.edu. |
From inside the book
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Page xiii
... hearts, others engaging in orgies of violence, many devoting themselves to alleviating the suffering of others, Lear himself raging against his own pain until his sanity cracks. In this play only death seems to provide escape from “the ...
... hearts, others engaging in orgies of violence, many devoting themselves to alleviating the suffering of others, Lear himself raging against his own pain until his sanity cracks. In this play only death seems to provide escape from “the ...
Page xxi
... heart and me Hold thee from this forever. Again, in his speech banishing Kent, Lear uses a similar delaying structure: That [i.e., because] thou hast sought to make us break our vows— Which we durst never yet—and with strained pride To ...
... heart and me Hold thee from this forever. Again, in his speech banishing Kent, Lear uses a similar delaying structure: That [i.e., because] thou hast sought to make us break our vows— Which we durst never yet—and with strained pride To ...
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Contents
ix | |
xxix | |
xxxix | |
The Publication of Shakespeares Plays | xlviii |
Textual Notes | 263 |
1 2146 | 287 |
A Modern Perspective | 293 |
Further Reading | 305 |
Key to Famous Lines and Phrases | 337 |
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Common terms and phrases
acting action actors ALBANY answer appear arms attend bear begin bring comes Cordelia CORNWALL course daughter death Dover Draw Duke earlier early EDGAR edition Edmund Enter example exits eyes father fear Folio follow Fool Fortune France GENTLEMAN give GLOUCESTER Gloucester’s gods Goneril grace hand hath head hear heart hold honor keep KENT kind King Lear language Lear’s less letter lines live London look lord madam master means messenger nature never night notes offer OSWALD perhaps play poor Pray present printed Q1 corr Q1 uncorr quarto readers REGAN scene SD F seek servant Shake Shakespeare shows sister sound speak speech stage stand suffering tell theater thee thing thou thought true turn University versions