74 pages • 2 hours read
King Lear
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
King Lear is a play written around 1606 by the English playwright William Shakespeare. Widely considered one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, King Lear tells the story of a king who goes mad after bequeathing his fortune and power to his daughters. It is loosely based on the myth of Leir of Britain, a legendary monarch said to have ruled Ancient Britons in the eighth century B.C.
This guide refers to the 1999 Pelican Shakespeare edition. Please note that citations in the Summary section refer to line number rather than page number, so this guide can be used with different editions of the play.
Plot Summary
Lear, the aging king of an ancient pre-Christian England, decides to retire. He will divide his kingdom between his three daughters, leaving them and their husbands to rule jointly. But before he tells them which portion of land they will receive, Lear demands that they answer one little question: which of them loves him the most?
Lear’s elder daughters, Goneril and Regan, praise their father obsequiously, and he rewards each of them—along with their husbands, Albany and Cornwall—with a third of the kingdom. He saves the best land for his favorite daughter, Unlock all 74 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,850+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
Related Titles
By William Shakespeare
