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King Lear (Cambridge School Shakespeare)
 
 

King Lear (Cambridge School Shakespeare) (Paperback)

by William Shakespeare (Author), Jonathan Morris (Editor), Elspeth Bain (Editor), Rob Smith (Editor) "I thought the king had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall ..." (more)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Cambridge University Press (22 Aug 1996)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0521466970
  • ISBN-13: 978-0521466974
  • Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 15.2 x 1.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 115,192 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #9 in  Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > Shakespeare, William > The Plays > A-Z > King Lear
    #9 in  Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > Shakespeare, William > Criticism & Study Aids > Plays > King Lear
    #66 in  Books > Children's Books > Education > A & AS Level > English > Literature
  • See Complete Table of Contents

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

King Lear stands alongside Hamlet as one of the most profound expressions of tragic drama in literature. Written between 1604 and 1605, it represents Shakespeare at the height of his dramatic power. Drawing on ancient British history, Shakespeare constructs a plot that reads like a fable in its clear-sighted but terrifying simplicity. The ageing King Lear calls his daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia to witness that he wishes "to shake all cares and business from our age" and divide his kingdom between his three children. When Cordelia refuses to flatter her father with sycophantic words of love, her banishment leads to chaos and civil war as Lear's disastrous "division of the kingdom" gives free reign to the greed and ambition of his two remaining daughters.

As Lear sinks into rage and madness he is deserted by everyone except his "bitter" Fool, the loyal Kent and the exiled Cordelia. The play descends into a nighmarish theatre of cruelty and absurdity as Lear realises he has "ta'en / Too little care" of the poverty and corruption of his kingdom, and his loyal but foolish friend Gloucester has his eyes gouged out. Metaphors of monstrosity and perversions of nature structure the dramatic action, and the play's ending remains one of the most harrowing in all of Shakespeare. Many see a profound despair and nihilism in King Lear, and would agree with Kent's conclusion that "All's cheerless, dark and deadly". Other writers have identified a radical but pessimistic critique of contemporary conceptions of kingship and absolutist authority, yet it remains a remarkable tragedy of public misjudgement and intensely private grief and anguish. --Jerry Brotton



Product Description

Like every other play in the Cambridge School Shakespeare series, King Lear has been specially prepared to help all students in schools and colleges. This version of King Lear aims to be different from other editions of the play. It invites you to bring the play to life in your classroom through enjoyable activities that will help increase your understanding. You are encourage to make up your own mind about the play, rather than have someone else's interpretation handed down to you. Whatever you do, remember that Shakespeare wrote his plays to be acted, watched and enjoyed.

Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
I thought the king had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

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Average Customer Review
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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Death, madness and fear- Shakespeare's best, 9 Jan 2003
By "lexi_wades" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
I studied this play years ago for A-level and even flogging its themes and plot to death didn't detract from its brilliance. Taking away its dubious misogynies (which, of course, are a sign of the time it was written) we are left with a work of brilliance.
The pain Lear goes through to be betrayed by two of his daughters after his own lack of foresight is heartbreaking- as is the climax. This is a truly dark and disturbing work but never was Shakespeare so powerful and provocative in his treatment of realtionships and human evil.
Read it, watch it or act it- and shudder
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read... and very educational too!, 19 Nov 2000
To be honest with you, I never really liked Shakespeare books, I never could understand it. Then I was told I had to buy a King Lear book and study it for my A levels. I searched high and low for a book I thought I could understand and get into, then came this marvellous book. It comes complete with a huge introduction about the play and (lo and behold)it also includes pictures of the marvellous play and how it was performed. It basically, is in script form but for the casual reader it also has definitions on the bottom of the page. A Shakespearean play has never been edited so good! I do understand the play now and thanks to R.A Foakes, I might even get a decent grade. For you people out there who don't understand Shakespeare but are curious about it, I recommend this book as it is a great read. But I warn you now, you might not be able to put it down!
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3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and Everlasting, 29 Aug 2001
The tale of Lear's betrayal by his family and subsequent tragic descent into madness is powerfully gripping. Shakespeare keeps the plot simple, but ensures that the undertones are remarkably complex. In Lear's most poignant speech, when he begins the journey to insanity, he demands that we "allow not nature more than nature needs" and forewarns that his heart will "break into a hundred thousand flaws". These predictions unfold in vivid and dramatic style throughout a play laced with reference to nature's omnipotence. The ending shatters your heart.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Student Edition Poised to Cultivate Enjoyment via Understanding
Without futilely wasting words on one of the most overstudied pieces in the most overstudied literary canon, "King Lear" is staggering. Read more
Published 7 months ago by chatvarin

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly Tragic!
I am not an intellectual by no means. I am just a regular young adult studying 'A' Level English Literature, so when told I would be studying King Lear, probably the most dark and... Read more
Published on 20 Jan 2001

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