King Lear (Penguin Shakespeare)
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An ageing king makes a capricious decision to divide his realm among his three daughters according to the love they express for him. When the youngest daughter refuses to take part in this charade, she is banished, leaving the king dependent on her manipulative and untrustworthy sisters. In the scheming and recriminations that follow, not only does the king's own sanity crumble, but the stability of the realm itself is also threatened.
About the Author
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was born to John Shakespeare and mother Mary Arden some time in late April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He wrote about 38 plays (the precise number is uncertain), a collection of sonnets and a variety of other poems.
Stanley Wells is Emeritus Professor of the University of Birmingham and Chairman of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Kiernan Ryan is Professor of English at Royal Holloway, University of London, and a Fellow of New Hall, University of Cambridge. He is the author of Shakespeare (3rd edn, 2002) and the editor of King Lear: Contemporary Critical Essays (1992) and Shakespeare: The Last Plays (1999).
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Some say that if Shakespeare had only ever written this one play that it would still be performed and that we would still remember his name, thankfully though he gave us many more. King Lear is itself based on a Celtic legend that Shakespeare with his incomparable skill breathed new life in to.
When the world weary and old Lear decides to divide his kingdom amongst his three daughters things start to go wrong. His first two daughters know how to impress the king with their words, but alas his third and favourite daughter is more prone to speaking the truth, thus causing her to be disinherited and ultimately banished. Cordelia this youngest daughter has two suitors, the Duke of Burgundy and the King of France, however Burgundy relinquishes any hold that he may have on her due to the fact that she is now dowerless, not so the King of France who becomes more enamoured due to her forthrightness. Kent tries to intervene for Cordelia but finds himself banished.
It does not take long for Lear to realise his mistake when he is being countermanded and in effect ruled by his two elder daughters. Whilst this is going on Gloucester's bastard son has started his machinations to get his legitimate half-brother disinherited. With loyalty, madness and treachery this play will grab you and keep you absorbed, and will stay with you long after the last page has been read. Lear's decline into madness is powerful stuff, and Shakespeare really gets deep into the psyche of his characters, thus revealing the darkness not in just their souls but in all of us.
This is powerful and heady stuff that will have you gripped. With this edition there are extras that will hopefully help you to appreciate this play more, as well as being of help to an actor coming to this for the first time, or for students.
When the world weary and old Lear decides to divide his kingdom amongst his three daughters things start to go wrong. His first two daughters know how to impress the king with their words, but alas his third and favourite daughter is more prone to speaking the truth, thus causing her to be disinherited and ultimately banished. Cordelia this youngest daughter has two suitors, the Duke of Burgundy and the King of France, however Burgundy relinquishes any hold that he may have on her due to the fact that she is now dowerless, not so the King of France who becomes more enamoured due to her forthrightness. Kent tries to intervene for Cordelia but finds himself banished.
It does not take long for Lear to realise his mistake when he is being countermanded and in effect ruled by his two elder daughters. Whilst this is going on Gloucester's bastard son has started his machinations to get his legitimate half-brother disinherited. With loyalty, madness and treachery this play will grab you and keep you absorbed, and will stay with you long after the last page has been read. Lear's decline into madness is powerful stuff, and Shakespeare really gets deep into the psyche of his characters, thus revealing the darkness not in just their souls but in all of us.
This is powerful and heady stuff that will have you gripped. With this edition there are extras that will hopefully help you to appreciate this play more, as well as being of help to an actor coming to this for the first time, or for students.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
0 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Good and Evil At Their Most Intense
14 July 2006
Format:Paperback
As far as Shakespeare's tragedies go, I have some respect for "Romeo and Juliet." I think "Timon of Athens" and "Coriolanus" are very underrated. I do not like "Othello" at all. I really like "Macbeth." And along with "Julius Caesar" and "Hamlet," I consider "King Lear" a real masterpiece.
The play starts with the aged King Lear displaying poor judgment by announcing his retirement, and leaving his power to his 2 overly ambitious daughters Goneril and Regan, while banishing is youngest daughter Cordelia (who is worthy of his love and trust). Cordelia ends up getting married to the French King, and thus becomes Queen of France. King Lear also banishes his noble servant Kent (who was also worthy of his love and trust).
In a subplot, the old and kind hearted Gloucester is upset by the king's actions, but ironically, he falls into the same pattern. He (after being deceived by Edmund) declares war on his honorable son Edgar, and puts trust in his monstrously evil son Edmund. By the end of the 1st act, the ever loyal Kent disguises himself, and finds his way back into the king's employ.
At first, Shakespeare leaves it ambiguous as to who we should like. (King Lear was not so likable, and his misuse of power didn't help.) But by the end of the 2nd act, Shakespeare allows us to see that Goneril, Cornwall, and Regan would do the devil proud. Edmund may even outdo these 3! From the end of the 2nd act, Shakespeare shifts our sympathies to Lear, and DOES NOT allow it to slack at all. (Our new sympathy for Lear will in fact intensify throughout.)
While we don't see much of Goneril's virtuous husband Albany until the 4th act, other characters speak of his contempt for Cornwall, so we can see that Shakespeare is getting a heroic role ready for him. This helps build suspense as well as the news of Cordelia's French Invasion. (To restore her father to the throne.)
Kent, Cordelia, and Edgar are quite Christlike. Kent never abandons the king; Cordelia never stopped loving her father; and Edgar continues to love his father. (Edgar's father suffers a horrible injury at the hands of Cornwall at the end of the 3rd act, and Edgar does everything humanly possible for his father.)
It is interesting that Kent and Edgar both continue to love and serve a man who had mistreated them, even to the point of wearing a disguise. Moving on, Lear is eventually reunited with Cordelia, and the scene where Cordelia forgives him is beyond beautiful.
But, Shakespeare does not stop here. Lear's 2 wicked daughters (Goneril and Regan) both want the affection of the evil Edmund, and Goneril plots to have her virtuous husband Albany killed. (Regan's husband Cornwall died at the end of the 3rd act.) To complicate matters further, Cordelia launches her invasion on behalf of her father, and while Albany shares Cordelia's goal, he also feels he has an obligation to protect Britain from invasion.
In an almost Easter fashion, Edgar reappears to challenge his wicked brother Edmund in trial by combat. (It is interesting that while Robert Powell did Jesus in "Jesus of Nazareth," he also does Edgar on an audio version of "King Lear.") But even as Albany, Edgar, and Kent gain control of the situation, Shakespeare has his arguably saddest moment waiting for us.
This play is a perfect cure for Hollywood movies that tend to glorify war. "King Lear" is arguably Shakespeare's most brutal play. But the violence is disturbing even when the virtuous characters are triumphant. The story DOES need the violence, but Shakespeare seems to know here that war and violence are disturbing, and should be portrayed so. Furthermore, the death of one's enemies, may NOT lead to a happy ending.
The play starts with the aged King Lear displaying poor judgment by announcing his retirement, and leaving his power to his 2 overly ambitious daughters Goneril and Regan, while banishing is youngest daughter Cordelia (who is worthy of his love and trust). Cordelia ends up getting married to the French King, and thus becomes Queen of France. King Lear also banishes his noble servant Kent (who was also worthy of his love and trust).
In a subplot, the old and kind hearted Gloucester is upset by the king's actions, but ironically, he falls into the same pattern. He (after being deceived by Edmund) declares war on his honorable son Edgar, and puts trust in his monstrously evil son Edmund. By the end of the 1st act, the ever loyal Kent disguises himself, and finds his way back into the king's employ.
At first, Shakespeare leaves it ambiguous as to who we should like. (King Lear was not so likable, and his misuse of power didn't help.) But by the end of the 2nd act, Shakespeare allows us to see that Goneril, Cornwall, and Regan would do the devil proud. Edmund may even outdo these 3! From the end of the 2nd act, Shakespeare shifts our sympathies to Lear, and DOES NOT allow it to slack at all. (Our new sympathy for Lear will in fact intensify throughout.)
While we don't see much of Goneril's virtuous husband Albany until the 4th act, other characters speak of his contempt for Cornwall, so we can see that Shakespeare is getting a heroic role ready for him. This helps build suspense as well as the news of Cordelia's French Invasion. (To restore her father to the throne.)
Kent, Cordelia, and Edgar are quite Christlike. Kent never abandons the king; Cordelia never stopped loving her father; and Edgar continues to love his father. (Edgar's father suffers a horrible injury at the hands of Cornwall at the end of the 3rd act, and Edgar does everything humanly possible for his father.)
It is interesting that Kent and Edgar both continue to love and serve a man who had mistreated them, even to the point of wearing a disguise. Moving on, Lear is eventually reunited with Cordelia, and the scene where Cordelia forgives him is beyond beautiful.
But, Shakespeare does not stop here. Lear's 2 wicked daughters (Goneril and Regan) both want the affection of the evil Edmund, and Goneril plots to have her virtuous husband Albany killed. (Regan's husband Cornwall died at the end of the 3rd act.) To complicate matters further, Cordelia launches her invasion on behalf of her father, and while Albany shares Cordelia's goal, he also feels he has an obligation to protect Britain from invasion.
In an almost Easter fashion, Edgar reappears to challenge his wicked brother Edmund in trial by combat. (It is interesting that while Robert Powell did Jesus in "Jesus of Nazareth," he also does Edgar on an audio version of "King Lear.") But even as Albany, Edgar, and Kent gain control of the situation, Shakespeare has his arguably saddest moment waiting for us.
This play is a perfect cure for Hollywood movies that tend to glorify war. "King Lear" is arguably Shakespeare's most brutal play. But the violence is disturbing even when the virtuous characters are triumphant. The story DOES need the violence, but Shakespeare seems to know here that war and violence are disturbing, and should be portrayed so. Furthermore, the death of one's enemies, may NOT lead to a happy ending.
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