Other editions of book The Tragedy of King Lear

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KENT. I thought the King had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall. GLOUCESTER. It did always seem so to us; but now, in the division of the kingdom, it appears not which of the Dukes he values most, for equalities are so weigh'd that curiosity in neither can make choice of either's moiety. KENT. Is not this your son, my lord? GLOUCESTER. His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge. I have so often blush'd to acknowledge him that now I am braz'd to't.

The Tragedy of King Lear, by William Shakespeare, is believed to have been written between 1603 and 1606, and was first performed on December 26, 1606. It is the only Shakespearian play with a known performance date with certainty. The play is considered to be one of Shakespeare’s greatest works, in which the main character descends into madness from the consequences of foolishly disposing of his estate. It reflects the hierarchical society of Elizabethan England in Shakespeare’s time, where parents and the upper class were subject to the schemes of unprincipled children desiring to seize their estate. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological pre-Roman Celtic king. King Lear has been widely adapted for stage and screen, with the role of Lear played by many of the world's most accomplished actors.