Other editions of book King Lear

King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It tells the tale of a king who bequeaths his power and land to two of his three daughters, after they declare their love for him in an extremely fawning and obsequious manner. His third daughter gets nothing, because she will not flatter him as her sisters had done. When he feels he has been treated with disrespect by the two daughters who now have his wealth and power, he becomes furious to the point of madness. He eventually becomes tenderly reconciled to his third daughter, just before tragedy strikes her and then the king.Derived from the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological pre-Roman Celtic king, the play has been widely adapted for the stage and motion pictures, with the title role coveted by many of the world's most accomplished actors.The first attribution to Shakespeare of this play, originally drafted in 1605 or 1606 at the latest with its first known performance on St. Stephen's Day in 1606, was a 1608 publication in a quarto of uncertain provenance, in which the play is listed as a history; it may be an early draft or simply reflect the first performance text. The Tragedy of King Lear, a revised version that is better tailored for performance, was included in the 1623 First Folio. Modern editors usually conflate the two, though some insist that each version has its own individual integrity that should be preserved.After the English Restoration, the play was often revised with a happy ending for audiences who disliked its dark and depressing tone, but since the 19th century Shakespeare's original version has been regarded as one of his supreme achievements. The tragedy is noted for its probing observations on the nature of human suffering and kinship. George Bernard Shaw wrote "No man will ever write a better tragedy than Lear."

A royal family is thrown into utter ruin by its own poisonous web of distrust, deceit and struggle for power. Shakespeare's tragedy is one unsurpassed power and depth. It follows the descent of the ageing King Lear into madness, perpetuated by his malevolent daughters Goneril and Regan who struggle to gain power over the kingdom. Having banished his favorite daughter Cordelia, a loving, compassionate and honest woman, when she refuses to partake in a competition of flattery, he sets in motion a catastrophic sequence of events that will ultimately destroy his sanity, family and kingdom. The lines between good and evil are faultlessly drawn in this exploration of filial ingratitude, injustice, avarice and love. In a time when swollen words, false pretexts and the struggle for power are again the order of the day the message of King Lear carries renewed significance.

Webster's paperbacks take advantage of the fact that classics are frequently assigned readings in English courses. By using a running English-to-Swahili thesaurus at the bottom of each page, this edition of King Lear by William Shakespeare was edited for three audiences. The first includes Swahili-speaking students enrolled in an English Language Program (ELP), an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) program, an English as a Second Language Program (ESL), or in a TOEFL� or TOEIC� preparation program. The second audience includes English-speaking students enrolled in bilingual education programs or Swahili speakers enrolled in English-speaking schools. The third audience consists of students who are actively building their vocabularies in Swahili in order to take foreign service, translation certification, Advanced Placement� (AP�) or similar examinations. By using the Webster's Swahili Thesaurus Edition when assigned for an English course, the reader can enrich their vocabulary in anticipation of an examination in Swahili or English.<br>TOEFL�, TOEIC�, AP� and Advanced Placement� are trademarks of the Educational Testing Service which has neither reviewed nor endorsed this book. All rights reserved.

Webster's paperbacks take advantage of the fact that classics are frequently assigned readings in English courses. By using a running English-to-Croatian thesaurus at the bottom of each page, this edition of King Lear by William Shakespeare was edited for three audiences. The first includes Croatian-speaking students enrolled in an English Language Program (ELP), an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) program, an English as a Second Language Program (ESL), or in a TOEFL� or TOEIC� preparation program. The second audience includes English-speaking students enrolled in bilingual education programs or Croatian speakers enrolled in English-speaking schools. The third audience consists of students who are actively building their vocabularies in Croatian in order to take foreign service, translation certification, Advanced Placement� (AP�) or similar examinations. By using the Webster's Croatian Thesaurus Edition when assigned for an English course, the reader can enrich their vocabulary in anticipation of an examination in Croatian or English.<br>TOEFL�, TOEIC�, AP� and Advanced Placement� are trademarks of the Educational Testing Service which has neither reviewed nor endorsed this book. All rights reserved.

King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1603 and 1606, and is considered one of his greatest works. The play is based on the legend of King Leir of Britain. It has been widely adapted for stage and screen, with the part of Lear being played by many of the world's most accomplished actors. (From Wikipedia)