King Lear
King Lear,a tragedy by Shakespeare , dating from 1604 – 5 , performed at court 1606 . The quarto printed in 1608 (reprinted 1619 ) is now thought to have been badly printed from Shakespeare's original manuscript, and the text of the First Folio ( 1623 ) appears to represent a revision from a few years later. The play's sources include a chronicle play, King Leir (performed 1594 , printed 1605 ), the chronicles of Holinshed , and the Mirror for Magistrates . The Gloucester sub-plot derives from Sidney's Arcadia .
Lear, king of Britain, a petulant and unwise old man, has three daughters: Goneril , wife of the duke of Albany; Regan , wife of the duke of Cornwall; and Cordelia, for whom the king of France and duke of Burgundy are suitors. Intending to divide his kingdom among his daughters according to their affection for him, he bids them say which loves him most. Goneril and Regan make...
[The entire page is 442 words long]