King Lear

<p>A moving tragedy of political intrigue and family strife William Shakespeare's King Lear is edited by George Hunter with an introduction by Kiernan Ryan in Penguin Shakespeare.</p><p> </p><p>'How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!'</p><p> </p><p>The ageing King Lear tired of office decides to split his kingdom between his three daughters Goneril Regan and Cordelia but the decision to allot their share based on the love they express for him proves to be a terrible mistake. When Cordelia refuses to take part in her father's 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. Cast out into the wilderness with a wise Fool and a cunning madman it is only after losing what he values most that Lear understands the depth of his folly.</p><p> </p><p>This book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre a separate introduction to King Lear a chronology suggestions for further reading an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen and a commentary.</p> <p>'The most perfect specimen of the dramatic art existing in the world' Percy Bysshe Shelley<br><br>Shakespeare's bleak and brutal tragedy begins when an ageing king, seeking a successor, rejects the young daughter who loves him and misplaces his trust in her malevolent sisters. In return they strip him of his power and condemn him to a wretched wasteland of horror and insanity. Set in a pitiless universe, <i>King Lear</i> is a towering, elemental masterpiece of fierce poetry and vast imaginative scope.<br><br>Used and Recommended by the National Theatre<br><br>General Editor Stanley Wells<br>Edited by George Hunter<br>Introduction by Kiernan Ryan</p>