Guide Note:King Lear is a classic tragedy by William Shakespeare.
Fast Facts:
- Believed to have been written between 1603 and 1606 - there is much debate on dating
- First known performance: December 26, 1606 (per Stationers' Register)
- Considered one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies
- Two distinct versions:
- The True Chronicle of the History of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters - 1608
- The Tragedy of King Lear - 1623
- Most important source is thought to be the second edition of The Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande by Raphael Holinshed - 1587
- Cordelia probably taken from Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene - 1590
- Main Characters:
- King Lear
- Cordelia
- Goneril
- Regan
- Edmund
- Edgar
- The Fool
- Famous Quotes:
- How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child.
- Although the last, not least.
- Who is it that can tell me who I am?
- Mend your speech a little, lest it may mar your fortunes.