King Lear: Study Guides

"King Lear makes large demands of the reader in at least three ways. First, it is a very long play. This may sound like a shallow point, but it affects how we read and write about the work. Indeed, the play is so immense that it may be useful to keep a log as you read, writing a short summary of each scene ... "

"For many students, the greatest obstacle to writing about Shakespeare is the process of reading Shakespeare. The root of the problem for many, not surprisingly, is Shakespeare's language, which is unfamiliar at times and can seem difficult to read. Like everything else, practice, patience, and a little effort will help. In the meantime, there are some things you can do that will make Shakespeare much more accessible to you. First ... "

"When writing about Shakespeare's tragedies, ... , one way of approaching the task is to start by understanding the precise nature of ... gap, in the play or plays you are treating, between what could have been and what is. Then identify, in as much detail as you can, the reasons why the darker outcomes emerged, why the brighter possibilities were eclipsed ... "

Click through the various types of essays and parts of essays to access advice and guidance from Bloom's Literature Database. You may need the password to access this article. Click on the link below.

".This Study and Revise guide:- Increases students'knowledge of King Lear as they progress through the detailed commentary and contextual information written by experienced teachers and examiners- Develops understanding of characterisation, themes, form, structure and language, equipping students with a rich bank of textual examples to enhance their coursework and exam responses ... "

"King Lear is considered one of Shakespeare's greatest plays. King Lear decides to step down and divide his kingdom between his three daughters. When his youngest and favorite daughter refuses to compete and perform her love for him, he is enraged and disowns her. She remains loyal to him, however, though he slides into madness and his other children betray him."

"... Representing distinctive but complementary points of view, they cover theatrical history, verbal style, acting and actors, the playwright in his cultural context and in the light of enduring human concerns, and the Shakespearean view of history, tragedy, and psychology ... "

"The Oxford Shakespeare offers authoritative texts from leading scholars in editions designed to interpret and illuminate the plays for modern readers ... "

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King Lear is growing old, and in an effort to preempt an inheritance war, he decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters while he is still living—dependent on which one loves him the most. ..."

"King Lear is a play about power, politics and family. All of the information you need about King Lear is divided into four sections: Story, Characters, Language and Staging. Each section has three different levels of information. Choose which level is right for you or simply move between them to find what you need. Here’s a quick guide to help you get started with King Lear ... "

"King Lear is everyone's favorite Shakespearean tragedy about an aging king who decides to become a nudist ... "

" King divides kingdom, snubs daughter, goes mad, there's a storm, and everyone dies ... "

Watch a range of videos which focus on different elements of the play: including, Lear and Cordelia, The King and the Fool, King Lear: Who is the Man Without the Crown and more.

"King Lear is a tragic stage play centering on the decline and fall of a dysfunctional royal family. It is also sometimes referred to as a chronicle play because it draws upon historical information in such documents as The True Chronicle History of King Leir and His Daughters (anonymous, 1594) and The Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland, by Raphael Holinshed (1587) ... "

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"Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on William Shakespeare's King Lear. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides."