William Shakespeare’s
King Lear
Date of Composition and Source
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Most difficult play to
pin down
Written after Hamlet
and Othello
Winter of 1605-1606
“Leir” a folk legend
king who never
actually existed
Published during his
life time
Original Title
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M. William Shak-speare: His True
Chronicle Historie of the life and death of
King Lear and his three Daughters. With
the unfortunate life of Edgar, sonne and
heire to the Earle of Gloster, and his sullen
and assumed humor of Tom of Bedlam
Lear and European History
One of the few plays
to take place in
Britain
 Similar to other
tragedies- nobility
 Believed to be during
the Hundred Years
War (1337-1453)
 France loses the
battle
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The Plot and Subplot: Two Parallel
Stories
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Lear and his daughters: Main Plot
Edgar and his father and brother: subplot
Parallel stories: their closeness in plot and
direction render them mirrors of each other
Both Lear and Gloucester have faith in the
wrong child and reject the right one
Hook: begins in media res (in the middle of
things) Kent, Gloucester (Gloss ter), and
Edmund enter stage already in conversation
Aristotelian Hamartia
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Poetics: tragic hero is one who is guilty of
hamartia, and perhaps hubris
 Hamartia: error of judgment
 Hubris: excessive pride
 Lear is guilty of both
 Existential Hero: architect of his own ruin
 Fall from high to low
Characters
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King Lear-Aging King of Britain
Cordelia-Lear’s youngest daughter, disowned for
refusing to flatter him
Kent-Nobleman who is loyal to Lear, but
outspoken
Gloucester-Nobleman to Lear, suffers a parallel
fate
Edgar-Gloucester’s older legitimate son
Fool- Lear’s court jester who gives important
advice
Characters- Evil
Edmund-Gloucester’s Bastard Son who
resents his position; cunning in his
schemes
 Regan (wife of Cornwall) and Goneril (wife
of Albany)- Lear’s daughters who are
interested in power and do not care about
their father
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