Project Gutenberg 2000-07-01 Public domain in the USA. 76 Shakespeare, William 1564 1616 Shakspeare, William Shakspere, William King Lear "King Lear" by William Shakespeare is a tragic play believed to have been written in the early 17th century. The play explores themes of power, betrayal, and madness through the story of King Lear, who decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters based on who loves him most. This decision leads to his tragic downfall and the unraveling of familial bonds. The opening of "King Lear" introduces key characters such as King Lear, his daughters Gonerill, Regan, and Cordelia, along with loyal subjects like Kent and Gloucester. Lear's intent to divide his kingdom sets the stage for conflict, as he asks each daughter to declare her love for him. Gonerill and Regan flatter him with extravagant declarations, while Cordelia speaks less but more truthfully. Lear's anger at Cordelia’s perceived lack of affection leads to her disinheritance, establishing the initial rift that will drive the play’s tragic events. The tension escalates as Lear's inability to see his daughters' true natures and his own foolishness become apparent, foreshadowing the chaos to come. (This is an automatically generated summary.) en Tragedies Kings and rulers -- Succession -- Drama Fathers and daughters -- Drama Inheritance and succession -- Drama Lear, King (Legendary character) -- Drama Britons -- Drama Kings and rulers -- Drama Aging parents -- Drama PR Text Best Books Ever Listings Banned Books from Anne Haight's list Browsing: Literature Browsing: Fiction 209890 209899 2024-09-01T12:38:34.615337 2023-10-01T11:25:11.559899 text/html text/html 209883 209892 2024-09-01T12:38:34.831343 2023-10-01T11:25:11.751902 text/html text/html 121579 2024-09-01T12:38:40.746379 application/epub+zip 123993 2024-09-01T12:38:36.199319 application/epub+zip 123993 2024-09-01T12:38:35.354335 application/epub+zip 237743 2024-09-01T12:38:43.478281 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 217189 2024-09-01T12:38:40.150309 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 213927 2022-08-01T12:10:37.486589 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 165514 165542 2024-09-01T12:38:34.223338 2023-10-01T11:25:11.285880 text/plain; charset=us-ascii text/plain 157869 2015-04-03T11:27:12 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 63603 2015-04-03T11:27:34 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 19751 2024-09-01T12:38:43.613276 application/rdf+xml 12020 2024-09-01T12:38:35.706334 image/jpeg 3241 2024-09-01T12:38:35.530343 image/jpeg 123557 2024-09-01T12:38:34.849339 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia