King Lear (Annotated by Henry N. Hudson with an Introduction by Charles Harold Herford) - Softcover

Shakespeare, William; Hudson, Henry N.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1420953346 ISBN 13: 9781420953343

Publisher: Digireads.com, 2016

Synopsis

The historical basis for “King Lear” comes from Geoffrey of Monmouth’s account of the legendary King Leir of the Britons recorded in the historian’s “History of the Kings of Briton.” King Lear is an elderly man and wishes to retire from power. In the decision to divide up his estate he requests that his daughters profess their feelings for him, vowing to give whomever loves him the most the largest share. His two eldest daughters Regan and Goneril go first and based on their responses are rewarded their respective portions. However when it is his youngest daughter Cordelia’s turn, she refuses to flatter her father as her older sisters have done, insisting that there are no words to describe her love. This enrages the King prompting him to disinherit Cordelia and split the remaining inheritance amongst the two eldest sisters instead. As the play progresses, the foolishness of this decision becomes evident, descending the King into madness. In its portrayal of the tragic effect of human weakness and cruelty, “King Lear” has come to be regarded as one of the most powerful of Shakespeare’s works. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper, is annotated by Henry N. Hudson, and includes an introduction by Charles Harold Herford.

About this title

About the Author

William Shakespeare, also known as “Bard of Avon”, is regarded as one of the greatest writer in the English language and the finest dramatist of the world. He was a successful English poet, Playwright, and actor. He is often called England’s National Poet. His works have been translated into every major language of the world, and are performed the most as compared to any other playwright. His works, along with some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and few other verses, of which the authorship of some is unconfirmed. Shakespeare’s private life is much speculated about, as too few records of his private life have survived. The known works of Shakespeare were produced between 1589 and 1613. In the early phase as a playwright, Shakespeare mostly produced comedies and histories, and these works are considered as one of the best in these genres. Afterwards, he wrote tragedies until about 1608, which include Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, and Othello. These works are also one of the finest in English language, and literature. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights.

Edition details

• Publisher: Digireads.com
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1420953346
• ISBN 13: 9781420953343
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 138