The authoritative edition of King Lear from The Folger Shakespeare
Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and
general readers.
Shakespeare's King Lear challenges us with the magnitude, intensity,
and sheer duration of the pain that it represents. Its figures harden
their hearts, engage in violence, or try to alleviate the suffering of
others. Lear himself rages until his sanity cracks. What, then, keeps
bringing us back to King Lear? For all the force of its language,
King Lear is almost equally powerful when translated, suggesting that
it is the story, in large part, that draws us to the play.
The play tells us about families struggling between greed and cruelty,
on the one hand, and support and consolation, on the other. Emotions are
extreme, magnified to gigantic proportions. We also see old age
portrayed in all its vulnerability, pride, and, perhaps, wisdom--one
reason this most devastating of Shakespeare's tragedies is also perhaps
his most moving.
This edition includes:
-Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the
play
-Full explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of
the play
-Scene-by-scene plot summaries
-A key to the play's famous lines and phrases
-An introduction to reading Shakespeare's language
-An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern
perspective on the play
-Fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library's vast holdings of
rare books
-An annotated guide to further reading
Essay by Susan Snyder
The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is home to the world's
largest collection of Shakespeare's printed works, and a magnet for
Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions
open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full
calendar of performances and programs. For more information, visit
Folger.edu.
