num_pages: 287
description: One of Shakespeare's finest tragedies, the work displays a pessimism and nihilism that make it a 20th-century favorite. The aging King Lear decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, allotting each a portion in proportion to the eloquence of her declaration of love. The hypocritical Goneril and Regan make grand pronouncements and are rewarded; Cordelia, the youngest daughter, who truly loves Lear, refuses to make an insincere speech to prove her love and is disinherited. The two older sisters mock Lear and renege on their promise to support him. Cast out, the king slips into madness and wanders about accompanied by his faithful Fool. He is aided by the Earl of Kent, who, though banished from the kingdom for having supported Cordelia, has remained in Britain disguised as a peasant.
language: English
title: King Lear
titlecomplete: King Lear (Shakespeare, Signet Classic)
characters: Edmund, Goneril, Edgar, Leir of Britain, Duke of Albany, Fool, Duke of Cornwall, Cordelia, Earl of Gloucester, Earl of Kent, Regan
genres: Fiction, Plays, Theatre, Tragedy, Poetry, Drama, School, Literature, Read For School, Classics
ratings_count: 212578
publisher: Signet Classics