King Lear cover art

King Lear

A Summary of the Play by William Shakespeare

Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 15 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
More purchase options

King Lear

By: James Gardner, William Shakespeare
Narrated by: Katie Haigh
Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £5.54

Buy Now for £5.54

"King Lear" is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, depicting the gradual descent into madness of the title character after he disposes of his kingdom giving bequests to two of his three daughters based on their flattery of him, bringing tragic consequences for all.

The play is derived from the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological pre-Roman Celtic king; after the English Restoration, it was often revised with a happy ending for audiences who disliked its dark and depressing tone, but since the nineteenth century, Shakespeare's original version has been regarded as one of his supreme achievements. The tragedy is particularly noted for its probing observations on the nature of human suffering and kinship. George Bernard Shaw wrote: "No man will ever write a better tragedy than Lear."

This is a detailed summary of the play, retold in today's language.

©2018 Compagnie du Savoir (P)2018 Compagnie du Savoir
Drama & Plays European Shakespeare World Literature Emotionally Gripping
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet