King Lear
PLOT SUMMARY
Written by William Shakespeare
Dated around 1606-1607
Tragedy
Key characters include King Lear, Cordelia, Goneril, Regan, Gloucester, Edgar and Edmund.
When the aged King Lear relinquishes his empire, he divides it among his three daughters, promising the largest share to the one who professes to love him the most. The older daughters, Goneril and Regan, flatter him, but the youngest, Cordelia, refuses to engage in such insincere flattery. This leads to Lear disowning and banishing Cordelia, who then marries the king of France. Goneril and Regan then turn on Lear, leaving him to wander madly in a furious storm.
King Lear is a nightmarish family drama of global proportions that forces us to confront our humanity and the profound need for compassion.
CHARACTERS
Meet the characters of King Lear and uncover their stories.
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PAST PRODUCTIONS
So far, Shakespeare’s Globe has staged King Lear six times:
1999 – Kathakali King Lear
2001 – dir. Barry Kyle
2008 – dir. Dominic Dromgoole
2014 – dir. Bill Buckhurst
2017 – dir. Nancy Meckler
2022 – dir. Helena Kaut-Howson
EXPLORE FURTHER
Our range of blogs shed light on this enigmatic play and wider themes:
This great stage of fools: A sneak peek at King Lear – this piece was written as an exclusive first look at Kathryn Hunter as the despot ruler, Lear, as part of our Summer 2022 season
Crafting Crowns – this blog looks at the making of crowns, a key prop in any play about monarchs. We hear from actors, wardrobe and props about bringing royalty to the stage.
Shakespeare on film: Students respond to our Summer 2022 season – watch short films made in response to our summer 2022 season, including King Lear.
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