King Lear

E72922

King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare that portrays an aging monarch’s descent into madness after he divides his kingdom among his daughters, exploring themes of power, loyalty, and human suffering.

All labels observed (17)

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Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Shakespearean tragedy
literary work
play
author William Shakespeare
basedOn Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae
legend of Leir of Britain
climax battle between forces of Lear and Cordelia and their enemies
compositionDate circa 1605–1606
countryOfOrigin England
ending tragic deaths of Lear and Cordelia
firstFolioPublicationDate 1623
firstPerformanceDate circa 1606
firstQuartoPublicationDate 1608
genre tragedy
hasVersion Folio text of King Lear
linked to: King Lear

Quarto text of King Lear
linked to: King Lear
influenced 20th-century theatre and criticism
modern interpretations of madness in drama
literaryMovement Elizabethan and Jacobean drama
literaryPeriod English Renaissance
mainCharacter Cordelia
Edgar
Edmund
Gloucester
Goneril
King Lear
Regan
The Fool
notableAdaptation Akira Kurosawa’s film Ran (1985), loosely based on King Lear
film adaptation by Grigori Kozintsev (1971)
film adaptation by Peter Brook (1971)
numberOfActs 5
openingEvent Lear’s division of his kingdom among his daughters
originalLanguage Early Modern English
plotElement Cordelia’s exile
linked to: Cordelia

Edmund’s betrayal of his father and brother
Gloucester’s blinding
Lear’s descent into madness
love test of Lear’s daughters
setting ancient Britain
theme authority and kingship
blindness and insight
family conflict
filial ingratitude
human suffering
justice
loyalty
madness
power

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Referenced by (76)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Claire Bloom notableWork King Lear
Derek Jacobi notableWork King Lear (stage performances)
linked to: King Lear
William Shakespeare notableWork King Lear
Junius Brutus Booth notableRole King Lear
Ian McKellen notableWork King Lear (stage performances)
linked to: King Lear
Sam Mendes directed King Lear
The Dresser hasPlayWithinFilm King Lear
King Lear mainCharacter King Lear
King Lear hasVersion Quarto text of King Lear
linked to: King Lear
King Lear hasVersion Folio text of King Lear
linked to: King Lear
Almeida Theatre notableProduction King Lear (starring Jonathan Pryce, 2012)
linked to: King Lear
Works of William Shakespeare includesWork King Lear
subject linked to: works of William Shakespeare
Paul Scofield notableWork "King Lear" (stage performances)
linked to: King Lear
Paul Scofield role King Lear in "King Lear"
linked to: King Lear
King's Men performedWork King Lear
Diane Venora notableWork King Lear
Ron Cook notableWork King Lear (Royal Shakespeare Company production)
linked to: King Lear
Ralph Richardson notableWork King Lear
Cordelia’s Portion depicts King Lear
Cordelia’s Portion basedOn King Lear
Gina McKee notableWork King Lear
Jane Smiley basedOn King Lear
Rachel Kempson notableWork King Lear
Saskia Reeves notableWork King Lear (stage production)
linked to: King Lear
Pavier quartos includeWork King Lear
Cyril Cusack notableWork King Lear
Othello otherMajorTragedy King Lear
subject linked to: Othello (play)
Brian Blessed notableWork King Lear
Raphael Holinshed influencedWork Shakespeare’s King Lear
linked to: King Lear
Sybil Thorndike notableWork King Lear
Nigel Hawthorne notableWork King Lear
Judi Dench notableWork King Lear
subject linked to: Judi
Judith Olivia Dench notableWork King Lear
subject linked to: Judith
Cordelia appearsIn King Lear
Cordelia father King Lear