Shakespeare’s “King Lear”

Shakespeare’s development as a dramatist

The Globe Theatre

The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613. A second Globe Theatre was rebuilt on the same site by June 1614 and closed in 1642

Phase One

1590-1593 “Henry VI” Parts 2 and 3 1591-1592 “Henry VI” Part 1 1592-1593 “Richard III“ “The Comedy of Errors” 1593-1594 “Titus Andronicus” “The Taming of the Shrew” 1594-1595 “The Two Gentleman of Verona” “Love’s Labour’s Lost” “Romeo and Juliet”

Phase Two

1595-1596 “Richard II “ “A Midsummmer Night’s Dream” 1596-1597 “King John” “The Merchant of Venice” 1597-1598 “Henry IV” Parts 1 and 2 1598-1599 “Much Ado about nothing” “Henry V” 1599-1600 ”Julius Caesar” “The Merry Wives of Windsor” “As You Like It” “Twelfth Night”

Phase Three

1600-1601 “Hamlet” 1601-1602 “Troilus and Cressida” 1602-1603 “All’s Well that Ends Well ” 1604-1605 “Measure of Measure”

Phase Four

1604-1605 “Othello” 1605-1606 “Macbeth” “King Lear” 1606-1607 “Antony and Cleopatra” 1607-1608 “Coriolanus”

“Timon of Athens”

Phase Five

1608-1609 “Pericles” 1609-1610 “Cymbeline” 1610-1611 ”The Winter’s Tale” 1611-1612 “The Tempest”

Categories

History Play: The history play ,or chronicle, may tend to tragedy ,like Richard II ,or to comedy like Henry V.

Tragedy: Tragedy in simple terms meant that the protagonist died.

Comedy: Comedy in simple terms meant that the play ended happily for the protagonist.

King Lear

Main Characters

King Lear His daughters: Goneril,Regan,Corderia Gloucester Gloucester’s sons: Edgar,Edmund Kent – King Lear’s most dearest friend The Fool - leaves the kingdom with the king and Kent Albany – Goneril’s husband Cornwall – Regan’s husband

Plot

Main Plot: (Part 1) King Lear decides to divide his kingdom amongst his

daughters:Goneril (the oldest, married to Albany ),Regan (married to Cornwall),Cordelia (the youngest, wanted by the King of France)

King Lear calls his daughters to express their love to him, he flattered by the elder sisters, only Cordelia says the truth.

The King disowns Cordelia. The King of France accepts her.

Kent is also banished by the king (he disagrees with Lear’s decisions).He is then disguised as a member of the King’s revenue.

Plot

Sub-plot: (part 1) Edmund (Glaucester’s son),persuades his

father to oust Edgar (his older brother). Edmund presents his father a fake letter

(written by himself). Edmund persuades Edgar to flee to escape

his father’s wrath.

Plot

Main Plot: (Part 2) The kingdom is shared between the elder sisters. Lear lives with Goneril who treats him badly

(humiliates him). Then he lives with Regan but he is treated in the same way.

The King leaves with his Fool and Kent. A storm occurs. They meet Edgar,posing as a mad beggar.

Plot

Sub-plot: (part 2) Gloucester confides to Edmund news of a

movement to restore Lear to the throne Edmund betrays his father to Regan and Cornwall Gloucester is blinded and chased away.

Plot

Cornwall is killed by a horrified servant. Edgar meets his father (without discovering his tr

ue identity) Goneril falls in love with Edmund and gets rid of

her husband. Lear is led to Dover by Kent to join Cordelia and

the French forces. Cordelia finds Lear and makes every effort to nu

rse him back to health and sanity

Plot

Edgar saves his father from attempted suicide and from a murderous onslaught by Oswald,Goneril’s steward.Then he discovers a letter Goneril has written to Edmund

Edgar reveals the letter he found. In it,Edmund’s plans are revealed – no matter which sister he marrieds,Albany,Lear and Cordelia must be disposed of.

Plot

The French forces are defeated.Lear and Cordelia are taken as prisoners and Edmund wants them executed.

Goneril poisons Regan. Edmund engages in a combat with Edgard. Edmund receives a mortal wound Goneril kills herself. Edmund tries to rescind the order of

execution,but it’s too late. Lear enters with Cordelia’s body in his arms The kingdom is turned over to Edmund.

Created by: -Zdravko Botushanov -Vladislav Antov