Unit 2 KING LEAR
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616)
There are no records of William’s education, but he probably went to King’s New School – a
reputable Stratford grammar school where he would have learned Latin, Greek, theology and
rhetoric – and may have had a Catholic upbringing. He may also have seen plays by the
travelling theatre groups touring Stratford in the 1560s and 70s.
Works:
- Comedies: The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado about Nothing
-Tragedies: Hamlet, King Lear, Othello.
-History plays: Richard III
- Poems: Sonnets in 1609
Was Shakespeare successful in his time?
By 1592, Shakespeare was well-known enough as a writer and actor. His plays were successful.
Shakespeare’s success grew through the 1590s. He joined and became a shareholder of
the Lord Chamberlain’s Men who performed before Queen Elizabeth on numerous
occasions.
Where were Shakespeare’s plays performed?
In 1599, Shakespeare’s company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men took up residence in the
newly built Globe.
After Queen Elizabeth death in 1603, under the reign of James I the company of The Lord
Chamberlain’s Men would now be the King’s Men. This patronage was a huge coup
for the troupe, but Shakespeare was by no means a puppet playwright and he continued to
write plays that posed difficult questions about kingship.
In 1608, the company took on a more expensive theatre at Blackfriars, with a more elite
audience.
KING LEAR: staged almost simultaneously with Volpone. First performed in 1606.
The play charts Lear’s descent into madness after Goneril and Regan strip him of his retinue
and cast him out from their homes. The play also follows the fortunes of the courtier
Gloucester and the evil plots of his illegitimate son, Edmund.
Themes and motifs:
Madmen and Fools: The theme of madness recurs throughout the play in many forms . The
madness Lear suffers is caused by his grief and disillusionment and is characterized by a lack of
harmony with himself and the world around him. The assumed madness of the Fool and Edgar
