King Lear A Guide to the Play

In its timeless exploration of familial and political dissolution, and in its relentless questioning of the apparent moral indifference of the universe, King Lear is Shakespeare's darkest tragedy. It is also one of his most timely, for many of the issues it raises resonate loudly within our own era. This reference lucidly overviews King Lear's textual history and intellectual background, its issues and themes, its scholarly and critical reception, and its life in several different productions.