Key Facts about King Lear
Publication and Historical Context
- First performed in 1606 during the reign of King James I
- Published in two distinct versions:
- The First Quarto (1608) - known as "The True Chronicle Historie of the Life and Death of King Lear"
- The First Folio (1623) - with significant textual differences
The existence of two versions has led to much scholarly debate, with modern editions often combining elements from both texts.
Source Material
- Based primarily on the legend of Leir of Britain from Geoffrey of Monmouth's "Historia Regum Britanniae"
- Shakespeare also drew from Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" and an anonymous play "The True Chronicle History of King Leir" (1594)
Setting
- Set in ancient Britain, approximately 800 BCE
- Takes place across various locations:
- Lear's palace
- Gloucester's castle
- The heath
- Dover
The setting moves from civilized courts to wild nature, mirroring Lear's descent from order into chaos.
Structure and Form
- Five acts following classical dramatic structure
- Written primarily in blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter)
- Contains both prose and verse, with prose often used for:
- The Fool's speeches
- Mad scenes
- Characters of lower social status
Major Themes
- Power and authority
- Family relationships (particularly father-child)
