16th-century 17c 17th-century academic betrayal brit-lit britain british british-drama british-lit british-literature classic classic-literature classics college criticism drama early-modern elizabethan england english english-literature families family fiction graphic-novel high-school history insanity king-lear literary-criticism literature madness play plays poetry renaissance royalty school script theater theatre tragedies tragedy verse

In the CliffsComplete guides, the play's complete text and a glossary appear side-by-side with coordinating numbered lines to help you understand unusual words and phrasing. You'll also find all the commentary and resources of a standard CliffsNotes for Literature.

In this tragic play, Lear, a ruler in pre-Christian Britain, is described as a "very foolish old man." Grossly misjudging his daughters, he endures a harrowing experience and emerges as a man "more sinned against than sinning." This most tragic of Shakespearean plays speaks to us repeatedly about fate and chance, destiny and the gods. But we also are reminded that humanity has free will  and King Lear's choices lead to madness.

Enhance your reading of King Lear and save valuable studying time  all at once  with CliffsComplete King Lear. Studying is easier with features that include

• Shakespeare's original play
• Notes and definitions that appear directly opposite the line in which they occur
• A summary and insightful commentary for each scene
• Bibliography and historical background on the playwright, William Shakespeare
• A look at the historical context and structure of the play
• Discussions on the play's symbols and themes
• A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters
• Review questions, a quiz, discussion topics (essay questions), activity ideas
• A Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Internet sites

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