
King Lear
- Reading level
- Easy
- Price
- Free
About the book
"King Lear" by William Shakespeare is a tragedy written in late 1605 or early 1606. Set in pre-Roman Britain, the play follows King Lear's catastrophic decision to divide his kingdom among his three daughters based on their declarations of love. When his youngest daughter speaks honestly rather than flatteringly, Lear disowns her, triggering a chain of betrayals, madness, and destruction. Known for its dark tone and themes of blindness and madness, the play is regarded as one of literature's greatest achievements.
- Tragedies (Drama)
- Fathers and daughters
- Inheritance and succession
- Lear, King (Legendary character)
- Britons
- Kings and rulers
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #1532. King Lear on Wikipedia.
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The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
Love's Labour's Lost
As You Like It
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare's Sonnets
The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 8 of 9]
Hamlet
The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 3 of 9]
The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 7 of 9]
Macbeth
The Tempest






![Cover of The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 8 of 9]](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/49008/pg49008.cover.medium.jpg)

![Cover of The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 3 of 9]](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/50559/pg50559.cover.medium.jpg)
![Cover of The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 7 of 9]](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/47715/pg47715.cover.medium.jpg)

