king Lear

I. About the Novel

King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It depicts the gradual descent into madness of the title character, after he disposes of his kingdom giving bequests to two of his three daughters based on their flattery of him, bringing tragic consequences for all. Derived from the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological pre-Roman Celtic king, the play has been widely adapted for the stage and motion pictures, with the title role coveted by many of the world's most accomplished actors.
Originally drafted in 1605 or 1606 at the latest, with its first known performance on St. Stephen's Day in 1606, the first attribution to Shakespeare was a 1608 publication in a quarto of uncertain provenance; it may be an early draft or simply reflect the first performance text. The Tragedy of King Lear, a more theatrical revision, was included in the 1623 First Folio. Modern editors usually conflate the two, though some insist that each version has its own individual integrity that should be preserved.
After the English Restoration, the play was often revised with a happy, non-tragic ending for audiences who disliked its dark and depressing tone, but since the 19th century Shakespeare's original version has been regarded as one of his supreme achievements. The tragedy is particularly noted for its probing observations on the nature of human suffering and kinship. George Bernard Shaw wrote, "No man will ever write a better tragedy than Lear

Works Cited （参考文献）

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Lear

II. Versions of the Novel in the Mass Media

King Lear has been performed by esteemed actors since the 17th Century when men played all the roles. From the 20th Century, a number of women have played male roles in the play; most commonly the Fool, who has been played (among others) by Judy Davis, Emma Thompson and Robyn Nevin. Lear himself has been played by Marianne Hoppe in 1990 and by Kathryn Hunter in 1996-7.^[30] Marcia Gay Harden plays Lear in the few scenes of the play-within-the-film If I Were You.

Works Cited （参考文献）

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Lear

III. About the Author

William Shakespeare (/ˈʃeɪkspɪər/;^[1] 26 April 1564 (baptised) – 23 April 1616)^{[nb 1]} was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.^[2] He is often called England's national poet, and the "Bard of Avon".^{[3][nb 2]} His extant works, including collaborations, consist of approximately 38 plays,^{[nb 3]} 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.^[4]
Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613, at age 49, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive, which has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, sexuality, and religious beliefs, and whether the works attributed to him were written by others.^[5]
Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613.^{[6][nb 4]} His early plays were primarily comedies and histories, and these are regarded as some of the best work ever produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language.^[2] In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights.
Many of his plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. In 1623, however, John Heminges and Henry Condell, two friends and fellow actors of Shakespeare, published a more definitive text known as the First Folio, a posthumous collected edition of his dramatic works that included all but two of the plays now recognised as Shakespeare's.^[7] It was prefaced with a poem by Ben Jonson, in which Shakespeare is hailed, presciently, as "not of an age, but for all time".^[7]
In the 20th and 21st centuries, his works have been repeatedly adapted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance. His plays remain highly popular, and are constantly studied, performed, and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world.

IV. My Reaction

A. Reaction Point - recognition

• Find out newly that it wasn't understood so far.
• King Lear notices the true character and love of his daughter.
• Earl of Gloucester notices son's betrayal.

B. Reaction Point - main character

• King Lear-The stupid man who dosen't know the true character of his daugter.
• Goneril&Regan-His terrible daugter who betrays him.
• Cordelia-His obedient end daughter.
• Earl of Gloucester-The syupid man who falls into son's plan.
• Edgar-His ideal son who respacts his father.
• Edmund-His cowarldy son who tricks his father and elder brother.

C. Reaction Point - situation

• Ancient Britten country

D. My General Opinion
It's very painful that this book is made Shakespeare's four big tragedy, Ithougt how to end was done.
Person's various sentiment was written small, and I knew fearfulness of the person.
Interest was excited about four mercy of Buudha playwriting items by reading this book.