King Lear

by William Shakespeare
King Lear cover
Good Books rating 4.36
Drama
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  • ID: 2409
  • Added: 2025-10-13
  • Updated: 2025-11-29
  • Published: 1868-01-01
  • Formats: 34
  • Reviews: 4

King Lear is a timeless tragedy by William Shakespeare that delves into the complexities of family dynamics, power, and human nature. The story follows the aging King Lear as he decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters based on their declarations of love for him, leading to a series of betrayals and tragic consequences. The play is renowned for its profound exploration of themes such as madness, justice, and the fragility of human relationships. Shakespeare's masterful use of language and character development makes King Lear a cornerstone of English literature, offering a powerful critique of societal norms and the human condition.

Reviews
Regal Reads · 2019-08-07
profound 4.75

King Lear explores complex familial relationships, loyalty, love, and trust. It is one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies.

The reviewer highlights King Lear as one of Shakespeare's big four tragedies, focusing on the intricate dynamics of familial relationships, loyalty, love, and trust. The play's depth and complexity make it a profound exploration of human nature. The reviewer appreciates the way Shakespeare weaves these themes together to create a powerful and thought-provoking narrative. The play's emotional resonance and thematic richness make it a timeless classic.

Quick quotes

    It's one of Shakespeare's big four tragedies, and it revolves around the complexity of familial relationships, loyalty, love, and trust.

    The play is a profound exploration of human nature and the intricacies of relationships.

    King Lear is a timeless classic that continues to resonate with audiences today.

The Melodramatic Bookworm · 2017-04-05
heartbreaking 4.50

The emotional depth of King Lear is profound, making it a heartbreaking yet challenging read. The loss of the King is particularly poignant and difficult to comprehend.

The reviewer finds King Lear to be an incredibly moving and emotionally intense play. They highlight the profound sense of loss and the complexity of the King's character, which makes his downfall particularly heartbreaking. The sheer magnitude of the emotions portrayed is arduous to read, making it a challenging yet rewarding experience. The reviewer appreciates the depth of the tragedy and the way it explores themes of love, loyalty, and the human condition.

Quick quotes

    The biggest loss is of the King, whose loss is more than anyone can comprehend.

    It's heartbreaking while being arduous to read.

    It took me a while to process the sheer magnitude of the tragedy.

Patrick Treardon · 2016-07-26
profound 4.20

King Lear is a profound exploration of loyalty, disloyalty, and the complexities of familial relationships. The play delves into themes of wisdom and madness.

The reviewer finds King Lear to be a deeply insightful play that explores the intricacies of loyalty and disloyalty within familial relationships. They appreciate the play's exploration of wisdom and madness, finding these themes to be particularly compelling. The reviewer notes that the play's complexity makes it a rich and thought-provoking read, highlighting the many layers of human emotion and behavior.

Quick quotes

    This is a play about loyalty and disloyalty, about parents and children, about wisdom and foolishness, and about the many forms of madness.

    The play's exploration of these themes is both profound and thought-provoking.

    King Lear is a rich and complex exploration of human relationships and the consequences of our actions.

Nut Free Nerd · 2015-09-21
enjoyable 4.00

King Lear is a tragedy worth reading for its irony, drama, and climactic ending. The reviewer enjoyed it more than other Shakespearean works.

The reviewer appreciates King Lear for its rich irony and dramatic elements, finding it more engaging than other works by Shakespeare. They particularly enjoy the play's climactic ending, which they find satisfying and impactful. The reviewer suggests that the play's exploration of complex relationships and the consequences of actions makes it a compelling read.

Quick quotes

    Overall, King Lear is a tragedy well worth reading for its irony, drama, and climactic ending.

    I enjoyed it much more than Shakespeare's works that I've read in the past.

    The play's exploration of complex relationships and the consequences of actions is compelling.

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