Rating: 
Summary: Nothing will come of nothing
Review: "Nothing will come of nothing" the fatal line Lear utters to Cordelia sums up the entire play. The wizened king believes he is urging Cordelia not to refrain from expressing her love for him when in fact he is unwittingly prompting her to use the same insincere flattery as her sisters. When Cordelia refuses to acquiesce to Lear's wishes, he banishes her from the kingdom and divides it among her nefarious sisters Goneril and Reagan. In doing this Lear accepts their empty flattery instead of Cordelia's austere profession of paternal love. Goneril and Reagan quickly betray Lear and then turn against each other. Thus Lear's preference for empty flattery (nothing) destroys his authority and embroils his kingdom in civil strife (generates nothing).This theme runs like a thread through other parts of the play. Gloucester's blindness toward the nature of his sons results in his literal blindness later in the play. Metaphorical blindness generates physical blindness (nothing comes of nothing). Similarly, after Edgar is banished he avoids further harm by shedding his identity and disguising himself as a vagrant. In the new order of things eliminating one's status results in no harm (another version of nothing coming from nothing). The motif of nothing coming from nothing has psychological and political ramifications for the play. From a psychological point of view Lear fails to realize that the type of adulating love he wants from Cordelia no longer exists because Cordelia is no longer a child. Her refusal to flatter Lear is, in a sense, an act of adolescent rebellion. Lear's failure to recognize the fact that Cordelia still loves him but not with the totality of a child proves to be his undoing. From a political point of view the fact that Lear divides his kingdom on the basis of protocol (who is the most flattering) instead of reality (whose words can he really trust) also proves to be his undoing. The fact that Lear sees what he wants to see instead of what he should see is the fulcrum of destruction throughout the play. It is interesting to note that "King Lear" was staged barely one generation after England endured a bitter war of succession (The War of the Roses). The sight of Lear proclaiming his intention to divide his kingdom must have shocked contemporary audiences in the same manner that a play about appeasing fascists might disturb us today.
Rating:
Summary: A father's folly and a daugther's devotion
Review: After you begin to read a few of Shakespeare's plays in their original language you begin to develop an understanding of the structure of the language and the expressions used in that time. The trick I believe is to persevere; like any good thing, once you have mastered it, you begin to feel a sense of accomplishment. This greatly enhances your enjoyment of the plays. King Lear is a play about honoring one's parents, a very relevant lesson for those of us in the modern world. As with many of Shakespeare's other plays, the language may be old but the lessons are still as relevant as ever. Lear, the King of England gives his blessing and lands to two of his daughters based on their outward show of affection for him, while neglecting his third; Cordelia, because she would rather show her love than make an outward display " my love's more richer than my tongue". It turns out that her two daughters deeds are contrary to their words and the rest of the play deals with Lear almost going mad at the ingratitude and lack of respect shown to him by his two daughters. There is another subplot with the earl of Gloucester being deceived by his illegitimate son into wanting to kill his other son, Edgar. The story unfolds with two of these men, Lear and Gloucester being mistreated by their children who outwardly show love but inwardly have cold and calculating hearts. As with other tragedies, there must be deaths and disappointment, and King Lear is full of them. Unlike Othello however, King Lear does not have a very depressing ending and there is a feeling that everything will be alright, life goes on in other words. I have tried to outline very briefly what this play is about and hopefully have shown a little of what is inside this very rich play. I would recommend King Lear to anyone wanting to read Shakespeare, I would also recommend you read it in the original language because even though it may be more difficult to comprehend, the language is richer and you will be reading Shakespeare and not some modern editor's idea of him.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Macbeth
Review: Average, mediocre play. Boring, tedious, and grim plot, with an unoriginal cast of characters. I don't really recommed it.
Rating:
Summary: Another Macbeth
Review: Average, mediocre play. Boring, tedious, and grim plot, with an unoriginal cast of characters. I don't really recommed it.
Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding play
Review: Before this year, I hated shakespeare. However, this play is willing to give the nonbelievers a run for their money.
The play begins with the old King Lear dividing up his kingdom between his three daughters. However, angered by the daughter that truly loves him, he expels her and gives all the land to the other two sisters.
The play is driven by these two sisters actions to slowly erode Lear of all his power. Shakespeare does a great job of developing Lear who initially appears to be a self centered snot and eventually becomes a character that all can sympathize with. He like many of the characters in this play, are given depe emotions and all appear realistic.
A secondary plot acts as a foil to the main action as the character of Gloucester is led to believe that one of his sons is secretly acting to betray him. This back story complements the main story nicely and is told well.
Combined, the two plots make a remarkable story. While it is often hard to follow if you aren't used to the older English, it is still worth a read. I'd recommend it to anyone alongside Macbeth.
Rating:
Summary: My father the king, and Lear the father
Review: I came to Lear later than I came to Hamlet. And yet it too seemed to me to rage in connection with my own father's light. It too seemed to interpret and be interpreted by him. Lear in his great pain driven to madness by grief was like my father a great king wounded into screaming by life. The Lear story , the three daughters , ungrateful Goneril and Regan, and lovely Cordelia true to her troth , loving with the mean and proportion a daughter's love required- that story and the father's dispossession and madness and grief and reconnection with the loving daughter and her death and his grief breaking into madness- that story the story of the tragedy itself- as too the secondary plot with there too a father misapprehending the virtue of one child, and being deceived by another- that plot and the heart of the Lear story did not speak to me at the time. No , just Lear poor bare forked unencumbered man himself this spoke to me .For again in the great language of grief and madness came those metaphors which likened themselves to the kind of thing we heard every night from my father around the kitchen table. So I did not then read Lear truly and wholly, but rather took for myself some part of it which connected with my life.
A great work of art is not simply all the readings made of it, and not even all the misreadings made of it, but all the truth it reveals and inspires in us. Again it told my father's story and suggested that story greater than any Literature could perhaps be Literature one day.
And this without Cordelia's death and without ' Never, never, never , never, never. Why should a horse a rat have life and her no breath at all? With only a different cry and one for us anyway more painful still ' No, a thousand times no '
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Summary: King Lear as read by a Teenager
Review: I just want to say to all the teenagers out there who think Shakespeare is this old fart who only dinosaurs like ... YOU'RE MISSING OUT ON THE BEST THING EVER. I read "King Lear" as dubiously as a regular teenager - and I ended up shouting out loud in horror at some of the bits in it - there is some sick sick sick cool cool cool stuff in there. (If you really hate it, then just read the final scene of Act 3 - it's as brutal as any horror movie!!!!!!!!!!)
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Summary: A Play that runs the gamut of human emotion.
Review: I love the story of King Lear. The theme of the play is filial ingratitude, and this is portrayed as two parallel stories. The play is actually a parable. It is also a great acting play, and though it's difficult to stage, an actor only in the prime of his career is considered equal to the task of portraying Lear. Lear is a very complex part. He is obstinate, arrogant and hot-tempered at first. When his favourite daughter refuses to treat him in the way he thinks he should be treated he casts her off, and then Lear suffers physical and emotional suffering. He begins a descent into madness. Then from this pit he rediscovers love and tenderness when he is finally reunited with his favourite daughter. So many emotions to portray! No wonder it takes such skill to play this part! Truly a masterpiece!
Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare at his best
Review: King Lear was written at Shakespeare's most prolific period, a time in which he rapidly composed Hamlest, Othello, and Macbeth. I believe, without a moments hesitation, that King Lear is his greatest work, and probably the greatest play ever written. The plot moves quickly with excitement and action. The central themes of the play (among which are abandonment, unconditional love, and self-realization) are some of the most serious and important aspects of human nature. The play brings up many important quiestions: Why should we forgive others? Can we ever trust someone? All of these areanswered in this play. I recently saw a professional production of the play, and found myself quickly moving from emotions of fear, to laughing, to wrath, and at the climactic end of the play, breaking down into tears, having been drained by the plays rapid motion and tension. This play will live with me forever.
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Summary: Shakespeare's tale of trust gone bad...
Review: One of literature's classic dysfunctional families shows itself in King Lear by William Shakespeare. King Lear implicity trusts his three daughters, Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia, but when the third wishes to marry for love rather than money, he banishes her. The two elder ones never felt Lear as a father; they simply did his bidding in an attempt to win his favor to get the kingdom upon his death. Cordelia, on the other hand, always cared for him, but tried to be honest, doing what she felt was right. As Lear realizes this through one betrayal after another, he loses his kingdom -- and what's more, his sanity... The New Folger Library edition has to be among the best representations of Shakespeare I've seen. The text is printed as it should be on the right page of each two-page set, while footnotes, translations, and explanations are on the left page. Also, many drawings and illustrations from other period books help the reader to understand exactly what is meant with each word and hidden between each line.
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