King Lear

From the Royal Shakespeare Company - a modern, definitive edition of Shakespeare's bleakest and most profound tragedy. With an expert introduction by Sir Jonathan Bate, this unique edition presents a historical overview of King Lear in performance, takes a detailed look at specific productions, and recommends film versions. Included in this edition are interviews with three leading directors - Adrian Noble, Deborah Warner and Trevor Nunn - providing an illuminating insight into the extraordinary variety of interpretations that are possible. This edition also includes an essay on Shakespeare's career and Elizabethan theatre, and enables the reader to understand the play as it was originally intended - as living theatre to be enjoyed and performed.
Ideal for students, theatre-goers, actors and general readers, the RSC Shakespeare editions offer a fresh, accessible and contemporary approach to reading and rediscovering Shakespeare's works for the twenty-first century.

Introduction.- About the Text .- Key Facts.- The Tragedy of King Lear .- Textual Notes.- Quarto Passages that do not Appear in the Folio.- Scene-by-scene Analysis.- King Lear in Performance: The RSC and Beyond.- Four Centuries of King Lear: An Overview.- At the RSC.- The Director's Cut: Interviews with Adrian Noble, Trevor Nunn and Deborah Warner.- Shakespeare's Career in the Theatre.- Shakespeare's Works: A Chronology.- Further Reading and Viewing.- Acknowledgements and Picture Credits