King Lear is one of Shakespeare’s most notable and tolerable works. Despite how it seems, I actually say the latter part with good intent; remaining easy for modern audiences to follow, even after centuries of cultural and lingual change.
The story of King Lear is one of corruption, loyalty, and good versus evil. After the elderly king decides to split his kingdom amongst his three daughters, a chain of events is set in motion that seeks to threaten Lear and his once unified kingdom.
Almost every character plays a role in the kingdom’s fate — especially Lear, his three daughters, as well as his loyal servant’s two sons. Lear embodies ignorance, whereas these five characters each convey a near-binary morality. As a general rule, it seems the good or loyal characters are the ones who suffer more throughout the story, but press onwards through their determination and loyalty to their ideals and family.
Despite not being an overly long play, Shakespeare does manage to cover a lot of ground within this performance. Jumping from slightly comedic scenes that follow a bumbling, dethroned and his meandering posse, to covering various dramatic elements like affairs, secret identities, undying loyalty, injustice, greed, and righting wrongs. It is more fast-paced than one may initially take it to be.
King Lear, through its comedic edge, dramatic peaks, and sad undertones, becomes a fascinating play to observe and dissect. Having studied it for months, I can admit that I was not keen on the play, but learned to appreciate it over the course of the academic year and now recall it well.
Whilst much superior when performed, the printed script can still result in a compelling read as it lays out a winding tale of betrayal, karma, and regret. Most definitely my favourite of Shakespeare’s library, and a solid recommendation from me.
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