.

He (1564-1616) was an English poet, playwright,

and actor, often called England's national poet,
widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English
language and the world's greatest dramatist. His
extant works, including collaborations, consist of
some 39 plays, 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.
Shakespeare produced most of his known works
between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were
primarily comedies and histories and are regarded
as some of the best work produced in these genres. Until about 1608, he wrote
mainly tragedies, among them Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, all considered
to be among the finest works in the English language. In the last phase of his life, he
wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights.
Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, Shakespeare's works have been continually
adapted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance. His plays
remain popular and are studied, performed, and reinterpreted through various cultural and
political contexts around the world.
Old English and Modern English have a lot of differences. In poetry, the word order often changes. The
reason for this is to keep the rhythm or the rhyme, or to emphasize important words. Here, there is a chart
with some archaic words translated into modern English, to have a better understanding in the reading.

Old English Modern English

Thou/Thee You
Thy/Thine Your/yours
Thou madest You made
Thou art You are
Thou wast You were
Ta’en Taken
E’en Even
Do’t Do it
Tis It is
Isle Island
 King Lear Goneril & Regan Cordelia Fool

Earl of Gloucester Edgar & Edmund Earl of Kent

King Lear announces his intentions to divide his kingdom into three and ask which of his daughters
loves him most. He banishes Cordelia and splits his land between his two other daughters.
-King Lear: “Tell me, my daughters, — since now we will divest us both of rule, Interest of
territory, cares of state, — which of you shall we say doth love us most…”, “what can you say to
draw a third more opulent than your sisters? Speak.”
-Cordelia: “Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth: I love your majesty
According to my bond; nor more nor less...” (Pp. 7 – 9).
This work takes place in the Medieval Great Britain in the 12th century, when the kings had deer and the
people had to pay tribute and obedience to the king. The territory was divided into counties, ruled by
counts and dukes.
King Lear decides to leave his two daughters (Goneril and Regan) due to their abusive behavior, and
roam aimlessly under a terrible storm, in Kent’s company. Later, they find a refuge.
King Lear suffers because of his wrong decisions and wish he had taken a better decision.
-King Lear: “In such a night as this! O Regan, Goneril! Your old kind father, whose frank heart gave
all, — O, that way madness lies…” (Page 89).

Gloucester is accused of treachery for having sent Lear to Dover to meet Cordelia's army. His eyes are
pulled out and he is thrown out of his home unattended.
-Cornwall: “Leave him to my displeasure. Edmund, keep you our sister company: the revenges we are
bound to take upon your traitorous father are not fit for your beholding…”
… Cornwall: “See’t shalt thou never. Fellows, hold the chair. Upon these eyes of thine I’ll set my foot”.
-Gloucester: “He that will think to live till he be old, Give me some help! O cruel! O you gods!” (Pp.
106, 110)
Cordelia searches for his father because she and her army hear news of the mad king and set out to find
him.
Lear and Cordelia are reunited, the king recovers his wits, and is reconciled with Cordelia.
-Cordelia: “O my dear father! Restoration hang Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kiss Repair those
violent harms that my two sisters have in thy reverence made!” …
King Lear: “For, as I am a man, I think this lady to be my child Cordelia.”
-Cordelia: “And so I am, Iam.” (Pp. 148, 150)
Edmund reveals that he has seduced both sisters and that he intends to kill both Lear and Cordelia.
Cordelia’s army loses and both she and Lear are sent to prison. Edmond's plotting is exposed and he is
killed by Edgar in a duel. Goneril kills herself after poisoning Regan. Cordelia is hanged on Edmund's
instructions. Lear dies of grief when he learns that both Gloucester and the Fool are also dead.
-Edmund: “He hath commission from thy wife and me to hang Cordelia in the prison, and to lay the
blame upon her own despair, that she fordid herself…”
-King Lear: … “She’s gone for ever! I know when one is dead, and when one lives; She’s dead as earth.
Lend me a looking-glass… I might have saved her; now she’s gone for ever! Cordelia, Cordelia! stay a
little. Ha!” … (Pp. 172, 173)
William Shakespeare teaches us with this magnificent work that power is something that comes and goes.
There are many people who do whatever it takes to get what they want regardless of who gets hurt. It
also shows us that greed and envy do a lot of damage because it only leads the person to madness which
creates the desire to obtain much more power and material things. On the other hand, this work tells us
the value and importance of real love, because it involves honesty, loyalty and lack of interest in material
things like money.
I chose this tragedy because it seemed interesting to me and because I have not read it before. Honestly
I really like it because you get involved in the plot easily, and a lot of the events cause impression on
you. Personally, my favorite character is Cordelia, because she is honest and wants his father because he
is her father, not because he has power, money and luxury. For this reason, I think that the most important
part is when the eldest sisters of Cordelia (Goneril and Regan) mistreat her father and he decides to leave
them, because in this way the king Lear realizes of the serious mistake he has make when he decided to
give all the power to his eldest daughters.
I really enjoy reading a work written by Shakespeare because it was interesting and entertainment, in
spite of reading strange contractions, words or sentences. The latter was the most difficult part of reading
a Shakespeare’s work.
 Calhoun, V. (2013). 13 centuries of literature in English. UNACH.
 Hinton, P. (2008). William Shakespeare: an overview of his life, times, and work. National
arts centre. Recovered from
http://artsalive.ca/pdf/eth/activities/shakespeare_overview.pdf
 https://dictionary.cambridge.org/es/diccionario/ingles-espanol/
 https://miradetodo.co/king-lear-2018-720p-hd/
 https://www.wordreference.com/
 Ibarrola, B. (2019). Classroom notes and readings about Shakespeare. UNACH.
 Shakespeare, W. (1997). The tragedy of King Lear. The Pennsylvania State University.
Recovered from https://www.ucm.es/data/cont/docs/119-2014-02-19-
6.%20King%20Lear.pdf
https://www.rsc.org.uk/king-lear/about-the-play/key-moments-and-facts
http://resumiendolo.com/c-tragedia/el-rey-lear/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Lear