Overviews the textual history and intellectual background of the play, analyzes its issues and themes, summarizes its critical and scholarly reception, and discusses its production history.
Original essays in this volume begin with a treatment of the historical background of Shakespeare's play, beginning with its first performances and possible audience reactions. Another offer a close reading of several key passages in King Lear, with an eye to the differences between the first published version and the revisions found in the Folio version of 1623. Two other new essays discuss the ways in which audiences and critics have respond...
Topics in this collection include discussions of acting the 'Big Four, ' as well as studies on politics, language, and history. Contributors include Bernice Kliman, Gnter Walch, Lois Potter, and Dunbar Ogden.Shakespearean Illuminations
