King Lear

Detailed Summary & Analysis

Act 1, scene 1 Act 1, scene 2 Act 1, scene 3 Act 1, scene 4 Act 1, scene 5 Act 2, scene 1 Act 2, scene 2 Act 2, scene 3 Act 2, scene 4 Act 3, scene 1 Act 3, scene 2 Act 3, scene 3 Act 3, scene 4 Act 3, scene 5 Act 3, scene 6 Act 3, scene 7 Act 4, scene 1 Act 4, scene 2 Act 4, scene 3 Act 4, scene 4 Act 4, scene 5 Act 4, scene 6 Act 4, scene 7 Act 5, scene 1 Act 5, scene 2 Act 5, scene 3

Themes

All Themes Fathers, Children, and Siblings Authority and Order Disintegration, Chaos, Nothingness Old Age Fooling and Madness Blindness and Insight

Quotes

Characters

All Characters King Lear Cordelia Goneril Edmund Edgar Kent Fool Albany France

Symbols

All Symbols The Stars, Heavens, and the Gods Animals Clothing and Costumes

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Shakespeare Translations

King Lear

William Shakespeare

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Introduction

Plot Summary

Detailed Summary
& Analysis

Act 1, scene 1
Act 1, scene 2
Act 1, scene 3
Act 1, scene 4
Act 1, scene 5
Act 2, scene 1
Act 2, scene 2
Act 2, scene 3
Act 2, scene 4
Act 3, scene 1
Act 3, scene 2
Act 3, scene 3
Act 3, scene 4
Act 3, scene 5
Act 3, scene 6
Act 3, scene 7
Act 4, scene 1
Act 4, scene 2
Act 4, scene 3
Act 4, scene 4
Act 4, scene 5
Act 4, scene 6
Act 4, scene 7
Act 5, scene 1
Act 5, scene 2
Act 5, scene 3

Themes

All Themes
Fathers, Children, and Siblings
Authority and Order
Disintegration, Chaos, Nothingness
Old Age
Fooling and Madness
Blindness and Insight

Quotes

Characters

All Characters
King Lear
Cordelia
Goneril
Edmund
Edgar
Kent
Fool
Albany
France

Symbols

All Symbols
The Stars, Heavens, and the Gods
Animals
Clothing and Costumes

Theme Wheel

King Lear Study Guide

New! Understand every line of King Lear.

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It's easy to cite LitCharts for use in academic papers and reports.

MLA

Weigel, Moira. "King Lear." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 22 Jul 2013. Web. 21 Feb 2020.

Chicago

Weigel, Moira. "King Lear." LitCharts LLC, July 22, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2020. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/king-lear.

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King Lear in Plain English

The LitCharts Shakespeare translation of King Lear

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