Rating: 
Summary: Thou Shalt Honor Thy Parents
Review: I resent Shakespheare less now that I can read him in modern language. I wish I had known about parallel texts in college; I would have made a better grade and wouldn't have to struggle with the footnotes trying to understand the Elizabethan language, which always gives me a headache. Even the productions of the plays get on my nerves; a lot of mouths with British accents going a mile a minute about I don't know what. Shakespheare is very talky. I simply walked out on one of Kenneth Branaugh's films of Shakespheare.But desiring to become more cultured, I have always wanted to "conquer" Shakespheare, not so much because I liked him but because he was important. This version of King Lear is quite understandable in the modern language and I even read the original text to become more familiar with the older language. After a couple reads I had the plot and characters down and the book is helpful with its suggestions of where the characters are going, or what they're holding, or how they are saying a certain thing, or what letter they are refering to, which isn't listed in the original and causes you to miss the meaning. As for the play itself, King Lear is a vain old man who falls for the flattery of two of his daughters Regan and Goneril, who prove false and he scorns and disinherits the third daughter, Cordelia, who will not flatter him, but only says that taking care of him and honoring him is merely her duty. Appearances are not what they seem; who acts noble is often scorned for being honest and truthful and those who are ignoble may act noble at times but ultimately are not. Even the king is not noble in his wanting to be flattered while his fool says many wise things about the king being a fool. All of nature is in discord as King Lear descends from his vaunted heights to become a homeless man thrown out into a terrible storm by his false daughters, Regan and Goneril, who unnaturally betray their progenitor and benefactor once he has given away his inheritance. The play gives insight into how children may act when it comes time to receive their inheritance. And in the case of Generil, there is some gender bending, in which she seems to be more strong and aggressive than her husband, Albany, who sees her husband as a prig and a wimp. Or you could say that this is just traditional female conniving in case of Regan and Goneril. There is a subplot that has similar themes regarding which child is true or false to their father. The Earl of Gloucester has two sons one the "bastard" Edmund who tries to usurp the inheritance of the legitimate son Edgar. Edmund acts as if Edgar is going to betray Gloucester and tells his father so, but actually Edmund is the one who will betray them both and will attempt to marry either Regan or Goneril who are already married to secure his pre-eminence of position. As usual in Shakespheare, the "bastard" is evil and ignoble whose pretense of nobility is a sham. Edgar goes in disguise as a lowly beggar who ultimately proves that he is noble even though he is not well-dressed. Another character, the earl of Kent, also goes in disguise as a lowly servant and proves true to King Lear, even though Lear banished him for siding with the noble daughter Cordelia. Oswald is an unfaithful servant to the king and makes an allegance with the false daughters to better his position. Shakespheare moralistically explores noble virtues and he seems old-fashioned since our modern plays are much more morally ambivalent-- because we're immoral modern degenerates, I guess.
Rating: 
Summary: Better audio version is available
Review: I won't review Shakespeare or King Lear but instead focus on the quality of this audio production. I am familiar with the BBC version of Lear, with Sir John Gielgud as Lear and Kenneth Branagh as Kent. I prefer the BBC version of King Lear to the Caedmon version. For example, the clown in the BBC version is an older man, poignant and fascinating, while the clown in the Caedmon production is a young man, shrill and annoying. The Caedmon Audio Skakespeare series is a great resource but has occasional flaws. Their production of Lear is an example.
Rating:
Summary: Overlong, but Suspenseful and Wonderfully Nasty
Review: I'm sorry to say that of Shakespeare's four main tragedies (Lear, Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth) I think I like this one least. Othello has such suspense, and plays with the idea of fate controlling our every moves. MacBeth is the dark play that deals with our fears and our primal ids. Hamlet is the supreme story that sums up all of life's ups and downs. And Lear, well...Lear is about relationships. It's best scenes involve communication between two souls, or lack thereof (though Gloucester's blinding scene is quite dramatic). Sadly, Lear is just too long for my liking, and I longed to hear more from the daughters--Regan and Goneril are so nasty you love to hate them, and Cordelia is so gentle that you love to love her. I must say that this is a wonderful play, filled with action and double-crossing, sure to satisfy.
Rating:
Summary: Not at All Lacking in Blood and Gore
Review: It's a shame Shakespeare has such a bad rap among young adults. The same people who play violent video games and listen to violent music would love this play(I know, I know, I'm stereotyping, but more young adults do this than seventy-year-olds). In King Lear, people's eyes are gouged out and other people are impaled on swords. At the beginning, King Lear decides to step down from the throne and divide the kingdom amongst his three daughters, Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. First, he asks each of them how much she loves him. Goneril and Regan suck up grandly to their father, but Cordelia says that her love cannot be described, and says nothing. King Lear disowns Cordelia, who then flees to the king of France, who says that, despite the fact that she is disowned, he wants to marry her. As soon as Cordelia leaves, Goneril and Regan betray their father, who leaves, saddened that the two daughters he thought loved him turned against him. Meanwhile, the Earl of Gloucester is also tricked by his "bad" son Edmund into thinking that his "good" son Edgar is "bad", and Gloucester tries to kill Edgar. Eventually, Edgar is the one who leads the earl after Lear's daughter gouges his eyes out. Shakespeare is the original soap-opera writer, but usually, there is a theme or themes to his stories, in this case, don't trust heresy and flattery. Of course, all of this results in tragedy: most the "bad guys" and the "good guys" end up dying...King Lear dies, heartbroken, after Cordelia is executed.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Format for Reading Shakespeare
Review: King Lear is a fantastic book...if you can ever understand it. I tried several times to get a handle on the plot, which is not as easy a task as it sounds. I even tried watching it on PBS, but I only succeeded in catching a few words and an occasional sentence. However, that changed after I purchased this book, which has the original Shakespeare on one page and the same text in modern English on the following page. Half the book is the original text and half is in modern language, with the pages side by side so that you can use the modern language page to understand the Shakespeare text. You can either read the whole book in modern English first to figure out what is going on, or you can just use the modern English part when you need it (which I found was often with the text of King Lear). I find this so much better than a book that just translates an occasional word here and there. Even if you understand the meaning of every word, sometimes it is still hard to understand what Shakespeare meant, but you won't have that problem with this book. Using this book to read King Lear was for me the key to making this wonderful play finally understandable and highly enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent.
Review: King Lear is based on a story whose truth is doubtful, recorded by Geoffrey of Monmouth, of a king (Leir)who unwisely decides to divide his kingdom amongst his three daughters, their shares depending on how well they profess their love for him publically. His last and favored daughter, Cordelia, says that she cannot put her heart in her mouth and that she can only love her father as a daughter should, not to the exagerrated extent that her sisters have claimed, which sickens her. The foolish king, not realizing her sincerety, has her disowned and banished, along with the faithful Earl of Kent who attempts to speak on her behalf. From then on all goes downhill for the king. The tragedy is filled with realizations, especially by Lear in a very lucid sort of madness. It is beautifully written and has a strong subplot. The subplot provides a sharp contrast to Lear's situation and makes him, who was not sympathetic at first, heroic. A main theme is the placement of emphasis on appearances.
Rating:
Summary: Good!
Review: King Lear is one of the most excellent , brilliant piece of tragedy ever written by Shakespeare. I love Edgar's character as the betrayed son and brother. I applaud Shakespeare in his way of being able to intertwine the plots together.. The themes in this story he used of betrayal and love are classic!!! Only thing I couldn't stand was the language..ughh.....if you aren't fluent in English, forget about reading Shakespeare, much less John Bunyan's " Pilgrim's Progress". I read that too....but never finished it either. Overall I give this a thumbs up for reading. Good work, Shakespeare! (although this praise comes centuries past the date of due).
Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare's finest tragedy
Review: King Lear is perhaps Shakespeare's most psychologically dark tragedy, though many may argue for Macbeth. The central theme is that of the family and the emotional and physical exile that can be brought about for simple material gain. The naive and pitiable Lear with his Cinderella-esque children, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia present all that is right and wrong with a father's relationship with his children. From his opening gambit:
"What will thoust say to gain
A third more opulent than thine sisters?"
We see exactly why the terrible tragedy must unfold. The side plot between Edmund and Edgar, the donning of the garb of the madman whilst Lear descends in to madness mirrored by his dying Fool is one of humanity's greatest literary tragedies. Whilst the 'baddies' lose in the end, there is no victory, only self-realisation and, ultimately, death. Lear's supporting cast of characters can only dance to the tune he sets in slow, unalterable motion, and there can be no silver lining at the end. Only a deep and terrible understanding of the destruction of the human psyche.
'Lear' drives home the failings of the human soul but ensures that inner understanding and remorse is attainable at a great price. It is Shakespeare's finest tragedy.
Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare's Best, in its best edition
Review: King Lear itself truly needs no comment; it is, simply put, the single greatest work of the single most important writer in world history. What does need comment, however, is the edition published by Pelican Shakespeare. Pelican's King Lear is unquestionably the best edition that one can use to tackle this challenging yet incredible work of drama. The notes are clear, yet not overpowering. Unlike other editions, who force definitions and explanations at the reader, The Pelican Shakespeare subtly signals when an explanation is offered with margin markers, yet does not interrupt the readers flow while reading. In addition, the introductory and concluding essays an explanations further relate and make accessible this timeless play.
Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare at his best
Review: King Lear was written at Shakespeare's most prolific period, a time in which he rapidly composed Hamlest, Othello, and Macbeth. I believe, without a moments hesitation, that King Lear is his greatest work, and probably the greatest play ever written. The plot moves quickly with excitement and action. The central themes of the play (among which are abandonment, unconditional love, and self-realization) are some of the most serious and important aspects of human nature. The play brings up many important quiestions: Why should we forgive others? Can we ever trust someone? All of these areanswered in this play. I recently saw a professional production of the play, and found myself quickly moving from emotions of fear, to laughing, to wrath, and at the climactic end of the play, breaking down into tears, having been drained by the plays rapid motion and tension. This play will live with me forever.
|
