Description

The History of King Lear: A Tragedy is a play written by Nahum Tate in 1749. It is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's play, King Lear, and follows the same basic plot but with significant changes to the characters and overall tone. In Tate's version, Lear is portrayed as a more sympathetic character, and the ending is altered to provide a happier resolution. The play also includes a romantic subplot involving Edgar and Cordelia, which was not present in Shakespeare's original work.The story follows the aging King Lear as he divides his kingdom among his three daughters, Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. When Cordelia refuses to flatter her father and is disowned, Lear's mental state deteriorates, and he is eventually betrayed by his other daughters. The play explores themes of power, family, and betrayal, and is considered a classic tragedy.Tate's version of King Lear was popular in the 18th century and was performed more often than Shakespeare's original play. However, it fell out of favor in the 19th century, and today, Shakespeare's version is more commonly performed and studied.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.