King Lear - William Shakespeare

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Résumé :
An aging king divides his kingdom according to his daughters' declarations of love-and sets in motion a catastrophe of betrayal, madness, cruelty, and war. King Lear decides to surrender his power and divide his realm among his three daughters. Goneril and Regan flatter him with extravagant professions of devotion, while Cordelia refuses to disguise honest love with empty rhetoric. Enraged, Lear disinherits Cordelia and rewards the daughters whose words conceal ambition and contempt. Once they possess authority, Goneril and Regan strip their father of dignity, followers, and shelter, driving him into a storm both political and psychological. Running alongside Lear's tragedy is the story of the Earl of Gloucester and his sons, Edgar and Edmund. Deceived by the illegitimate Edmund, Gloucester turns against the loyal Edgar and becomes another victim of treachery, blindness, and shattered judgment. As families collapse and armies gather, both Lear and Gloucester are forced to confront the consequences of pride, misplaced trust, and the abuse of power. First performed in the early seventeenth century, King Lear is one of Shakespeare's most powerful and uncompromising tragedies. Its exploration of authority, aging, family loyalty, cruelty, madness, justice, and human suffering has made it a lasting masterpiece of world drama. The play remains essential reading for students, performers, teachers, and anyone drawn to literature that confronts the darkest reaches of human experience while still allowing room for compassion, recognition, and redemption....

Sommaire:
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in 1564. He was an English playwright, poet, actor, and shareholder in the theatrical company known first as the Lord Chamberlain's Men and later as the King's Men. Although relatively little is known with certainty about his private life, surviving records show that he built a successful career in the London theater before retiring to Stratford.Shakespeare wrote comedies, histories, tragedies, romances, and narrative poems. His best-known works include Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, and the history plays centered on English kings. His writing is celebrated for its memorable characters, psychological depth, verbal invention, dramatic structure, and extraordinary ability to move between humor, violence, political conflict, and intimate emotion.Shakespeare died in 1616. Seven years later, fellow actors John Heminges and Henry Condell published the First Folio, preserving many plays that might otherwise have been lost. His works have since been translated into numerous languages and performed throughout the world, securing his place as one of the most influential writers in literary and theatrical history....