A beautiful edition of another classic in our Illustrated Shakespeare Collection. Contains 21 original etchings and is formatted with an easy-to-read layout. Be sure to use Amazon's Lookinside feature to compare this edition with others. You'll be impressed by the differences. King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, most likely in 1606. It depicts the gradual descent into madness of the title character, after he disposes of his kingdom by giving bequests to two of his three daughters egged on by their continual flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. Derived from the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological pre-Roman Celtic king, the tragedy is particularly noted for its probing observations on the nature of human suffering and kinship. George Bernard Shaw wrote, "No man will ever write a better tragedy than Lear." Be sure to read all of the illustrated Shakespeare books from SeaWolf Press. Macbeth - Hamlet - Othello - A Midsummer Night's Dream - King Lear - Romeo and Juliet - Julius Caesar - Much Ado about Nothing - The Merchant of Venice - Richard III