Shakespeare: King Lear
Essays Articles Reviews

Nearly three centuries of Lear criticism provide insight into the play's merit and its place within Shakespeare's work and the canon of English literature. Highlights include excerpts from the neoclassical and Romantic receptions of King Lear -- material from John Dryden, Samuel Johnson, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Victor Hugo -- and a discussion of recent trends in criticism of the play.

This "Critical Guide" helps students sift through and make sense of nearly three centuries of Lear criticism, providing insight into different assessments of the play's merit and its place within Shakespeare's work and the canon of English literature. Highlights include excerpts from the neoclassical and Romantic receptions of "King Lear" -- material from John Dryden, Samuel Johnson, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Victor Hugo -- and a discussion of recent and current trends in criticism of the play.

Introduction: The Question of ValueNeo-ClassicismRomanticismRealismFrom Christianity to ChaosContemporary Criticism of
King Lear