King Lear; edited with a commentary by George Hunter, Introduced by Kiernan Ryan

An ageing king makes a capricious decision to divide his realm among his three daughters according to the love they express for him. When the youngest daughter refuses to take part in this charade, she is banished, leaving the king dependent on her manipulative and untrustworthy sisters. In the scheming and recriminations that follow, not only does the king's sanity crumble, but the stability of the real itself is also threatened. This book includes a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and the Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to `King Lear', a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.