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Search
Suggestions
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An Inspector Calls
Brave New World
Crime and Punishment
Heart of Darkness
The Catcher in the Rye
No Fear Shakespeare
Literature
Other Subjects
Teacher
Blog
Help
King Lear
William Shakespeare
Study Guide
NO FEAR
Translation
Infographic
Study Guide
NO FEAR
Translation
Infographic
Summary
Plot Overview
Five Key Questions
What Does the Ending Mean?
Summary & Analysis
Act 1, scenes 1–2
Act 1, scenes 3–5
Act 2, scenes 1–2
Act 2, scenes 3–4
Act 3, scenes 1–3
Act 3, scenes 4–5
Act 3, scenes 6–7
Act 4, scenes 1–2
Act 4, scenes 3–5
Act 4, scenes 6–7
Act 5, scenes 1–2
Act 5, scene 3
Video Plot Summary
Characters
Character List
King Lear
Cordelia
Edmund
Goneril and Regan
Gloucester
Main Ideas
Themes
Plot Analysis
Protagonist
Antagonist
Setting
Motifs
Symbols
Genre
Style
Point of View
Tone
Foreshadowing
Key Facts
What Does Justice Mean in King Lear?
Quotes
Important Quotes Explained
Quotes By Theme
Nihilism
Self-knowledge
Emptiness of authority
Generational conflict
Flattery
Quotes By Section
Act 1, scenes 1-2
Act 1, scenes 3-5
Act 2, scenes 1-2
Act 3, scenes 1-3
Act 3, scenes 4-5
Act 3, scenes 6-7
Act 4, scenes 1-2
Act 4, scenes 3-5
Act 4, scenes 6-7
Act 5, scenes 1-2
Act 5, scene 3
Quotes By Character
King Lear
Goneril and Regan
Edmund
Gloucester
Cordelia
Further Study
Context
Primogeniture
Morality Plays
Movie Adaptations
Full Book Quiz
Section Quizzes
Act 1, scenes 1-2
Act 1, scenes 3-5
Act 2, scenes 1-2
Act 2, scenes 3-4
Act 3, scenes 1-3
Act 3, scenes 4-5
Act 3, scenes 6-7
Act 4, scene 6
Act 4, scenes 1-2
Act 4, scenes 3-5
Act 5, scenes 1-2
Analysis of Major Characters
Character List
Context
Plot Overview
Themes, Motifs, and Symbols
Study Questions
Suggestions for Further Reading
Companion Texts
Writing Help
How to Write Literary Analysis
Suggested Essay Topics
Sample A+ Essay
How to Cite This SparkNote
Further Study
Context Quiz
Further Study
Context Quiz
1
of 5
What was the name of Shakepeare's theater company?
The Royal Players
The Stratfordians
The Burbage Troupe
The King's Men
2
of 5
How did Shakespeare's contemporaries perceive his work at the time of his death?
As tiresome
As funny but superficial
As timeless
As deep but off-putting
3
of 5
What plays did Shakespeare write before and after King Lear?
Othello and Macbeth
Hamlet and Henry V
Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest
Titus Andronicus and Richard III
4
of 5
When did the events depicted in King Lear supposedly occur?
The 8th century BCE
The 1st century BCE
The 13th century CE
The 15th century CE
5
of 5
Which historical event may have influenced Shakespeare as he wrote the play?
The defeat of the Spanish Armada
The establishment of the Virginia Colonies in North America
The death of Elizabeth and the succession of James I
The invention of the printing press and the rise of periodicals
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Plot Overview Quick Quiz
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