\\n  \\n    Book Review\\n  \\n

I rate "King Lear" by William Shakespeare 3 out of 5 stars. This tragic play, published in 1603, has been a subject of great interest for me. I not only read the play but also watched a few film versions. My review will cover both the book and the film I saw, with a touch of sarcasm and humor to make it stand out from the rest! LOL


Lear is truly a ridiculous character. In my opinion, he should be in the looney bin. He has completely lost control over his life, family, and kingdom. He is foolish, blind, and stubborn. When I first read the play, I thought Lear was just an ineffective old king who couldn't take care of anything. After watching the film versions, I still think he is a vain and crotchety old man. However, I did notice some humor in him that I missed during the first reading. He wasn't likable at first, but as I watched the video clips, I found myself able to tolerate him. All of a sudden, I classified him as a likable human. Even when you want to kill him, he is still kind of funny and tolerable.


To me, Lear was somewhat like a grandfather, but not an ordinary one. He reminded me of the older, funny grandfather who laughs at everything but doesn't realize what he's doing. In fact, I even thought of him as a Santa Claus figure. It may sound weird, but his looks qualify him for that role. However, his attitude could be a problem. He might have been a nice guy when he was younger and not so stubborn. As for Lear's daughters, I picture them all to be between 25 and 40. Gonerill made Lear's anger seem believable to me. I understand how much she had to say and how that could make him so upset with Cordelia's response. Cordelia, on the other hand, seems a little too weak to be his daughter. I imagine her as being stronger and able to handle herself against him. It was hard to picture three daughters surrounding their old, aging father Lear. The scene where each daughter goes to their father to say how they love him was powerful. I watched the characters grow and come alive on the page.


This play is a good read as it shows the life of parents and children, royalty, and the order of succession. It's a great commentary on how we behave and treat our elders, both as parents and as humans. On the other hand, it also shows what happens when we make rash decisions without realizing the impact down the line and how much we want to fix them but sometimes can't.


\\n  \\n    About Me\\n  \\n

For those who are new to me or my reviews, here's the deal: I read a lot, I write a lot, and now I blog a lot. First, the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com. There, you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge, and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. You can find all my social media profiles to get the details on who/what/when/where and see my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.

Madness is believing in the flock of wolves, the footsteps of the hyenas, the children and the oaths of the prostitutes.

The image presented here, a picture of King Lear, perhaps represents the chaos and turmoil that often accompanies such madness.

King Lear, a tragic figure, embodies the consequences of trusting the wrong people and making ill-advised decisions.

His story serves as a cautionary tale, warning us of the perils of blindly believing in those who may not have our best interests at heart.

Just as King Lear suffered the consequences of his madness, we too must be careful in our judgments and choices.

We should not be swayed by false oaths or the allure of the wrong crowd.

Instead, we should rely on our own wisdom and intuition to guide us through life's challenges.

Only then can we hope to avoid the pitfalls of madness and find true happiness and fulfillment.

A Guide to All Shakespeare Tragedies

Shakespeare's tragedies are some of the most renowned works in the history of literature. They explore the depths of human nature, the consequences of fate and free will, and the power of emotions. Each tragedy presents a unique and complex story that captivates audiences and readers alike.

One of the most famous Shakespeare tragedies is "Romeo and Juliet." This tragic love story follows the young lovers as they navigate the obstacles placed in their path by their feuding families. Their untimely deaths serve as a powerful reminder of the destructive force of hatred and the importance of love and forgiveness.

Another notable tragedy is "Macbeth." In this play, Macbeth's ambition leads him to commit a series of murders in his quest for power. His descent into madness and guilt showcases the corrupting influence of unchecked ambition and the consequences of moral failure.

"Othello" is yet another Shakespeare tragedy that delves into themes of jealousy, betrayal, and love. The play tells the story of Othello, a Moorish general, who is manipulated by the villainous Iago into believing that his wife Desdemona has been unfaithful. Othello's jealousy ultimately leads to his downfall and the tragic deaths of those he loves.

These are just a few examples of the many Shakespeare tragedies that continue to be studied, performed, and enjoyed today. Each tragedy offers a profound and thought-provoking exploration of the human condition, making them timeless works of art.

King Lear is one of the most tragic and cunning stories in the world. When vanity and flattery triumph, it is a false victory. Which one do you love more? Your father, your husband, or your son? Here, nature and instinct will answer, although it may seem cruel. The father who only gives receives the least amount of love. The husband who takes and gives receives the largest share. And the son who only takes wins boundless and unconditional love. In the year of his life, King Lear of Britain decided to unite it. But with his most foolish question throughout his long life. Which one will "declare" that she loves him more? The question is flawed, and appearances often prevail over the truth. Goneril and Regan exaggerate their love for their father, but what about the son who does not follow the vanity? Cordelia, the wise and beautiful one, loves her father to the bottom of her heart. But she hates vanity and adheres to truth like a stubborn diamond. She insists that she loves him, but in the future, she will love her husband and sons more than him. Well, there are some truths that are best kept in everyone's hearts. Of course, her father deprives her of her share in the kingdom and gives everything to her sisters and lives as a guest with them. Shakespeare warns all the fathers in the world of negligence and concession that reveals everyone's weaknesses. And as he flees in the storm from the hardships, his misfortunes begin. And those who touch his emotions will hear the voice of his reason: his reward will be a story. And he will pay the price for his stupidity and carelessness. And a series of terrible and primitive events begin, suitable for the 17th century as a whole. Through the tragedies, we can understand the essence of only two words: sincerity and betrayal.

It is truly tragic.

Anyway, this is my last book for this year.

Goodbye naughty children, see you next year (a very dramatic way of saying "the day after tomorrow").

As the year draws to a close, it feels a bittersweet moment. This last book represents the culmination of my efforts throughout the year. The journey of writing it has been filled with both joys and challenges.

The naughty children have been a constant source of inspiration and entertainment. Their antics and mischief have added a unique flavor to my work.

Although I'm saying goodbye for now, I know that we'll meet again in the not-too-distant future. The anticipation of seeing them again next year is both exciting and nerve-wracking.

Until then, I'll be taking some time to rest and recharge, ready to embark on new literary adventures.

No Country for Old Men

This play, "King Lear," is, without a doubt, the most acutely bitter and pessimistic among Shakespeare's tragedies. The chaos and human misery that unfold are not merely the result of blatant vices like greed and insatiable ambition. Instead, they stem from Lear's vanity on one hand and the weariness of his two selfish daughters towards a querulous old man's caprices on the other.

It is quite evident that "King Lear" was bound to disappoint contemporary audiences. The concept of an elderly ruler voluntarily relinquishing his power for the sake of his own comfort must have seemed utterly absurd to them. Moreover, there is no clear restoration of order at the end. Additionally, the image of an old, disheveled king,失去理智, roaming the heathland like a beggar, lacks the tragic grandeur of a Macbeth haunted by Banquo's ghost or of two "star-cross'd lovers" helplessly contending with the hatred of their families. It is far too realistic and may arouse doubts in any parent's heart regarding the sincerity and gratitude of their children.

The truly poignant aspect is that Lear, in demanding grandiloquent professions of love from his daughters - which are merely words - is more foolish than when he is a madman led by a fool and another madman. And Gloucester is more blind with his eyes than without them. As for Lear's daughters, they are portrayed as adulterous, hypocritical, and prone to underhanded behavior. However, surely one need not be a hardened scoundrel to feel harassed by an overbearing and irascible father who claims to be "every inch a king" while burdening the household with the upkeep of one hundred boisterous and drunken knights.

"The younger rises when the old doth fall." These words, spoken by the villainous Edmund, seem to hint at the core of the conflict, which is a generational one and must have appeared in a more menacing light to Elizabethan audiences. The younger generation does not indefinitely want to wait for their independence, and when the elderly seem as foolish and petulant as they often do in this play, one might be inclined to say that the fault does not entirely lie with them.

Apart from its proximity to our own potential family issues, "King Lear" strikes me because of its undisguised pessimism - there are, however, some redeeming qualities even in the villains, as when Edmund attempts to prevent the execution of his most evil order but discovers that he is too late - and because the play contains some of the finest Shakespearean lines ever, such as "When we are born, we cry that we are come / To this great stage of fools" or "The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices / Makes instruments to plague us," or the famous "Never, never, never, never, never."

And "King Lear" reminds me that, one of these days, I should take my son on a tour of old people's homes and perhaps offer a few words of wisdom.

By the way, there is an interesting western adaptation of "King Lear" starring Patrick Stewart. It's called "The King of Texas." Check it out.

Rewriting Shakespeare for pure entertainment rather than for school purposes turned out to be an extremely enjoyable experience, far exceeding my initial expectations!

When I approached Shakespeare's works with the intention of simply having fun, I discovered a whole new world within his plays and sonnets. The vivid characters, the intricate plots, and the beautiful language all came alive in a way that they never had in a school setting.

I was able to immerse myself in the stories without the pressure of analyzing and dissecting every line. Instead, I could focus on the emotions, the drama, and the humor. It was like opening a door to a magical realm where anything was possible.

Reading Shakespeare for entertainment also allowed me to appreciate his genius on a deeper level. I realized that his works are not just meant to be studied, but also to be experienced and enjoyed. It was a truly eye-opening and rewarding adventure.

When I was a child, I bought the collection of Shakespeare's plays translated by Ali-Akbar Pazaragadi.

Later, I realized that the translation was not very good, or at least there were better translations of some of the plays.

For this reason, I tried to read the plays from other translations as much as possible, unless I couldn't find another translation of a play.

I said all this to get to the point that I read "King Lear" with the translation by Javad Paiman, which was published by the Scientific and Cultural Publications.

It was so confusing in places that I had to compare it with Pazaragadi's translation and vice versa.

This made me slow and caused the reading of this play to take so long that little by little the charm of the play was lost.

In my opinion, a play should be read in one sitting, or at most two sittings, just as it is watched in one sitting. But "King Lear" could not be read in this way.

Shakespeare's career was filled with many works, but King Lear stands out as one of his biggest bummers. The phrase "Life sucks, then you die" that kids might find clever in 7th grade as they discover nihilism is actually the entire message of King Lear. The doddering King rages that "Nothing will come of nothing," and indeed, there is nothing and nothing comes of it.

Along the way, we get one of Shakespeare's most disturbing scenes, the outing of the vile jelly, which is Marlovian in its gruesomeness. Shakespeare liked the word "nothing," perhaps partly because of its associations with vaginas. He has some dark fun with it in Lear, as when he offers the disinherited Cordelia to Burgundy in marriage:

If aught within that little seeming substance,
Or all of it, with our displeasure pieced,
And nothing more, may fitly like your grace,
She's there, and she is yours.

Burgundy declines, and this play is about something less pleasant than vaginas: it's about the real nothing, entropy, and death.

Stephen Greenblatt's Will in the World points out that Shakespeare had a tendency to excise the motive from his plots, making them more interesting and open to interpretation. In Othello, Shakespeare's source has Iago acting out of jealousy, but Shakespeare chops that out, leaving Iago's motives murky. And in Lear, Shakespeare mucks with his source again. In the original, Lear stages the "Who loves me?" thing to get Cordelia to marry who he wants, but Shakespeare trims that out, making Lear seem like just an old asshole who likes to be flattered. He also changes the ending, which is happy in most sources, to one of chaos and meaningless tragedy.

Lear isn't perfect. The fake suicide scene and the mock trial don't really work, and there's less glorious wordplay than in Hamlet or Tempest. The parallel plots also make it seem less focused than Macbeth or Othello. But it's a storm of nihilism, a dark night of literature, and a virtuoso depiction of despair without glimmer. As an exploration of the emptiest corners of the world and the bleak and barren heath of your soul, nothing beats it.

My first encounter with "Lear" was quite an experience. Like the other plays I've read this year, I initially thought I could breeze through it, grasping the essence, pace, language, and humor. However, "Lear" proved to be a different beast. It's a long play, with sentences crafted for effect and meter, making them complex and hard to follow. Moreover, it's extremely busy, with a constant stream of events. Each act seems to have enough plot for a whole play, and at least one scene, like Act 4, scene 6, feels that way. What I knew about the play before mainly occurs in Act I.

In "Lear," the old king gives away his kingdom to his daughters while still alive, fully intending to live out his life as a king. He demands expressions of affection before dividing the land among his three daughters, but one daughter, Cordellia, finds words insufficient. This leads to Lear making the mistake of banishing her and giving her inheritance to his other two more calculating daughters. There's also the parallel story of Gloucester's illegitimate son, Edmund, trying to deceive his legitimate son, Edgar, out of his inheritance, and Edmund has other grand schemes as well. Alas, things don't go as planned, resulting in a lot of anger, wars, killings, eyes being gouged out and smashed on stage, loyal servants and subjects playing various key roles, a moment perhaps only metaphorically at the edge of the White Cliffs of Dover, and a very dark yet strangely funny fool. Life lessons are learned, the arrogant are bitterly enlightened and humbled, but only a few are left standing.
It's all exhausting, yet really fascinating, with many levels, some of them deeply psychological. My edition included a bibliography with an actual summary of all the key points in each work cited. That was really cool and gave me insights like the one from Susan Snyder's “King Lear and the Psychology of Dying.” Shakespeare doesn't need a recommendation, but this play does require further re-reading and exploration.

“Doest thou call me fool, boy?”
“All thy other titles thou hast given away, that thou was born with.”

“Thou shouldst not have been old til thou had been wise.”



King Lear is a remarkable work that stands near the summit of Shakespeare’s literary achievements. However, it is a rather strange piece. Lear is not a noble hero who has fallen from grace, nor is he a conniving antihero willing to do anything to seize power. Instead, he is a vain and foolish old man. If his daughters had not been so villainous, he would never have been able to evoke our sympathies. But they are, and he does, and watching the entire drama unfold is truly captivating.

Lear enters the stage already as a vain and stubborn fool. He desires to retire from his responsibilities, yet not from his privileges. He demands that his daughters, among whom he is dividing his kingdom, flatter his vanity. When his youngest daughter, Cordelia, refuses to engage in this ritual of flattery, he flies into a furious rage and disinherits her. “For by the sacred radiance of the Sun, the mysteries of Hecate and the Night, by all the operations of the orbs from which we do exist and cease to be, here I disclaim all my paternal care, propinquity and property of blood, and as a stranger to my heart and me, hold thee, from this, forever!” His wise adviser, the Earl of Kent, speaks truth to Lear’s power, warning him against this folly. “Revoke thy doom, or whilest I can vent clamor from my throat I’ll tell thee thou doest evil!” But Lear, in his rage, banishes Kent.

The play shows Lear rapidly losing his power, betrayed by both his advancing age and his scheming daughters. Yet, I find myself wondering how this foolish old man ever earned the loyalty shown to him by the Earls of Kent and Gloucester, as well as his banished daughter, Cordelia. Shakespeare only presents him as a raging old fool and later as a raving madman (in which state he discovers a small measure of wisdom). But I wonder, was he always like this, or did old age bring him to this state? Does the loyalty and love of Kent, Gloucester, and Cordelia suggest that at one time he was a man worthy of it? On this reread of the play, it was mainly this question that I pondered, and I now leave it for your consideration.

In a world where the rule of kings is fleeting and tragedies often culminate in death and destruction, "King Lear" presents a glimmer of hope. This hope may not be immediately evident in a simple plot summary or in the tally of deaths by the play's conclusion. However, there are crucial moments of reconciliation for the two elderly and long-suffering characters, Lear and Gloucester.

After enduring much anguish throughout the play, they are granted brief respites from their darkest fates. Although these reprieves are short-lived, in a mortal world where all must end in the scandalous tragedy of death, what else could be expected? Viewing life through a broader lens, achieving a full and loving reconciliation with those we love most and have most wronged may be the greatest victory.

Despite the sorrow that pervades the play from the very beginning, Shakespeare reminds us, especially through the character arc of Edgar, that things are never as bad as they could be. If we can say "this is the worst," then we haven't truly reached the bottom, as Edgar himself realizes at one point.

The early acts of the play center around the themes of duty and respect. Unfortunately, Lear is overly concerned with the outward and potentially insincere demonstration of these qualities. He demands what he believes is owed to him as a father and a king, but the fact that he must do so and punish the lack of it so severely indicates that something has gone terribly wrong.

As an old man relinquishing his active role, Lear quickly loses even the false show of respect. Part of the reason for his desperate obsession with retaining respect is his struggle with the inevitable impotence in mind and body that comes with aging. This impotence extends to his power and authority, driving him to the brink of madness.

The specific tensions surrounding these issues are not as important as the broader question they raise: How do we best provide for our elderly? Do we sacrifice their independence for their safety and health? Or do we allow them to remain independent but risk leaving them without proper care? These questions are as relevant today as they were in Shakespeare's time.

At every stage of the story, "King Lear" compels the reader or audience to grapple with the most fundamental human questions: What is truly important in life? And why? Yesterday, Donald suggested that "King Lear" might be the wisest thing ever written by a human being, and perhaps he is right.

As we reflect on the play, we are left with a profound sense of the complexity of human nature and the importance of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. "King Lear" is not just a tragedy; it is a powerful meditation on the human condition that continues to resonate with audiences today.