University of Victoria (Canada)
Internet Shakespeare Editions: "King Lear"
Some background of William Shakespeare's tragedy "King Lear" provided by the University of Victoria. It discusses a variety of aspects of the play including societal, historical, intellectual, and literary background, as well as staging.
British Library
British Library: Discovering Literature: King Lear
Read an overview of the play "King Lear" by William Shakespeare and view additional resources such as articles, collection items, and teacher resources.
British Library
British Library: Discovering Literature: Interpretations of 'Madness'
From Lear's breakdown to Ophelia's malady, examine how Shakespeare depicts ideas of 'madness'.
British Library
British Library: Discovering Literature: Power, Politics, and Religion
A murdered king, a homeless ruler, a man who sells his soul to the Devil: discover how Shakespeare and other Renaissance writers represented power and powerlessness.
British Library
British Library: Discovering Literature: Tragedies
From Hamlet's melancholy to Juliet's eloquence; and from Othello's misunderstanding to Doctor Faustus's damnation, discover the richness of Shakespearean and Renaissance tragedies.
British Library
British Library: Teaching Resources: King Lear: The Disintegration of the Social Structure
These activities encourage students to examine the tensions that characterized the political and social landscape of the early 17th century and to compare these with fears about the disintegration of the social structure expressed in...
Absolute Shakespeare
Absolute Shakespeare: King Lear Commentary
Act by act and scene by scene, this commentary accompanies the entire play.
Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library: Lesson Plans: King Lear: Astrologers and Skeptics
Lesson plan questioning the degree to which Elizabethan audiences believed in destiny and astrology.
Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library: Lesson Plans: King Lear: Multiple Texts, Editions
Lesson plan in which students compare and contrast Lear's last lines. when he holds the dead Cordelia, from two early editions of King Lear.
Emory University
Emory University: King Lear
This site from the Emory University provides illustrations from various editions of Shakespeare's "King Lear."
New York University
Nyu: William Shakespeare Literature Annotations
Helpful but concise literature annotations on some of Williams Shakespeare's (1564-1616 CE) works.
Shmoop University
Shmoop: King Lear
This site provides an amazing insight into Shakespeare's King Lear. Read about the major characters, themes and important quotations in the play in this fascinating site.