William shakespeares king lear
the author and his times

it would be nice if we could say that william shakespeare wrote king lear when he himself was at an advanced age. we could picture him becoming concerned with retirement and the disposal of his property and goods. but the theory collapses when you realize that shakespeare was only 41 years old when the first performance of king lear was recorded in an official document. besides, the plot line, involving two older men and their respective family problems, is only a small part of the play. king lear is about much, much more and undoubtedly reflects deeper concerns that shakespeare had developed in his already considerable experience as a playwright.

by the time he wrote king lear, this adventurous young man from stratford had led a remarkable life, even for elizabethan times, which we tend to think of as more exciting than our own. during the reign of elizabeth i, england experienced a period of...