Preface, Prologue and Act 1

The History of King Lear is an adaptation by Nahum Tate of William Shakespeare's King Lear. It first appeared in 1681, some seventy-five years after Shakespeare's version, and is believed to have replaced Shakespeare's version on the English stage in whole or in part until 1838. Unlike Shakespeare's tragedy, Tate's play has a happy ending, with Lear regaining his throne, Cordelia marrying Edgar, and Edgar joyfully declaring that "truth and virtue shall at last succeed." Regarded as a tragicomedy, the play has five acts, as does Shakespeare's, although the number of scenes is different, and the text is about eight hundred lines shorter than Shakespeare's. Many of Shakespeare's original lines are retained, or modified only slightly, but a significant portion of the text is entirely new, and much is omitted. The character of the Fool, for example, is absent. Although many critics — including Joseph Addison, August Wilhelm Schlegel, Charles Lamb, William Hazlitt, and Anna Jameson — condemned Tate's adaptation for what they saw as its cheap sentimentality, it was popular with theatregoers, and was approved by Samuel Johnson, who regarded Cordelia's death in Shakespeare's play as unbearable. Shakespeare's version continued to appear in printed editions of his works, but, according to numerous scholars, including A.C. Bradley and Stanley Wells, did not appear on the English stage for over a hundred and fifty years from the date of the first performance of Tate's play Actors such as Thomas Betterton, David Garrick, and John Philip Kemble, who were famous for the role of Lear, were portraying Tate's Lear, not Shakespeare's. (Summary by Wikipedia) Cast King Lear: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/6446">Bob Gonzalez</a> Gloster: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3595">Martin Geeson</a> Kent: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3536">Arielle Lipshaw</a> Edgar: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/6553">Dublin Gothic</a> Edmund, the Bastard: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/1259">Elizabeth Klett</a> Cornwall: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5141">David Goldfarb</a> Cornwall's Servant/Old Man/Gentleman/Servant: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4705">Algy Pug</a> Albany: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/6965">Noel Badrian</a> Burgundy/Physician: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/7010">VikingJames</a> Goneril's gentleman: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/6548">Kristingj</a> Attendant/Messenger: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/7233">CJacobA</a> Arante/Herald: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/6689">Tiffany Halla Colonna</a> First Ruffian/Officer: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/7122">Nathaniel W. C. Higgins</a> Second Ruffian/Captain: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/7247">Robert Hoffman</a> Gonerill: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3816">Bev J. Stevens</a> Regan: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/6147">Liberty Stump</a> Cordelia: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5017">Miss Avarice</a> Narrator: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4705">Algy Pug</a> Introduction/Prologue/Dramatis Personae: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3595">Martin Geeson</a> Audio edited by Phil Chenevert

Arts

The History of King Lear is an adaptation by Nahum Tate of William Shakespeare's King Lear. It first appeared in 1681, some seventy-five years after Shakespeare's version, and is believed to have replaced Shakespeare's version on the English stage in whole or in part until 1838. Unlike Shakespeare's tragedy, Tate's play has a happy ending, with Lear regaining his throne, Cordelia marrying Edgar, and Edgar joyfully declaring that "truth and virtue shall at last succeed." Regarded as a tragicomedy, the play has five acts, as does Shakespeare's, although the number of scenes is different, and the text is about eight hundred lines shorter than Shakespeare's. Many of Shakespeare's original lines are retained, or modified only slightly, but a significant portion of the text is entirely new, and much is omitted. The character of the Fool, for example, is absent. Although many critics — including Joseph Addison, August Wilhelm Schlegel, Charles Lamb, William Hazlitt, and Anna Jameson — condemned Tate's adaptation for what they saw as its cheap sentimentality, it was popular with theatregoers, and was approved by Samuel Johnson, who regarded Cordelia's death in Shakespeare's play as unbearable. Shakespeare's version continued to appear in printed editions of his works, but, according to numerous scholars, including A.C. Bradley and Stanley Wells, did not appear on the English stage for over a hundred and fifty years from the date of the first performance of Tate's play Actors such as Thomas Betterton, David Garrick, and John Philip Kemble, who were famous for the role of Lear, were portraying Tate's Lear, not Shakespeare's. (Summary by Wikipedia)CastKing Lear: Bob GonzalezGloster: Martin GeesonKent: Arielle LipshawEdgar: Dublin GothicEdmund, the Bastard: Elizabeth KlettCornwall: David GoldfarbCornwall's Servant/Old Man/Gentleman/Servant: Algy PugAlbany: Noel BadrianBurgundy/Physician: VikingJamesGoneril's gentleman: KristingjAttendant/Messenger: CJacobAArante/Herald: Tiffany Halla ColonnaFirst Ruffian/Officer: Nathaniel W. C. HigginsSecond Ruffian/Captain: Robert HoffmanGonerill: Bev J. StevensRegan: Liberty StumpCordelia: Miss AvariceNarrator: Algy PugIntroduction/Prologue/Dramatis Personae: Martin GeesonAudio edited by Phil Chenevert

The History of King Lear is an adaptation by Nahum Tate of William Shakespeare's King Lear. It first appeared in 1681, some seventy-five years after Shakespeare's version, and is believed to have replaced Shakespeare's version on the English stage in whole or in part until 1838. Unlike Shakespeare's tragedy, Tate's play has a happy ending, with Lear regaining his throne, Cordelia marrying Edgar, and Edgar joyfully declaring that "truth and virtue shall at last succeed." Regarded as a tragicomedy, the play has five acts, as does Shakespeare's, although the number of scenes is different, and the text is about eight hundred lines shorter than Shakespeare's. Many of Shakespeare's original lines are retained, or modified only slightly, but a significant portion of the text is entirely new, and much is omitted. The character of the Fool, for example, is absent. Although many critics — including Joseph Addison, August Wilhelm Schlegel, Charles Lamb, William Hazlitt, and Anna Jameson — condemned Tate's adaptation for what they saw as its cheap sentimentality, it was popular with theatregoers, and was approved by Samuel Johnson, who regarded Cordelia's death in Shakespeare's play as unbearable. Shakespeare's version continued to appear in printed editions of his works, but, according to numerous scholars, including A.C. Bradley and Stanley Wells, did not appear on the English stage for over a hundred and fifty years from the date of the first performance of Tate's play Actors such as Thomas Betterton, David Garrick, and John Philip Kemble, who were famous for the role of Lear, were portraying Tate's Lear, not Shakespeare's. (Summary by Wikipedia) Cast King Lear: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/6446" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bob Gonzalez</a> Gloster: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3595" rel="noopener noreferrer">Martin Geeson</a> Kent: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3536" rel="noopener noreferrer">Arielle Lipshaw</a> Edgar: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/6553" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dublin Gothic</a> Edmund, the Bastard: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/1259" rel="noopener noreferrer">Elizabeth Klett</a> Cornwall: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5141" rel="noopener noreferrer">David Goldfarb</a> Cornwall's Servant/Old Man/Gentleman/Servant: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4705" rel="noopener noreferrer">Algy Pug</a> Albany: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/6965" rel="noopener noreferrer">Noel Badrian</a> Burgundy/Physician: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/7010" rel="noopener noreferrer">VikingJames</a> Goneril's gentleman: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/6548" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kristingj</a> Attendant/Messenger: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/7233" rel="noopener noreferrer">CJacobA</a> Arante/Herald: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/6689" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tiffany Halla Colonna</a> First Ruffian/Officer: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/7122" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nathaniel W. C. Higgins</a> Second Ruffian/Captain: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/7247" rel="noopener noreferrer">Robert Hoffman</a> Gonerill: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3816" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bev J. Stevens</a> Regan: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/6147" rel="noopener noreferrer">Liberty Stump</a> Cordelia: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5017" rel="noopener noreferrer">Miss Avarice</a> Narrator: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4705" rel="noopener noreferrer">Algy Pug</a> Introduction/Prologue/Dramatis Personae: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3595" rel="noopener noreferrer">Martin Geeson</a> Audio edited by Phil Chenevert

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Preface, Prologue and Act 1

Preface, Prologue and Act 1