Two families torn
by jealousy,
ingratitude, and rage
drive a kingdom
to civil war
and madness.

This revised 2nd edition of King Lear: A Verse Translation makes the language of Shakespeare's play more modern while preserving the rhythm, complexity, and poetic qualities of the original. The aim is to capture the sound and sense of Shakespeare's tragedy without the need for glosses or notes--to use contemporary language without simplifying or modernizing the play in any other way.

Shakespeare’s play is about 75% verse and song and 25% prose. To make the play seem as much like Shakespeare’s original as possible, Kent Richmond maintains that exact ratio. His blank verse is accurate and representative of what Shakespeare used. He also uses a range of vocabulary and sentence complexity that matches the original closely. Shakespeare no doubt wanted his play to be difficult and challenging and Richmond’s translation respects that desire. [read an excerpt]

Is King Lear Shakespeare’s greatest play? Those who love Hamlet will certainly have something to say on the matter, but it is hard not to be awed by Lear’s intense poetic expression as Shakespeare weaves together two stories of shocking brutality.

Experience the violent downfall of Shakespeare's most dysfunctional family with the comprehension and delight of audiences 400 years ago—the way Shakespeare intended.