King Lear is a powerful and complex tragedy that looks deeply into political power and family dynamics, loyalty, betrayal, aging, and madness. This teaching guide includes scene-by-scene plot summaries, information about the elements of tragedy in the play, the historical context, and Shakespeare's use of language. Also included are pre-reading activities, journal prompts, and discussion questions for both lower ability and higher ability readers.

Concepts

william shakespeare, tragedies, literary analysis, dramatic plays, literary themes, reading

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Instructional Ideas

• To help keep the cast of characters straight, before reading the play, divide the class into groups, assign each group a different central character, have groups read the plot summary, and then create a poster that identifies their character, the character's relationships, and any disguises
• After completing a study of the play, have scholars compare Shakespeare's version to Akira Kurosawa's film Ran

Classroom Considerations

• Most appropriate for high school advanced English classes or college-level learners

Pros

• Includes a list of quotes that point to the major themes of the play

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.9-10.10a RL.9-10.10b RL.11-12.10a RL.11-12.10b