King Lear

American  

[leer] / lɪər /

noun

1. a tragedy (1606) by Shakespeare.

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King Lear Cultural  

1. A tragedy by William Shakespeare about an old king who unwisely hands his kingdom over to two of his daughters. The daughters, who had flattered Lear while he was in power, turn on him; their actions reduce him to poverty and eventually to madness. His youngest daughter, Cordelia, whom he had at first spurned, remains faithful to him.

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Example Sentences

Young Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, is burdened with self-reproach, while old King Lear suffers from narcissism, vanity and madness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

The actor also played the doomed warlord who divides his kingdom between his sons in "Ran", Kurosawa's 1985 film based on the Shakespeare play "King Lear".

From Barron's • Nov. 11, 2025

Mark Mannucci, director of the documentary “American Masters: Decoding Watson,” compared him to King Lear, a man “at the height of his powers and, through his own character flaws, was brought down.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2025

In 2013, he played Cassio in Hytner's Othello at the National Theatre and has also performed alongside Ian McKellen in King Lear.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2025

Whisk, the cathedrals; whisk, whisk, King Lear and the Thoughts of Pascal.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley