26 シェイクスピア「リア王」♪

1606年12月26日に、シェイクスピア作「リア王」初演♪

「リア王」の初版出版は1607年11月26日で、そこに「1606年12月26日に宮廷にて上演された」と記されているんだ♪

「リア王」は、シェイクスピア作で、四大悲劇の一つといわれている。

物語は、老いたリア王が腹黒の長女と次女の甘言に騙され、お世辞を言えない誠実な末娘コーデリアを追放してしまう。しかしやがて本性を現した長女と次女に国を追い出されてしまい、リア王は道化と共に放浪する。父思いの末娘の力を借りて2人と戦うも敗れてしまう。最後にはリア王のために戦った末娘も亡くしてしまうという、四大悲劇中最も壮烈な作品といわれているんだ。

劇作家であり評論家でもあるバーナード・ショーは、「リア王以上に悲劇的な物語は、誰も書く事はできないだろう」と評しているんだ♪

King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It depicts the gradual descent into madness of the title character, after he disposes of his kingdom giving bequests to two of his three daughters based on their flattery of him, bringing tragic consequences for all. Derived from the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological pre-Roman Celtic king, the play has been widely adapted for the stage and motion pictures, with the title role coveted by many of the world's most accomplished actors.

Originally drafted in 1605 or 1606, with its first known performance on 26 December 1606, the first attribution to Shakespeare was a 1608 publication in a quarto of uncertain provenance; it may be an early draft or simply reflect the first performance text. The Tragedy of King Lear, a more theatrical revision, was included in the 1623 First Folio. Modern editors usually conflate the two, though some insist that each version has its own individual integrity that should be preserved.

After the English Restoration, the play was often revised with a happy, non-tragic ending for audiences who disliked its dark and depressing tone, but since the 19th century Shakespeare's original version has been regarded as one of his supreme achievements. The tragedy is particularly noted for its probing observations on the nature of human suffering and kinship. George Bernard Shaw wrote, "No man will ever write a better tragedy than Lear".