King Lear — A Level Student Guide

Power. Family. Betrayal. Madness. A tragedy of devastating loss.

Shakespeare’s King Lear is a profound exploration of authority, loyalty, family relationships, suffering and what happens when political power and personal judgement disastrously collide.

This comprehensive Coleman’s Notes® Student Guide takes students from a clear understanding of the complete play through detailed analysis to focused examination preparation.

The ageing King Lear decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters according to how convincingly they declare their love for him. Goneril and Regan flatter their father, while Cordelia refuses to exaggerate her feelings. Lear’s furious decision to disinherit Cordelia begins a sequence of political and family catastrophes.

Alongside Lear’s story runs the parallel tragedy of Gloucester, Edgar and Edmund, creating powerful connections between parents and children, loyalty and betrayal, sight and blindness, authority and vulnerability.

Inside the guide: Plot Summary; Shakespeare & the Background to King Lear; Play at a Glance; Main Characters & Relationships; detailed Act 1–5 Scene-by-Scene Companion; Detailed Character Studies; Character Development Tracker; Major Themes; Motifs, Symbols & Imagery; Language, Form & Structure; Key Quotations Explained; Top 10 Quotations in Full; Key Scenes & Turning Points; Historical, Social & Literary Context; King Lear as Shakespearean Tragedy; Exam Board & Assessment Guide; How to Answer a Shakespeare Question; Five Essay Plans; Five Graded Sample Exam Answers; Common Mistakes & How to Improve; Practice Examination Questions; 25 Revision & Discussion Questions; Quick Revision Checklist; and Quick Recall.

Particular attention is given to Lear and Gloucester, Cordelia and Edgar, Goneril and Regan, Kent and the Fool, together with the play’s recurring contrasts between legitimate and illegitimate children, sight and blindness, authority and exposure. The guide also examines the storm, disguises, Gloucester’s blinding, the mock trial, Dover Cliff and Lear’s final entrance carrying Cordelia as crucial moments of theatrical performance.

Designed for GCSE and A Level students, the guide helps students progress from understanding plot and character to analysing Shakespeare’s language, dramatic methods, themes and context and constructing stronger examination arguments.

Individual Student Guide — £6.95
Complete Shakespeare Tragedies Collection — £25.95

UNDERSTAND • ANALYSE • REVISE • SUCCEED

Coleman’s Notes® is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by examination boards or other rights holders.