Shakespeare > King Lear
Shakespeare. The History of King Lear
London : Printed for E. Flesher, and are to be sold by R. Bentley, and M. Magnes in Russel-Street near Covent-Garden, 1681
Columbia RBML Wing S-2918
Known as the “Happy Lear” or “King Lear for optimists,” this version of the play ends with Cordelia’s and Edgar’s marriage and Lear and Kent’s amicable retirement. Written by Nahum Tate (1652-1715), the Tate Lear was the version of the play performed for much of the eighteenth century. The title page presents the work not as an adaptation but as “reviv’d, with alterations.” This publication coincided with the 1681 performance of the play done by the Duke’s Theater in London. The Scottish-born Tate spent most of his life in London, where he collaborated with several celebrated authors of his day, including John Dryden.