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King Lear Books and Versions of the Text

The Arden Shakespeare King Lear

The Arden Shakespeare are renowned for the highest quality editions of the plays. R. A. Foakes takes a scholarly approach to the text, offering a conflated version of King Lear, combining elements of both the first quarto and folio editions. The introduction is thorough, explaining the textual choices made, along with an introduction to stagings of the play and critical studies. The Arden Shakespeare has notes underneath the text and is a comprehensive and thorough edition suitable both for students and general reading of Shakespeare's King Lear. 455 pages.

Cambridge Schools Shakespeare King Lear

Aimed at GCSE and A-level students, the Cambridge Schools King Lear presents the play as an acting script, formatted to help teachers in the classroom. Editorial comments provide for creative school study. 240 pages.

Dodo Press King Lear

A basic low cost version of the text of King Lear. Reprinted from a previously printed edition with explanatory footnotes. 148 pages.

Dover Thrift Editions King Lear

Dover Thrift Editions are designed to provide the complete play in a low cost format and this basic version of King Lear contains explanatory footnotes. 144 pages.

Folger Shakespeare Library King Lear

Produced by the world's leading centre for Shakespeare studies, the Folger edition of King Lear contains the text on one side of the page with facing page notes. There is an essay by Susan Snyder along with introductions to Shakespeare's language, scene by scene plot summaries and illustrations from the Shakespeare Library. 384 pages.

Longman Cultural Edition King Lear

Edited by Claire McEachern, the Longman edition focusses on the background to Shakespeare's play, with a critical introduction and contextual materials including studies of the sources, and contemporary reactions and responses to King Lear. 288 pages.

The New Cambridge Shakespeare The Tragedy of King Lear

Edited by Jay Halio, the New Cambridge King Lear is based on the folio text, and has a new introduction which examines recent stage, film and critical interpretations of the play. Including a detailed reading of the action, sources and influences, and an updated reading list. 334 pages.

Norton Critical Edition King Lear 

Using the 1623 Folio text of King Lear as a basis, editor Grace Ioppolo, also discusses 'missing' scenes from the first quarto edition in Notes on the Text. The Norton Edition is comprehensive in its inclusion of source material, major critical studies and responses to the play from Edward Bond, Nahum Tate and Peter Brook. 272 pages. 

Oxford Shakespeare King Lear

Based on the first quarto edition, the Oxford Shakespeare's introduction explores how the play developed in Shakespeare's imagination, and how this early version is the basis for all later texts of King Lear. With modern spelling and explanatory notes on the same page, the Oxford Shakespeare also includes production photographs, related artwork, background to Shakespeare's theatre and early performances of the play and original source material, such as a reprint of the ballad of King Leir. 336 pages.

Oxford Schools Shakespeare King Lear

Edited by Roma Gill, the Oxford Schools edition is designed for students, with the complete and unabridged text, along with extensive notes explaining difficult words and passages. Also including plot synopsis, character details, historical and biographical background, and questions and activities for classroom work. 224 pages.

The Pelican Shakespeare King Lear

The Pelican King Lear is a new edition in a smaller publication size. The easy to hold format is perfect for use in rehearsal rooms or for studying. Alongside the text are an authoritative introduction by Stephen Orgel, and essays about Shakespeare's life and his work in the theatre. 320 pages.

The Penguin Shakespeare King Lear

Edited by Stanley Wells, the Penguin Classic series is easy to read and particularly easy to use for acting out scenes of the play. An updated introduction by Kiernan Ryan alongside the earlier introduction by G.K. Hunter provide background information on the sources, characters and the play in performance. 368 pages.

Saddlebacks Illustrated Classics King Lear

Presented in graphic format, the Saddlebacks Illustrated King Lear is ideal for younger students to follow the text with the accompanying audiobook, along with comic book style visual depictions of the action. 63 pages.

The Shakespeare Folios King Lear

Edited by Nick de Somogyi, the Shakespeare Folios King Lear presents the folio text in modern type with a facing page modernised version, along with an introduction, textual notes and a comprehensive appendix including variants in the quarto editions. 250 pages. 

The Yale Annotated Shakespeare King Lear

Edited by Burton Raffel with an introductory essay by Harold Bloom, the Yale Annotated King Lear includes on page notes with aids to vocabulary, Elizabethan English, pronunciation, obscure words and metre structure. 256 pages.