King Lear

William ShakespeareProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.5

Word count: 216K words
Chapters: 22

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Le roi Lear by William ShakespeareAuthor: Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616,Language: French, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: May 4, 2006

Editor's review

This is a French translation of Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear, from a public-domain Project Gutenberg eBook. The play itself centers on Lear's division of his kingdom, his daughters' betrayal, and the protagonist's awakening in the storm, exploring power, family bonds, aging, and human blindness; it is a work of great weight in the history of Western drama. The French translation gives French readers, or those learning French, direct access to Shakespeare's play and makes it easy to compare against the English original. As a free electronic edition, it suits classroom support, language learning, and the desk of theater lovers. Note that the translation's language style and the translator's choices directly affect the reading experience; readers should check the edition information and be prepared for classical French expression.

Who it's for

A good fit for

French majors or intermediate-to-advanced French learners
Literature and translation students studying French translations of Shakespeare
French readers who love classical tragedy and want to revisit King Lear
Teachers who need a public-domain dramatic text for class or reading groups

Not a good fit for

Beginners in French who cannot yet read a full dramatic text
General readers who only want a Chinese translation and do not read foreign languages
Readers expecting a modern, colloquial adaptation

Reading tips

First learn the plot summary and main character relationships of King Lear, then read the French text
Read key soliloquies against the English original or a Chinese translation to see the translator's choices
Proceed act by act and scene by scene; after reading, excerpt important lines and try reading them aloud
Note the translator's preface and information to understand the language style and historical background

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can I read this book without knowing French?

The main text is in French, so reading it directly without French is difficult. If you only want to know the story of King Lear, choose a Chinese or English version; if you are learning French, use it as advanced reading material with a bilingual edition and a dictionary, starting from familiar scenes and soliloquies.

Is the French translation very different from the English original?

Any translation loses something in rhetoric, puns, and verse rhythm, and a French translation is also shaped by the translator's era and language habits. Readers can compare the same soliloquy with the English original and observe how syntax and imagery are transformed; this is both a reading pleasure and a window into the translation process.

Is this edition suitable for classroom use?

As a public-domain Project Gutenberg eBook, it is free to obtain and distribute and works well as supporting classroom text. But teachers should first confirm whether the translation's source and language difficulty match students' level, and prepare a plot outline and key vocabulary list so students do not lose confidence because of classical expression.

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About the author

William Shakespeare Author · English · 1564–1616

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was the greatest playwright, poet and actor of the English Renaissance. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, he is known as the "Bard of Avon." He wrote roughly thirty-seven to thirty-nine plays, one hundred and fifty-four sonnets and narrative poems. His representative works include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. His works span tragedy, comedy and history play, distinguished by rich, poetic language and profound characterization. His explorations of human nature, power, love and fate have had a lasting influence, and his works have been translated into many languages and circulated widely around the world.