The following resources will help you discover What is Really Important in Shakespeare's King Lear through literary criticisms.

 Print Sources

Modern Critical Interpretations: William Shakespeare's King Lear (822.3 WIL) Includes a brief biography of the author, thematic and structural analysis of the work, critical views, and an index of themes and ideas.      Criticisms included: King Lear Quarto and Folio King Lear and the Interpretation of Albany and Edgar On the Greatness of King Lear King Lear and Essentialist Humanism Patriarchy, Mutuality, and Forgiveness Shakespeare and the Exorcists Creative Uncreation in King Lear

 Online Databases

It's always a good idea to begin your initial research with a trusted publication, i.e.: an article from an online database.  To learn more about the benefits of using articles accessed via a database, read Sirs vs. Google and Other Web Surfing.

Scribner Writer's Series Includes 15-20 page signed essays on more than 1,600 authors and literary genres drawn from the acclaimed Scribner print series.  Search by author index, or use multiple keywords in advanced search.

 Websites

Enjoying King Lear, by William Shakespeare: http://www.pathguy.com/kinglear.htm

Is This the Promised End? The Tragedy of King Lear: http://www.usfca.edu/fac-staff/southerr/lear.html

King Lear Beyond Reason: Love and Justice in the Family: www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=5171

Lear's Lapse - Foreshadowing in King Lear: http://www.io.com/~jlockett/Grist/English/lear.html

Lunar Calendar in Shakespeare's King Lear: http://extra.shu.ac.uk/emls/05-2/sohmlear.htm

Renaissance Views of Madness in King Lear: www.engl.uvic.ca/Faculty/MBHomePage/ISShakespeare/Resources/WorldView/LearMadness.html

The Purgation of the Hero in Shakespearian Tragedy: http://www.mun.ca/animus/1998vol3/epstein3.htm

Reconsidering Lear: http://www.threepennyreview.com/samples/ignatieff_f98.html

Shakespeare's King Lear and the Nature of Disguise: http://www.e-mago.co.il/e-magazine/kinglear.html

Turn of the Screw, King Lear and Tragedy: http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/connotations/lobb101.htm

If you do not find what you're looking for in the above resources, try the search tips listed below.

  Internet Search Tips

1. Type the URL (web site address) of a search directory/engine in the address box: ex: www.yahoo.com, or www.google.com, etc.
    
2. (Be sure to type the address exactly the way you see it, including any uppercase letters and punctuation).
    
3. Type in keyword(s). (If your keyword has two parts such as: "King Lear", be sure to put quotes around it so that the search engine only finds the Internet sites on old English as opposed to all of the sites containing the word King plus all of the sites containing the word Lear.
    

4. If you would like to search for something specific about King Lear, try a combined keyword search by adding a comma followed by a space and your other search term. For instance; if I wanted to find literary criticisms on Shakespeare's King Lear,  I would enter the following:

   "King Lear", Shakespeare, "literary criticism"

   Hit Enter on your keyboard, or click on Search, then scan the description of the "hits" (entries) and click on the links that sound best.
    

5. Be sure to evaluate each Internet site for the following:
   • Authority: Can you tell if the author is credible (believable)?
   • Objectivity: Is the information objective (honest and free of bias)?
   • Currency: Is the information recent and up-to-date?
   • Design: Is the site designed in a clear and user friendly way?
   • Navigation: Is the site easy to navigate through, and are all links current and usable?

    

6. Remember: if you choose to use any information (text or graphics) found on an Internet source, 
   you must include it in your bibliography.

Remember:  YOU MUST CITE EVERY RESOURCE YOU USED to gather information on your 
Works Cited (Bibliography) page.  Use the Works Cited Guide to access MLA format.

Created by Liza Zandonella, Library Media Specialist.

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