lear

lear — noun

1. the main character of Shakespeare's play King Lear: an old British king who divi

1.nounC1
Definition

the main character of Shakespeare's play King Lear: an old British king who divides his kingdom among his daughters based on how well they praise him. The two who lie to please him later turn against him; he goes mad and is left broken before a final meeting with the one daughter who really loved him.

Example

Yael wrote her thesis on the theme of madness in King Lear.

The actor playing Lear forgot his lines during the storm scene.

theatre usage: 'playing Lear' as a shorthand for the role

Common collocations
  • King Lear
  • Shakespeare's Lear

Usage Note

Always refers to the Shakespeare character or adaptations of the play. Do not confuse with Edward Lear (1812–1888), the English poet and painter known for nonsense verse such as The Owl and the Pussycat.

Common Mistakes

Lear wrote The Owl and the Pussycat.
Edward Lear wrote The Owl and the Pussycat.
King Lear is the Shakespeare character; Edward Lear is the Victorian nonsense poet and painter.

Etymology

Old WelshMedieval LatinEnglish

The name Lear traces back to the legendary British king Leir, first recorded in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-century Historia Regum Britanniae. Shakespeare adapted the story around 1605, transforming it into one of his greatest tragedies. The character has no known historical basis and is considered part of Britain's mythological pre-Roman heritage.

First known use

13th century

13th century, in the meaning defined above