This sourcebook clearly introduces the many critical issues surrounding this complex and haunting play. Ioppolo examines sources from Holinshed to Spenser, and in the Interpretations section looks at critical readings and notable performances of the play. These range from early critical responses and performances to recent stage and screen interpretations. Edited key passages connect the play to its contexts and criticism, providing both a guide to and a new perspective on King Lear. Careful annotation explains Shakespeare's language. This is the ideal introduction for undergraduates, providing orientation in the play, its reception history and the critical material that surrounds it.