Shakespeare’s Royal Education

Host Dennis Leap gives a special lecture answering the question: Why did Shakespeare write the play King Lear? The answer shows how applicable this play is to today’s social, health and political news.

Host Dennis Leap discusses the role of the fool in Act I, Scene 4. The fool shows Lear in a humorous way how he made such bad decisions to give away his position as king and power to his daughters who actually hate him. My friend from England Richard reads the fool’s lines.

Host Dennis Leap continues his discussion on Shakespeare’s incredible tragedy King Lear. In this podcast, Dennis shows how Gloucester’s illegitimate son, Edmund, lays a trap to steal his legitimate brother Edgar’s legal rights to their father’s estate. He also shows how Lear’s daughter Goneril spurns her father by encouraging her manservant to dishonor and abuse Lear with the plan to force him to go to her sister Regan’s estate. Why? Goneril despises her father, and she and her sister intend to banish him from his family.

Host Dennis Leap discusses the controversy caused by Shakespeare’s play King Lear. A not-so-accomplished writer, Nahum Tate, took Shakespeare’s play and rewrote it to soften the tragic scenes and themes of the play. For a time this play completely replaced Shakespeare’s masterpiece. Tate's play, titled “The History of King Lear,” was staged in 1985 at the Shakespeare Center on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. A proof that modern audiences don’t want to face the tragedy caused by human nature.

Host Dennis Leap, with the assistance of friends from England, finishes reading King Lear’s Act I, Scene 1 and begins Act I, Scene 2. Leap explains Goneril and Regan's scheme against Lear’s authority and Edmund’s scheme to unseat his legitimate brother.

Host Dennis Leap, using the assistance of friends from England, read Act 1, Scene 1 to line 288 of Shakespeare’s greatly acclaimed tragedy King Lear. Leap also provides line-by-line discussion of the play.

Host Dennis Leap explains what you need to do to prepare to read King Lear.

Host Dennis Leap continues to explain why we should be reading and studying William Shakespeare and what you need to do to take part in the podcast.

Host Dennis Leap explains why reading and studying William Shakespeare should be part of modern education.