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In its poignant depiction of the tragic downfall caused by human nature, ''King Lear'' is considered by some to be Shakespeare's finest artistic achievement.  Everything in this play is perfectly woven together, such that nothing can be removed without detracting significantly from it.

In its poignant depiction of the tragic downfall caused by human nature, ''King Lear'' is considered by some to be Shakespeare's finest artistic achievement.  Everything in this play is perfectly woven together, such that nothing can be removed without detracting significantly from it.

Its performance length is about 3 hours, reflecting its word length of 26,145.

Its performance length is about 3 hours, reflecting its word length of 26,145.  At 250 words per minute, it can be read in less than 6 hours.

Adaptations of ''King Lear'' to give it a happy ending, and thereby make it more popular, include ''The History of King Lear'' (1681) by the English poet Nahum Tate.

Adaptations of ''King Lear'' to give it a happy ending, and thereby make it more popular, include ''The History of King Lear'' (1681) by the English poet Nahum Tate.