King Lear disliked its dark and depressing tone, but since the 19th century Shakespeare's original version has been regarded as one of his supreme achievements. The tragedy is particularly noted for its probing observations on the nature of human suffering and kinship. George Bernard Shaw wrote, "No man will ever write a better tragedy than Lear." King Lear of Britain, elderly and wanting to retire from the duties of the monarchy, decides to divide his realm among his three daughters, and declares he will offer the largest share to the one who loves him most. The eldest, Goneril, speaks first, declaring her
Spelling of Shakespeare's name (1602) and the second of "King Lear" (1619). The name printed at the end of the poem "The Phoenix and the Turtle", which was published in a collection of verse in 1601, is hyphenated, as is the name on the title page of "Shake-speares Sonnets" (1609). It is used in the cast list of Ben Jonson's "Sejanus His Fall", and in six literary allusions published between 1594 and 1623. The un-hyphenated spelling "Shakespeare" (or Shakeſpeare, with a long s) appears on 22 of the 58 quartos. It is spelled this way in the first quartos of "The Merchant of Venice"