Ian Pollack’s Illustrated King Lear

As flies are to wanton boys, so are we to th’ they kill us for their sports, howls King Lear. In artist Ian Pollock’s surreal interpretation of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, the abstract wail of “the unaccomodated man” is dramatized in subtle shadings of the old king’s anguish.

Every line of dialogue is preserved, and every scene is illustrated in full-color panels arranged on the page in comic book format. As Lear loses his crown, his daughters, his youth, and his dignity, Pollack’s paintings keep pace, raising the tension to the level of live performance, and making the nuances of speech and action vividly clear. Pollack’s rendition of King Lear is an invaluable aid to both veteran and potential Shakespeare readers.