Cover of King Lear

King Lear

by William Shakespeare

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Assigned across 2 curriculum lists

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

King Lear by William Shakespeare is assigned in US schools at grades 11–12. It appears across 2 curriculum references, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where King Lear is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades 11–12
Age range
Ages 15–18
Pages
368
Reading time
about 6h 45m (est.)
First published
1606
Genre
Drama
ISBN-13
9780743482769

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More formats & details

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About this book

Shakespeare's tragedy follows an aging king who divides his kingdom by how loudly his daughters profess their love, banishing the one who truly loves him. His error unleashes betrayal, madness, and ruin across two families. A standard grades 11-12 and AP text for studying tragedy, power, family, and the limits of authority.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like King Lear→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Drama title, typically at grades 11–12. Written in the 1600s; pairs with curriculum units on family and power; cited across 2 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

family · power · betrayal · madness · aging

Content notes

violence

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is King Lear?
King Lear is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 11–12. It appears on 2 school reading lists. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read King Lear?
It takes about 6h 45m to read King Lear (368 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 405 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign King Lear?
King Lear appears on reading lists for AP English Literature & Composition, IB Diploma Programme — English A: Literature. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is King Lear banned in schools?
King Lear has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 1 state (TX) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.
What themes does King Lear explore?
Central themes in King Lear include family, power, betrayal, madness, aging.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 11–12 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records
Documented as challenged or removed in 1 state per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans — see the full banned & challenged books list.
Seasonal / contextual tags
No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.

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