The Original King Lear By Kathryn Walton Most people today know the story of King Lear from Shakespeare’s tragic play. But the original story actually comes from the medieval period, and it actually has a very happy ending. Shakespeare wrote his famous tale of the tragic King Lear sometime around 1605. Its complex characterizations, story, and poetics reflect all the brilliance of the early modern playwright. But Shakespeare was far from the first to recount the story of this tragic king. The story actually has roots in medieval folk culture and was first written down by the medieval historian Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century. It also presents a rather different image of Lear and his youngest daughter.