Nahum Tate

He published a poem on the Trinity entitled Ter Tria,[4] as well as some sermons, two of which he dedicated to Oliver and Henry Cromwell.

His version of William Shakespeare's Richard II altered the names of the characters, and changed the text so that every scene, he wrote, was "full of respect to Majesty and the dignity of courts"; in spite of these precautions, though, The Sicilian Usurper (1681), as his adaptation was called, was suppressed on the third performance on account of a possible political interpretation.

This version concludes with several happy endings with a presumed marriage between Cordelia and Edgar, for Lear (who regains his throne) and Kent.

[8] Although Joseph Addison protested at this mutilation of Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson defended the poetic justice of Tate's adaptation.

His Cuckold's Haven (performed 1685 at the Theatre Royal) was derived from Chapman and John Marston's Eastward Ho.

[6] A supplement was licensed in 1703 that included the Christmas carol "While shepherds watched their flocks", one of a number of hymns by Tate.

[10] Musical interludes were sung by cast members during the act breaks, accompanied by a harpsichord in the orchestra pit.

In the summer of 2021, the Tate version of King Lear was performed by the NY Classical Theatre in four New York City outdoor locations.