▁King ▁Lear , ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁British ▁legend , ▁as ▁is ▁the ▁roman c ▁C ym b eline , ▁King ▁of ▁Britain , ▁which ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁An cient ▁Britain . ▁ ▁Other ▁play w right s ▁contemporary ▁to ▁Shakespeare , ▁such ▁as ▁Christopher ▁Mar low e , ▁also ▁dram at ized ▁historical ▁topics . ▁Mar low e ▁wrote ▁Edward ▁the ▁Second ▁which ▁de als ▁with ▁the ▁de position ▁of ▁King ▁Edward ▁II ▁by ▁his ▁bar ons ▁and ▁the ▁Queen , ▁who ▁res ent ▁the ▁und ue ▁influence ▁the ▁king ' s ▁favour ites ▁have ▁in ▁court ▁and ▁state ▁affairs , ▁and ▁ ▁The ▁Mass acre ▁at ▁Paris , ▁which ▁dram at izes ▁the ▁events ▁of ▁the ▁Saint ▁Bar th ol ome w ' s ▁Day ▁Mass acre ▁in ▁France ▁in ▁ 1 5 7 2 . ▁Mar low e ' s ▁Tamb ur la ine ▁the ▁Great ▁( 1 5 8 7 ▁or ▁ 1 5 8 8 ) ▁is ▁a ▁play ▁in ▁two ▁parts , ▁lo os ely ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁Asian ▁em peror , ▁Tim ur ▁" the ▁l ame ". ▁ ▁History ▁plays ▁also ▁appear ▁elsewhere ▁in ▁other ▁western ▁literature . ▁The ▁German ▁authors ▁Go ethe ▁and ▁Sch iller ▁wrote ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁historical ▁plays , ▁including ▁Go ethe ' s ▁Eg mont ▁( 1 7 8 8 ), ▁which ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁and ▁is ▁heavily ▁influenced ▁by ▁Shakespeare an ▁tra ged y , ▁and ▁Sch iller '