King Lear

King Lear was a play by William Shakespeare. The First Doctor witnessed its debut performance and later reflected that Richard Burbage was a good actor, but "rubbish at portraying old men crushed by the delicious uncertainties of life".

When he was woken by James, asking "Now good sir, what are you?", the Doctor noted the irony and quoted the play in saying: "a poor man made tame to fortune's blows". (PDA: Byzantium!)