How might different productions dramatise the struggle between chaos and order in King Lear?
             By Lana Elise Benson (written in 50 minutes, as instructed)
             William Shakespeare's King Lear tells the story of one king who, upon deciding to divide his kingdom amongst his three daughters, is gradually driven to madness by their callous treatment and inhumane behaviour. Throughout the years there have been many productions of this particular text and each individual production has the opportunity to interpret the play in a unique way. The most common readings of King Lear are redemptive, that being the traditional way people study it, and feminist, an interpretation that has enjoyed growing popularity in recent years as female roles in society evolve. The play deals with the issues of appearance versus reality, madness and good versus evil. However, the struggle between chaos and order is one theme which has been chosen to be dramatised in many ways in the different productions.
             The redemptive elucidation of this text could depict the struggle between chaos and order as being relative to the demise of the kingdom due to Lear's lapse and subsequent treatment by his two eldest daughters. As the play focuses heavily on nature and the role it plays on human behaviour, the concept of celestial versus terrestrial could be expressed. This would become evident in the storm scene, where Lear is enraged and curses his deceitful offspring for their cruel actions. The availability of special effects could contribute to the representation of this scene in that lightning, thunder and rain would be particularly effective when expressing the intensifying rage engulfing Lear.
             Chaos, order and the battle between the two extremes vary according to the particular production. In the case of Brian Blessed's 1998 film, the setting is Pagan and hence, strong emphasis is placed on the moon and the power it has on human conduct. In the first
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