KingLear
Compose an argument for or against the topic: 'That every text has its use by date'.Shakespeare's King Lear is a play which carries universal literary qualities: the themes, the structure and the language. It is a play filled with a mixture of complexities and ambiguities, and deals with an ever so clear story line where it is almost fairy tale like - a father who has 3 daughters decides one day to split up his kingdom but wants to know how much they love him... and so on. The text is structured in such several ways such as the decent from order to chaos, the two paralleling plots of Lear and his three daughters and Gloucester and his two sons, the contrasting of themes of appearance and reality and also good vs. evil. The story line could be produced and represented in so many differing perspectives. It could be turned into totally juxtaposing interpretations yet still carry just as much meaning. Due to this, it can prove that every text does not have a use by date.In 1971, Peter Brook decided to direct King Lear as a film, after his successful absurdist interpretation as a play in 1962. This film was framed in a nihilist interpretation after Brook decided to use Beckett's (an absurd
By using black and white, it creates the atmosphere of bleakness surrounds which envelops Albion. Brook's use of black and white film is the start of emphasising this particular nihilist meaning. They will have angular faces and black make-up to show their rawness and ingratitude. If I was to stage this, the drama would see Lear's pain and outrage as an enhanced version of traumas most parents feel during conflicts with their children. So through these different interpretations, the original Shakespearean play has been reproduced several times carrying just as much worth and value as the other. Eyre's interpretation involves family interactions, which also reflects the western taste for drama. the dull dress of the other characters. It could suggest the importance of family ties. It could be said that the division of the kingdom by Lear is a metaphor for the division of a strict feudal system. A psychological interpretation is also good to justify Gloucester's frivolous attitude towards Edmond, commenting on 'good sport at his making' and also at Lear's irresponsible announcement of dividing the kingdom into three according to how much his daughters loved him. Regan and Gonerill will be dressed similarly to each other, in a dress with a deep hue of red. The camera blues momentarily which may represent the greyish blur between good and evil affecting our perceptions of justice as well as blindness within Lear. Because King Lear is a text filled with such complexity and ambiguity, it can be recreated over and over again. The minimalist set design reflects strongly the theme of 'nothing' that recurs throughout the play: "Nothing will come of nothing".
Common topics in this essay:
King Lear,
Regan Gonerill,
Furthermore Eyre,
Paul Schofield,
Regan Cornwall's,
Gonerill Regan,
Cordelia Lear,
Texts Compose,
Richard Eyre,
king lear,
Elizabethan English,
kingdom lear,
story line,
brook decided,
nihilist interpretation,
division kingdom,
regan gonerill,
black white,
psychological interpretation,
lear knights,
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Acceptance Essays
