King Lear in our TimeThis edition first published in 1966. Previous edition published 1965 by the University of California Press. Perhaps more than any other play of Shakespeare's King Lear has been subjected to almost totally contradictory interpretations. In the first historical section of the book the author describes the varying concepts of the play and the distortions of text and even plot that have been widely used. Garrick's playing of Lear as a pathetic and down-trodden old man. Laughton's and Olivier's versions and Herbert Blaus's theory of the 'subtext' are described and analysed. The central section of the book examines the medieval, folk and romance sources of the play. The final chapter illustrates how the action of the play and its pervading violence and evil are not explained in terms of human motive and rely for their meaning more on their effects than their antecedents. An important theme is the play's examination of society and the ties of service and family love. |
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... fool, to Gloucester's leap and Edmund's duel with a nameless challenger who subsequently proves to be his brother. This is the heady brew of romance, not tragedy. If Polonius had seen a performance of King Lear, we can be sure he would ...
... fool, to Gloucester's leap and Edmund's duel with a nameless challenger who subsequently proves to be his brother. This is the heady brew of romance, not tragedy. If Polonius had seen a performance of King Lear, we can be sure he would ...
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... Fool and all these impossible disguises , failures to recognize and accumulated deaths . " And Brad- ley , who regarded the play as Shakespeare's greatest work but " too huge for the stage , " drew up a long list of gross " improb ...
... Fool and all these impossible disguises , failures to recognize and accumulated deaths . " And Brad- ley , who regarded the play as Shakespeare's greatest work but " too huge for the stage , " drew up a long list of gross " improb ...
Page 5
... fool , to Gloucester's leap and Edmund's duel with a nameless chal- lenger who subsequently proves to be his brother . This is the heady brew of romance , not tragedy . If Polonius had seen a performance of King Lear , we can be sure he ...
... fool , to Gloucester's leap and Edmund's duel with a nameless chal- lenger who subsequently proves to be his brother . This is the heady brew of romance , not tragedy . If Polonius had seen a performance of King Lear , we can be sure he ...
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action actor appears aspect audience authority become beginning believe blind bring Brook brother calls cause century character choice close comes Cordelia critic daughters death Dover drama earlier Edgar Edmund effect Elizabethan experience express fact father feeling figure finally follow Fool Garrick give given Gloucester Gloucester's Goneril Hamlet hand heath human imagination John Kent kind King Lear language Lear's letter lines lives London looks man's meaning meets mind Morality nature never notes Observer once onstage opening passion performance perhaps play play's plot poor possible present problem production question relation remains restored Review role scene seems seen sense Shakespeare shows society sound speaks speech stage storm story studied suffering suggest Tate Tate's tell theatre theme things tion tragedy true turn virtue whole