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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... nature of that problem by coming at the play from three historical directions. The first chapter will consider some aspects of its stage history, since, actable or not, King Lear has a long line of famous performances behind it in which ...
... nature of that problem by coming at the play from three historical directions. The first chapter will consider some aspects of its stage history, since, actable or not, King Lear has a long line of famous performances behind it in which ...
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... nature of Edgar's disguise , the implausibility that neither his disguise nor Kent's is seen through , the fact that Gloucester is blinded for his treason instead of being killed , and the " almost babyish " goings on , as one reviewer ...
... nature of Edgar's disguise , the implausibility that neither his disguise nor Kent's is seen through , the fact that Gloucester is blinded for his treason instead of being killed , and the " almost babyish " goings on , as one reviewer ...
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... nature of that problem by coming at the play from three historical directions . The first chapter will consider some aspects of its stage history , since , actable or not , King Lear has a long line of famous performances be- hind it in ...
... nature of that problem by coming at the play from three historical directions . The first chapter will consider some aspects of its stage history , since , actable or not , King Lear has a long line of famous performances be- hind it in ...
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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