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'interpretations of texts can shift with time and place.'
Considering your time and place, reflect on the ways in whch context has shaped your critical interpretation of King Lear.
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could some/any/every one review my essay and help me with any hints/tips!! this is for my half yearlys on wednesday!!! thanks in advance!!:burn:
William Shakespeare wrote his famous tragedy King Lear over 400 years ago, yet it is still a valid piece of drama today. How is this possible? What are the themes that allow it to still have universal appeal? How do interpretations of King Lear change due to the time and place they were written? The following essay will answer these questions.
The universality of the themes in King Lear is the reason why it has stood the test of time and is still a successful piece of drama 400 years later. The main themes are justice, madness, the downfall of characters due to their weaknesses, family relationships and their breakdown in the face of power.
What many audiences have found hard to accept is that not only do the ‘evil’ characters come to their demise but even the ‘good’ characters end up dying. This is a gross injustice as seen in Cordelia. She was wronged by her father at the start, had the humanity to forgive him and care for him, only to be cruelly hanged at the end. This is an example of traditional Shakespearean tragedies, that is, innocent characters often end up being killed. Edmonds murdering by the brother he deceived at the start is an example of poetic justice. Edmond reveals in his dying moments ‘the wheel is come full circle’, as his acceptance of his own justice.
Lear’s madness is seen on three different levels- psychological- his loss of sanity, natural- the mirroring of the rampaging storm to Lear’s state of mind, and social- the political madness of abdicating his throne. His downfall comes due to his vulnerabilities, his need for his ego to be flattered, his need for power and his inability to foresee outcomes. In the opening love trial between his daughters all these vulnerabilities are played out. His need for his daughters to confess their undying love to him is an example of his ego needing to be flattered and his high valuing of power. This results in his inability to recognise truth and sincerity and ultimately the demise of the Kingdom.
The family relationships between Lear, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia and Gloucester, Edmond and Edgar are the basis for the play. At the beginning both Lear and Gloucester seem to be in control of happy, normal families. But by the end of scene 1, Lear’s family has been torn apart and we learn that Edmond is actually a bastard. It is portrayed in King Lear that family problems often lead to wider national and cosmic disruption, as seen by the storm in act 3 and the loss of social order. Edmond has the ability to totally betray his father and brother in the possibility of gaining more power. As do Regan and Goneril. They plot against Lear at the start of the play but by the end, they are warring against each other to try and gain the others division. They also betray their husbands to contend for Edmonds love, all to gain more power and wealth.
When Shakespeare wrote King Lear, England was under the ruling of King James. Scotland and England had just successfully been joined under the one crown and there was a state of peace. Critics have said Shakespeare’s inspirations may’ve been drawn from the local gossip at the time about Sir William Allen and Sir Brian Annesley. Allen was a former Lord Mayor of London and had divided his estate between his three daughters in his old age and he was to reside alternately between them. However, the daughters, after acquiring the wealth, treated their father with disrespect and resented having to look after him. Annesley was also brought to his downfall by his eldest daughter who tried to have him certified as a lunatic so she could inherit the wealth and estate. His youngest daughter Cordell defended her father in court saying it was unjust to ruin him in his old age. It also is heavily influenced by ‘The True Chronicle History of King Leir’, which was first performed in the 1590s and an episode from ‘Arcadia’ by Sir Philip Sidney.
Many of the actions in the play performed by King Lear would have gone against the natural order in the Jacobean era. The abdication of his throne and division of land was foolish as it was believed Kings sacred duty was to keep their country intact. Women were not given any power and it was blasphemous to disobey the King.
To counteract the distruption the play was causing in society, Nahum Tate rewrote Lear with a different, less tragic ending in 1681. In this ending Lear, Gloucester and Kent survive into old age and Cordelia and Edgar become a romantic couple who go on to rule the kingdom. The ‘evil’ characters, Edmond, Regan and Goneril still die but this is seen as poetic justice. This version was used for 150 years until 19th century when it was replaced by the original. Even this version was still seen as too confronting on some occasions such as the mirroring storyline of King George III’s mental derangement.
Jacobean audiences would have viewed the play with very different reactions to modern audiences. Things such as illegitimacy and insanity had much greater weight in that time so Lear’s inclusion of these topics could’ve been seen as a political message. Madness was treated with much less sympathy than it is today, yet it is a very strong theme in the play.
Studying King Lear in 2006, 400 years after it was written means that the context it which it was written has totally changed. Interpreting King Lear in a modern day context means you must consider what Shakespeare was trying to achieve when writing Lear, and also whether it is still relevant today. Of course the issues concerning human relationships and psychology remain current, but the cultural differences are quite strong. Also political issues such as the Kings divine right and society’s nightmare that the world would be turned upside down resulting it utter chaos, were more significant in Shakespearian times. The political weight of Lear dividing his kingdom up between his daughters is not really understood by modern audiences as today women are treated with the same equality as men so the resulting total break down of social order is confounding. Similarly, the issue of Edmonds status as a ‘bastard’, which leads him to his betrayal of the King and his evil manipulation, is not fully understood by modern audiences as illegitimacy is not a disgraceful position is modern culture. My interpretation of King Lear as a political and social struggle due to the betrayal of family has only been realised due to the modern day context I am viewing it in.
In conclusion, the context in which King Lear has been viewed has always effected it’s reception. During the Jacobean era, audiences were shocked by the utter tragedy of the ending as well as the madness of King Lear’s actions. This resulted in Nahum Tate’s less tragic version being performed for over 150 years. Modern day audiences have returned to the original version, though often with modern interpretations and a different context.
Considering your time and place, reflect on the ways in whch context has shaped your critical interpretation of King Lear.
__________________________________________________
could some/any/every one review my essay and help me with any hints/tips!! this is for my half yearlys on wednesday!!! thanks in advance!!:burn:
William Shakespeare wrote his famous tragedy King Lear over 400 years ago, yet it is still a valid piece of drama today. How is this possible? What are the themes that allow it to still have universal appeal? How do interpretations of King Lear change due to the time and place they were written? The following essay will answer these questions.
The universality of the themes in King Lear is the reason why it has stood the test of time and is still a successful piece of drama 400 years later. The main themes are justice, madness, the downfall of characters due to their weaknesses, family relationships and their breakdown in the face of power.
What many audiences have found hard to accept is that not only do the ‘evil’ characters come to their demise but even the ‘good’ characters end up dying. This is a gross injustice as seen in Cordelia. She was wronged by her father at the start, had the humanity to forgive him and care for him, only to be cruelly hanged at the end. This is an example of traditional Shakespearean tragedies, that is, innocent characters often end up being killed. Edmonds murdering by the brother he deceived at the start is an example of poetic justice. Edmond reveals in his dying moments ‘the wheel is come full circle’, as his acceptance of his own justice.
Lear’s madness is seen on three different levels- psychological- his loss of sanity, natural- the mirroring of the rampaging storm to Lear’s state of mind, and social- the political madness of abdicating his throne. His downfall comes due to his vulnerabilities, his need for his ego to be flattered, his need for power and his inability to foresee outcomes. In the opening love trial between his daughters all these vulnerabilities are played out. His need for his daughters to confess their undying love to him is an example of his ego needing to be flattered and his high valuing of power. This results in his inability to recognise truth and sincerity and ultimately the demise of the Kingdom.
The family relationships between Lear, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia and Gloucester, Edmond and Edgar are the basis for the play. At the beginning both Lear and Gloucester seem to be in control of happy, normal families. But by the end of scene 1, Lear’s family has been torn apart and we learn that Edmond is actually a bastard. It is portrayed in King Lear that family problems often lead to wider national and cosmic disruption, as seen by the storm in act 3 and the loss of social order. Edmond has the ability to totally betray his father and brother in the possibility of gaining more power. As do Regan and Goneril. They plot against Lear at the start of the play but by the end, they are warring against each other to try and gain the others division. They also betray their husbands to contend for Edmonds love, all to gain more power and wealth.
When Shakespeare wrote King Lear, England was under the ruling of King James. Scotland and England had just successfully been joined under the one crown and there was a state of peace. Critics have said Shakespeare’s inspirations may’ve been drawn from the local gossip at the time about Sir William Allen and Sir Brian Annesley. Allen was a former Lord Mayor of London and had divided his estate between his three daughters in his old age and he was to reside alternately between them. However, the daughters, after acquiring the wealth, treated their father with disrespect and resented having to look after him. Annesley was also brought to his downfall by his eldest daughter who tried to have him certified as a lunatic so she could inherit the wealth and estate. His youngest daughter Cordell defended her father in court saying it was unjust to ruin him in his old age. It also is heavily influenced by ‘The True Chronicle History of King Leir’, which was first performed in the 1590s and an episode from ‘Arcadia’ by Sir Philip Sidney.
Many of the actions in the play performed by King Lear would have gone against the natural order in the Jacobean era. The abdication of his throne and division of land was foolish as it was believed Kings sacred duty was to keep their country intact. Women were not given any power and it was blasphemous to disobey the King.
To counteract the distruption the play was causing in society, Nahum Tate rewrote Lear with a different, less tragic ending in 1681. In this ending Lear, Gloucester and Kent survive into old age and Cordelia and Edgar become a romantic couple who go on to rule the kingdom. The ‘evil’ characters, Edmond, Regan and Goneril still die but this is seen as poetic justice. This version was used for 150 years until 19th century when it was replaced by the original. Even this version was still seen as too confronting on some occasions such as the mirroring storyline of King George III’s mental derangement.
Jacobean audiences would have viewed the play with very different reactions to modern audiences. Things such as illegitimacy and insanity had much greater weight in that time so Lear’s inclusion of these topics could’ve been seen as a political message. Madness was treated with much less sympathy than it is today, yet it is a very strong theme in the play.
Studying King Lear in 2006, 400 years after it was written means that the context it which it was written has totally changed. Interpreting King Lear in a modern day context means you must consider what Shakespeare was trying to achieve when writing Lear, and also whether it is still relevant today. Of course the issues concerning human relationships and psychology remain current, but the cultural differences are quite strong. Also political issues such as the Kings divine right and society’s nightmare that the world would be turned upside down resulting it utter chaos, were more significant in Shakespearian times. The political weight of Lear dividing his kingdom up between his daughters is not really understood by modern audiences as today women are treated with the same equality as men so the resulting total break down of social order is confounding. Similarly, the issue of Edmonds status as a ‘bastard’, which leads him to his betrayal of the King and his evil manipulation, is not fully understood by modern audiences as illegitimacy is not a disgraceful position is modern culture. My interpretation of King Lear as a political and social struggle due to the betrayal of family has only been realised due to the modern day context I am viewing it in.
In conclusion, the context in which King Lear has been viewed has always effected it’s reception. During the Jacobean era, audiences were shocked by the utter tragedy of the ending as well as the madness of King Lear’s actions. This resulted in Nahum Tate’s less tragic version being performed for over 150 years. Modern day audiences have returned to the original version, though often with modern interpretations and a different context.
