Interpretations od King Lear Essay

KING LEAR ESSAY:

Every individual brings their own cultural baggage to the interpretation of a text; it is now considered that there is no one or absolute reading of a text, but rather a myriad of interpretations. Due to the rich and layered complexity of Shakespeares King Lear, issues relating to our recent past and present can be raised through different interpretations and presentations of the play thus allowing it to remain contemporary. King Lear can be interpreted as a family drama and a play about Christian values and ideals. The Russian director Kozinstev presents a Christian interpretation of the play as he adapts issues from the play to a timeless Russian society, while Elliots version can be viewed as a familial reading of the play focusing on the tension in the parent-child relationship. The Opening scene; Act 1 Scene 1 and the Concluding Scene; Act 5 Scene 1 provide entry points with which to discuss these contrasting interpretations of the play. Both directors use particular dramatic elements and filmic techniques to highlight their interpretation of the play.

King Lear has often been interpreted as a play concerned with the functioning and disfunctioning of the family unit. A family drama reading is characterised by themes such as sibling rivalry, the relationship between the parent and the child and the demise of the family unit. This can be seen in Act 1 scene 1 when the play proves devoid of any natural justice as Lear aims to use a love test to decide which daughter dove love us most. Lear meets his darker purpose and proclaims that we have divided in three our kingdom which ultimately destroys both the kingdom and the family. Shakespeare emphasises Goneril and Regans falsity in their proclamation of love to their father in order to claim the best part of the kingdom for themselves. It is in this way that the audience becomes aware of the rivalry between them as they compete for their fathers affections and wealth. Goneril claims that she loves her father more than word can wield the matter; dearer than eyesight, space and liberty. The imagery and use of exaggerated and descriptive language displays the power Lear holds as king and as father. The power Lear holds over Goneril and Regan is not initially evident in the relationship between Lear and Cordelia. When Lear commands Cordelia to speak she answers that she cannot heave [her] heart into [her] mouth. Cordelia refuses to conform to what he father commands and thus proves to be the dominating individual in the relationship. Ultimately, Lear exerts his authority over his daughter in banishing her and disinheriting her for her disobedience, here I disclaim all my parental care Thus, Act 1 scene 1 contributes to the familial interpretation of the play and is a crucial scene when examining the play in terms of this reading.

The opening scene contextualises the play as a family drama; however Act 2 Scene 4 furthers the change in the parent/child relationship. Goneril and Regans behaviour to their father demonstrates the demise of the family unit. In retaliation to the horrific treatment from his daughters Lear exclaims, But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter; or rather a disease thats in my flesh. This statement from Lear exemplifies the breakdown of the family unit as he explicitly states that well no more meet again. In order to meet the true dramatic impact of Lears anger, Shakespeare employs allusions of flesh, to reinforce the cruel nature of the daughters as they are treating their own flesh and blood in this manner. The allusion also gives implications to birth and maternal care in which provides the necessary dramatic imagery for the play to reach its theatrical climax. In Act 3 Scene 4 Lears suffering as a parent reaches its pinnacle. In order to express Lears agony and torment Shakespeare employs intense descriptive and dramatic language, Lear states whilst in a fit of rage, Nothing could have subdued nature to such a lowness but his unkind daughtersdiscarded fathers should have thus little mercy on their flesh? Shakespeare again refers to the allusion of flesh as he attempts to re-engage in the cruelty of Goneril and Regan as they abuse their own father, a patent act of filial ingratitude.

Michael Elliots 1984 production of King Lear can be seen to reflect this interpretation of the play as the film focuses on family tension and disorder. In the opening scene the power and importance placed on Lear as father figure and as king is portrayed through music, as with his entrance a trumpet sounds. His supremacy is also depicted through his costume as he wears extravagant regal attire such as a crown encapsulated with diamonds and gold, a purple cloak which though its colour symbolically represents his regality. Lear supremacy within the family is depicted as when Regan approaches Lear to express her love to him she kneels before him, kisses his feet and then kisses his hand several times. Elliot uses the map as a materialistic representation of Lears love for his daughters and the prevailing demise of the kingdom. Lear carelessly walks all over the map, which can be seen as a visual representation of his lack of judgement over his family and the kingdom. Thus, the opening scene in Elliots production depicts the play as a family drama emphasising the conflict within the family and the power imbalances between the parent and child.

In addition King Lear can be viewed through a Christian reading of the play. The emergence of Christian interpretations can be viewed as a reassertion of divine order, moral causality and justice in the chaotic intellectual climate. The fact that Christian readings have arisen throughout the 20th century, despite the fact that the play was conceived in the 17th century, demonstrates King Lears universal appeal. The Christian ideas of the divine order and moral causality can be viewed in the concluding scene (5:1) of King Lear. Christian critiques argue that in the concluding scene Lear dies in an agony of ecstasy with Lears lines at the end of the play, Look on her! Look on her lips, reflecting the victory of love and justice of divine will on earth. Shakespeares use of imagery and descriptive language can be seen to contribute to a Christian reading as the intense imagery reiterates Christ-like and angelic representations of Cordelia. Cordelia is portrayed as having divine presence. In Act 4 Scene 6 Cordelia is said to redeem nature from the general curse that the behaviour of Goneril, Regan and Lear have brought down. This curse also alludes to the Biblical Fall of Man, brought about by Adam and Eves disobedience, a general curse from which mankind is delivered only by a Christ-like redeeming figure, which in the play Cordelia embodies. This is particularly evident in the concluding scene when Lear wakes from his curative sleep and believing himself to have died and gone to hell, greets Cordelia as a soul in bliss. Cordelias altruistic line, O dear father, it is thy business that I go about, is a direct allusion to Christ in its comparison to Luke 2.49: knew ye not that I go about my fathers business? Cordelia therefore serves as an allegorical function in the play, as she represents all that is whole, right and virtuous. Thus the Christian analysis of the play reinforces the fact that King Lear lends itself to myriad readings which prove relevant and pertinent in our modern times.

Grigory Kozinstevs film version of King Lear espouses the idea that the play has universal appeal as it can be viewed as a Christian reading of the original text. The concluding scene makes direct allusions to a Christian reading as the chaotic and dramatic nature of the scene represents the painful yet restorative function of death. Kozinstev uses loud and dramatic sounds to emphasise the chaotic nature of the scene, however all the noises come to a halt when Lear sees Cordelias dead corpse, emphasising his pian that Cordelia has, gone forever. The costume and lighting used also alludes to a Christian reading as Cordelia, dressed in white and presented in a soft and ethereal light, is juxtaposed with Lear and the other surrounding figures, who are dressed in black and presented in dark shadows. Cordelia; is presented throughout as virtuous and angelic, and appears to have been rescued by death and transported away from the dark world. In Act 4 Scene 7 Cordelia returns and acts metaphorically as Lears salvation and redeeming figure. The set Kozinstev has chosen appears to be a direct allusion to Jesus at Bethlehem. As Lear awakes and finds himself in a barrel of hay symbolically alluding to Jesus birth. This allusion represents Lear as renewed from his past sins and having grasped a new and intellectual understanding on life. The quite nature of the scene and lack of music emphasises the intimacy and closeness shared by Lear and Cordelia as they reunite in a peaceful and tender moment.