Shakespeare

A close study of the text itself was used as a foundation for assisting students to understand the work of directors and the composers of literary criticism. The close study focused on key scenes that students could use in discussion of key issues in the play, a performance they have seen or a reading they have studied. Performance was studied before students considered readings in the belief that students will remember what they have seen quiet strongly. The readings studied have been selected so that they reinforce the performances students experienced and are those which are the intellectual background to the director's work. Students should then be able to make the connections from their own close study to the work of directors and literary critics and strengthen their own understanding of the text.

Students focus on six key scenes which provide a foundation for their own understanding of the text and then their study of production and critical reading of the text.

Where possible students are taken to a professional performance and make a close study of a filmed version of their text. Students focus in particular on what the director has done in mounting a performance, in particular to the scenes that formed part of their own close study of the text.

Students are introduced to the concept of 'readings' and focus on readings that are related to the performances they have studied and the key scenes from their own close study.

Close study of text with a focus on key scenes

Act 1 Scene 1 - the scene in which the whole play is set up for both the main plot, revolving around Lear, and the sub plot, revolving around Gloucester.

Act 2 Scene 4

Act 3 Scene 4

Act 3 Scene 6

Act 4 Scene 6

Act 5 Scene 3

In addition there are resources on:

a definition of tragedy
literary terms useful to a study of King Lear
a series of worksheets for a close study of King Lear.

Production of text on stage and film

Students saw one live production, viewed one film interpretation and viewed a series of workshops conducted by Fiona Shaw:

King Lear, dir. Michael Piggott

http://harlos.sitesuite.com.au/12550.html

King Lear, dir. Peter Brook

http://www.learmedia.ca/product_info.php/products_id/30

http://www.bardolatry.com/kinglear.htm

Open University, Shakespeare: Text and Performance - King Lear: Text and Performance

( a workshop approach to King Lear that meets all the needs of this course in regard to performance and critical readings.)

http://www.ouw.co.uk/bin/ouwsdll.dll?COURSEAA306_Literature

They focused on one production they saw and the film interpretation (Peter Brook). These also reflected critical readings of the text and supported the last stage in their study. These productions of their text differed sufficiently to be 'memorable' to students.

Follow the links to

terms useful to a study of productions of King Lear
worksheets for the study of productions of King Lear.

Critical readings of the text

Students' study of 'readings' was linked to the productions they saw. Queen Lere, the production, was supported by looking at a feminist reading of King Lear.

King Lear, the filmed version directed by Peter brook, was supported by Jan Kott's reading in his book, Shakespeare Our Contemporary.

A reading that was accessible to students because of the nature of changes it made to the original was Nahum Tate's version of King Lear. Students found it easier to discuss the benefits of a happier ending given the context of Tate's version. They were also better prepared, having read it, to examine Shakespeare's intentions in his text. They were also able to evaluate Shakespeare's use of language against Tate's language.

Akira Kurasawa's Ran, also makes significant changes to King Lear. The play is transported to medieval Japan with the necessary cultural changes. The roles of Goneril, Regan and Cordelia also become male. The striking differences made discussion of issues of production accessible to students and the changed context made the idea of 'reading' clear.