king lear??????? (1 Viewer)

[sarah87]

Does any1 know the context of peter brook's production?
r interpretations/ readings/productions the same thing?

 

[trinx32]

yeah interpretations and that are the same thing. you have to show knowledge of different perspectives of king lear.

dunno anythin about peter brook's context tho, sorry. im struggling with king lear as it is :S

 

[mazza_728]

Peter Brooks production of King lear was based on the theatre of the absurd which displayed life as futile and meaningless, this was conveyed through Brook's production by the minimalist staging etc. The production was introduced after World War 2 in Europe where everyone had been affected by the war somehow, so they connected deeply with Brook's production. When it was introduced in the States however aparently it was a complete flop because no one could connect with the play and its context, you can introduce this point when talking about the importance of context i suppose. Interestingly the productions politics remained fairly neutral. It merely echoed Post World War 2 in Europe and the futility of existence.. or something??
Hope that helps, a bit
good luck xoxo

 

[Living_Legend]

Productions and readings are the same in that they show differing views on the play. Readings/interpretations = feminism, nihilistic, etc. Productions = actual performanes of Lear which put their own spin on the play.

 

[silvermoon]

exactly - whilst a prosuction and its reading are two separate things, you'll be talking about both of them together in thsi module.

 

[little_red_fox]

Just think of Brooks as being influenced by the horrors of world war 2 - like the others said, focus on ideas such as mans inhumanity to man - i.e concentration camps

 

[ujuphleg]

Peter Brooks Nihilistic reading of King Lear was based on the theories of Jan Kott, a Polish literature professor.

Kott lived an incredibly dark life. He was Jewish, suffered under Stalin.

Kott fought against the Nazis during World War II. He saw a distinct parallel between the world in King Lear and the modern world. Both were worlds of tyranny, despair, cruelty and violence. He argued that Shakespeare was incredibly modern in his bleak view of humanity.

He saw the characters process as the inexorable (irreversible) and as a journey into hell.

Brook picked up these ideas in 1962 in a production by the Royal Shakespearean Company. It was an absurdist production with no hope or redemption what-so-ever.

He cut the following
* Servants who help Gloucester after his eyes are plucked out
* Edmund’s repenting lines to try and stop Cordelia’s death

He cut all notes of hope from the text.

Paul Schofield played Lear. He was absolutely cold and austere. The final image was of Edgar dragging away the corpses and a stage smeared in blood.

*** In the hostile universe Brook created, nature and the gods were indifferent to human suffering. (Note: PERFECT link here to Gloucester’s line: “As flies to wanton boys are we to th’ gods/They kill us for their sport. (I’d check the lines, I’m pretty sure they are correct, but double check))

good luck.