King Lear practise essays (1 Viewer)

[And?]

Hey everyone,
I was looking through the forum for practise king lear essays but didnt find any so thought id start a thread. Please add on any previous HSC, trial, half yearly etc exam question that you have.
Cheers
And

2004 Trial HSC Catholic Paper
'A particular emphasis on the roles of Lear's daughters has been a feature of a number of modern productions of King Lear.'
How valid are such interpretations of the play?

 

[SmokedSalmon]

Forgot where they are from, good luck in the HSC everyone.

William Shakespeare, King Lear: (Critical)

1. “King Lear is a play that explores the ideas and issues that are particularly relevant for contemporary society.” Select one idea or issue that you feel is particularly relevant for contemporary society and discuss how a production of the play for a contemporary audience might represent this. How would this production challenge, or reflect on, the representation of this idea or issue in one other production with which you are familiar.
2. What is your preferred personal interpretation of the text you have studied? Justify your interpretation by comparing it with alternative interpretations. (I.e. Peter Brooks, Bondi Production)
3. How might different productions dramatise the struggle between chaos and order in King Lear?

William Shakespeare, King Lear (Creative):

1. Two people who value your prescribed text in different ways and for different reasons are having a conversation. Compose their conversation which should include consideration of the structure, staging, language and ideas of the text.

 

[malkin86]

That's a dumb question... because all interpretations must be valid, because they're someone's interpretation!

I guess they want you to say why and how KL's daughters are important in modern productions. eg. in Eyre's production Goneril is shown to be the least favourite through stage directions.

 

[liddy]

2003 HSC
Compose an argument for or against the topic: "That every text has its use-by date." Consider your prescribed text's ideas, language and form, and its reception in different contexts.

enjoy!!! and good thread, And. ta!

 

[SmokedSalmon]

haha looking at that question i did for the HSC last year (2003).... i seriously don't know how i managed. but i pulled it off

 

[senso]

I was talking to a mate the other day about forming your own interpretations of the play. Do you reckon this is necessary?

 

[Will_Sparky]

Most of my interpreations are stuff i've read into the play myself, I only use other's interpretations like Historians, to back up my argument.

 

[Skillo]

1. “King Lear is a play that explores the ideas and issues that are particularly relevant for contemporary society.” Select one idea or issue that you feel is particularly relevant for contemporary society and discuss how a production of the play for a contemporary audience might represent this. How would this production challenge, or reflect on, the representation of this idea or issue in one other production with which you are familiar.

Ffffffarrrrrrrrrrrrk. If we get a question like that, I'm totally screwed. What would u write for that question guys?

 

[laracroft]

when people were saying our own interpretation, what exactly do u mean...
i know that htey can ask you to like say what you would do if you were the director, how would u stage the play, the audience, context, values, costumes all that stuff need to be considered as they can ask this as a creative piece

 

[ellie_bubs]

That Catholic paper question on Lear's daughters we got for the trials and none of us knew how to answer it, i only got 12/20 the top was bout 15/20 and the girl that wrote it actually wrote out her answer with the interpretations we had studied and then centred them around how Lear's daughters contributed to his downfall in each production e.t.c e.t.c hears hoping we don't get a question like that in the exam!

 

[nessie_lee]

I know! that question looks a shocker! i wouldn't know where the heck to begin..... or what to write for that matter!

 

[ujuphleg]

All the questions i have...

English Advanced – Critical Study of Texts – King Lear

2001 HSC

Question 4 — William Shakespeare, King Lear (20 marks)
How might different productions dramatise the struggle between chaos and order in King Lear?

Benoit High School 2001

Question 4 — William Shakespeare, King Lear (20 marks)
You are the director of a new production of King Lear. Write a director’s proposal
outlining your plan for the production and how it would appeal to the values of a modern
audience.
In your proposal refer in detail to ONE or TWO of the opening scenes from the play and
how these scenes would impact on the play as a whole.

English Teachers Association 2001

Question 4 - William Shakespeare, King Lear
a. “ In King Lear, the narrative and its dramatisation present a connection between sexual insubordination and anarchy, and the connection is given a clearly misogynist emphasis” .

Can this feminist criticism of the play be supported by your study of King Lear and how might this be addressed through different productions?


b. “ The 1980s spawned a whole series of … studies of Shakespeare, which exposed the conservative consequences of established approaches to his drama and promoted instead a range of perspectives committed to re-reading the plays in the light of innovative work on gender, race, power, language and the function of criticism itself.”
Kiernan Ryan, Director of Studies in English, University of Cambridge

Has your study of King Lear and its reception led you to believe that the play is essentially conservative or does it challenge issues of power?

c. Included on the separate sheet are two images from different productions of King Lear each representing an interpretation of the play. Consider each of these representations and evaluate their effectiveness in shaping the audience’s reception of the play.

In your answer refer specifically to the play and how it could suggest the representations shown.



2002 HSC

Question 3 — William Shakespeare, King Lear (20 marks)
Two people who value your prescribed text in different ways and for different reasons are
having a conversation.

Compose their conversation which should include consideration of the structure, staging,
language and ideas of the text.

Independent Schools Trial 2002


Question 4 — William Shakespeare, King Lear (20 marks)

“King Lear is a play which explores ideas and issues which are particularly relevant to contemporary society.”

Select one or more ideas which you feel is particularly relevant for contemporary society and discuss how a production for a contemporary audience may reflect this.

How would this production challenge, or reflect on, the representation of this idea or issue in one other production with which you are familiar?



Smiths Hill High School Trial 2002

Question 4 — William Shakespeare, King Lear (20 marks)
Imagine you are an actor playing Lear in a production of King Lear.
You have been asked by the director to explain how you see your character and how you would best present him to convey your interpretation.

Write the conversation you have with the director. In your response, refer to TWO scenes in detail.


2003 HSC

Question 4 — William Shakespeare, King Lear (20 marks)
Compose an argument for or against the topic:
‘That every text has its use-by date.’
Consider your prescribed text’s ideas, language and form, and its reception in different contexts.

Catholic Trial 2003

Question 3 — William Shakespeare, King Lear (20 marks)
How are the various strands of power and powerlessness orchestrated by the dramatist in King Lear? In your response, refer to at least TWO scenes in detail.

Fort Street High School Trial HSC 2003

Question 3 — William Shakespeare, King Lear (20 marks)
How can you explain that while you will read a text a particular way , others may see it differently?


personally i'm tipping something on the sisters this year -- but thats in my humble opinion.

heres the word document of this for those of you who want it too.

good luck!

 

[SmokedSalmon]

If everyone pays attention to the past 3 HSC questions for King Lear you would notice they are not that hard at all. They are simple, concise and quite easy to form an answer too. That is, if you know your King Lear well. So please don't stress out too much!

 

[shazzam]

I must disagree and point out to you that had one who had not studied thoroughly the specific issues of chaos and order (or managed to create some strong links between what had been prepared via some sudden divine inspiration) would have been a poor (naked) wretch in the exam room.

Thus, I implore you to explain and expand on your comment.

 

[the_pplater]

Module 1: In the Wild

Sample 1: How has each text's particular context affected the way it has
presented human relationships with the natural world.


Sample 2: Imagine you have interviewed the composers of TWO prescribed texts
you have studied regarding how they attempted to show their interest in
man's relationship with the natural world.
Write a script of this interview in which the two composers reflect on man's
relationship with the natural world and how they tried to show this in their
works.


Module 2: King Lear

Sample 1: How are the various strands of power and powerlessness
orchestrated by the director in King Lear. In your response refer to at
least two productions.


Sample 2: A literary magazine is running a series of articles that explores
how texts are valued in society.
Compose a feature article that discusses how your prescribed text has the
capacity to be appreciated in different ways by different viewers.
Your answer should include discussion of the structure, language, dramatic
techniques and concerns of the text.


Module 3: Frontline

Sample 1: "Every text constructs its own truth." Evaluate this statement
examining the techniques used to represent Telling the Truth in your
prescribed text and related texts of your own choosing.


Sample 2: How has your understanding of events, personalities or situations
been shaped by their representations in the texts you have studied?
Base your response on your study of Telling the Truth.
Refer tp your prescribed text and at least TWO other related texts of your
own choosing.

Hope this is helpful.

 

[the_pplater]

(That was my first ever B.O.S post btw)

 

[KarmaKitten]

I think the daughers question seems kind of simple, just discuss different interprepations of the daughter, from monster to corrupted, etc etc

 

[bextahunt]

KARMAKITTEN: No way, the King Lears daughter question was a HUGE shock when I sat my trial exam. I studied the productions and how they represented the themes, etc etc but to have a specific question like that was hard. Usually the questions I have done allow you to answer with vast amounts of knowledge, this however was very specific.

Pretty much everyone failed for that section in all our advanced classes. So bad!

 

[jumb]

I must disagree and point out to you that had one who had not studied thoroughly the specific issues of chaos and order (or managed to create some strong links between what had been prepared via some sudden divine inspiration) would have been a poor (naked) wretch in the exam room.

Thus, I implore you to explain and expand on your comment.

Not really, most themes relate to order and chaos somehow.

 

[steph@nie]

KARMAKITTEN: No way, the King Lears daughter question was a HUGE shock when I sat my trial exam. I studied the productions and how they represented the themes, etc etc but to have a specific question like that was hard. Usually the questions I have done allow you to answer with vast amounts of knowledge, this however was very specific.

Pretty much everyone failed for that section in all our advanced classes. So bad!

Our school took that question out and replaced it with one similar to the 2002 HSC because they thought that the "how valid are such interpretations of the play?" to be a stupid comment. I agree, however, in the event that the question relates remotely to the sisters, I will cry and then I will kick our English teachers in the head.