Lear - confused readings/productions (1 Viewer)

[little_red_fox]

Just wanted some help to clear this up...
Basically for my response I'm planning on referring to at least two 'readings'
Are productions counted as readings - as in the producers reading?
Or should I be looking at the 'readings' as in critical responses/interpretations as in Bradley - traditional aristolean tragedy etc, feminist i.e McLuskie...don't know if this makes sense
For example if I raised issues about Bradley's reading based upon the Aristolean tragedy, which talks about he idea of a fortune wheel where the protagonist starts at the top, but as the wheel turns they are lead rapidly to their downfall etc, and then supported this idea with evidence from the text i.e quotes "bound upon a wheel of fire" and egs of events, would it also be appropriate to use examples of how productions have shown this (classify productions or aspects of them under certain readings) such as Brook's production (although absurdist) where the camera shows Edmund upside down in the bottom of the frame as he says "the wheel has come full circle" before he dies, while Edar is upright in he top of the frame?
Just confused what to do with productions...do you just use them as evidence of how different readings have been shown?
Hope you understand what I'm trying to say
...Also one of the practice questions I've come across says basically "A ... piece of social commentry... universal themes etc...but does it really work as a play?
How would you answer this? Because to me anyway the readings show the depth and universality of the play, but to determine whether it 'works' as a play you would really need to look at the actual staging and actual productions - so just refering to critical interpretations wouldn't really cover the question?

 

[murmur]

King lear

Just wanted some help to clear this up...
Basically for my response I'm planning on referring to at least two 'readings'
Are productions counted as readings - as in the producers reading?
Or should I be looking at the 'readings' as in critical responses/interpretations as in Bradley - traditional aristolean tragedy etc, feminist i.e McLuskie...don't know if this makes sense
For example if I raised issues about Bradley's reading based upon the Aristolean tragedy, which talks about he idea of a fortune wheel where the protagonist starts at the top, but as the wheel turns they are lead rapidly to their downfall etc, and then supported this idea with evidence from the text i.e quotes "bound upon a wheel of fire" and egs of events, would it also be appropriate to use examples of how productions have shown this (classify productions or aspects of them under certain readings) such as Brook's production (although absurdist) where the camera shows Edmund upside down in the bottom of the frame as he says "the wheel has come full circle" before he dies, while Edar is upright in he top of the frame?
Just confused what to do with productions...do you just use them as evidence of how different readings have been shown?
Hope you understand what I'm trying to say
...Also one of the practice questions I've come across says basically "A ... piece of social commentry... universal themes etc...but does it really work as a play?
How would you answer this? Because to me anyway the readings show the depth and universality of the play, but to determine whether it 'works' as a play you would really need to look at the actual staging and actual productions - so just refering to critical interpretations wouldn't really cover the question?

A reading is say a feminist reading etc and thus is = to an interpreation...reading=interpreation (I'm almost certain- but i normally use the woord INTERPRETAION). Lets say a feminist reading/interpretaion of the play focuses n the female characters, a lack of a mother figure, the binary opposition of Cordelia and Goneril/Regan- this can be demonsrated in a play through characterisation, costuming, the issue of sibling rivalry. See its not confusing, once you understand the basic concept...
In reference to your productions/interpretations question they can be linked. ie- you should talk about a particular interpretation say absurdist/nihilistic and then demonstrate how a production has created this- eg Peter Brooke. its not so much 'producers readings' but rather how they have incoporated a certain reading/interpretation into their production- whether that be feminist, family drama, absurdist, traditional, redemptive production etc (what ever you are doing). You should make a statement about (define it )what the interpretation is about and then provides eg's. For example the Granda Televsion (Olivier as Lear) is a traditional/redemptive interpretation of Lear- this is defined as someone who is basically noble who is bought down by their own excessive pride (huberis) and other external forces (fate/the Gods etc)= in the production this can be seen through the deteriation of Lear's clothes as the play progresses. Initially wearing extravagant clothing to show he is King but as play progresses he is wearing rags etc (shown in storm scene)
With regard to Aristolean tragedy (Bradley's reading) you shouldn't have that reading under the Brooke's production- this production is an absurdist/nhilistic interpretation of the play- it views life as pointless- there is no meaning to it. this is the OPPOSITE to an Aristolean tragedy which is sort of what i was talking about above- see the difference??? Therefore, be careful when you match readings/interpretations with productions. THE PRODUCTION INTERPRETS THE PLAY THROUGH A PARTICULAR READING/INTERPRETATION via dramatic techniques- staging, costumes, symbolism, characterisation, camera-angles etc. So what you said about 'productions are evidence of how different readings are shown' is absolutely spot on. But focus more on HOW the production demonstrates the interpretation.
About that practice question & this goes for the HSC question (these past HSC questions should be really what you are looking at, at this point) but you're right the readings/interpretations do show the universality of the play- but go beyond this. Talk about productions, and their particular interpretaions of the play...this relates to both the universality of the play and how it 'works' simultaneosly as productions from a different context- eg: Aristolean tragedy or Nihilistic (post-WW2) and Family (late 20th century early 21st etc) reveal a clear universality about the play as it works in different time periods and thus it worksin different stage productions and thus interpretations. REMEMBER interpretations link to context...You can also talk about language techniques, structure/form (plot/sub-plot+ order to chaos to order) and themes (these especially reveal the universality of the play as they are appropriate to people from the first dated productioon of Lear in 1606 to the present day). This is the type of things they have been asking for in past HSC questions
Hope this helps + good luck!!!!

 

[superbird]

good stuff there captain. i think there was an Aristotelian interpretation made by Peter Brooks in 1962.
i belive he has made several different productions

 

[django_]

whats the difference between post modern nihilism and aritotelian tragedy etc etc? how many different readings are there? they make me so confused... :S

 

[little_red_fox]

Thanks for you help, I understand it all much better now!
So basically when I'm using productions as examples, I should use a production that is clearly and well known to be based on a specific reading/interpretation
- hence don't use aspects of Brooke to back up my arguement if I'm using A.C.Bradley's reading, I should use Olivier

 

[nessie_lee]

little red fox or anyone! :
What production are you using to show a feminist reading?

 

[lukebennett]

i'm doing a feminist one as my own interpretation. It's based on Marianne Novy's critique and she discusses how patriarchy dforms relationships and mars the lives of both men and women. it also delves into lear realising his true mutuality and dependance on his daughter and how this allows the relationship to mend. ie how he needs women

 

[jellybeenz]

Heh... I gave up on Feminist Reading coz I didn't have a production to back it up- but isn't "Queen Lear" a good example? I think I've seen some notes on it around the site or perhaps if u search for it on google.

 

[nelly_xox]

Wow!!

thanks captain, thats amazing i get evrything now!!! thanks so much, oh my gosh this is what ive been after all day, cum on band 6!!! (err...please)

 

[little_red_fox]

Nessie Lee?
If I talk about feminist I'll just mention queen lere, and possibly refer to some aspects of productions i.e goneril crying in Eyres and lears knights upturning tables that somewhat reconsider their portrayal as essentially evil - you can see some justification for Goneril tossing Lear out etc - but I'm not going to say too much about it because the reading is basically that Lear reinforces misogynist attitudes, but I do want to mention Brook's production somewhere