Has your study of King Lear and its reception in a range of contexts lead you to believe the play supports or sabotages structures of power? ... Structures of power are intrinsic to the play King Lear and its function as a seventeenth century power play. ... Interpretations of this message have varied since the initial performance of King Lear in 1606 and are continually adapting to changes within society and human development in general. ... Imre Csiszar's 1981 interpretation of King Lear is one of several attempts to adapt the play to its specific audience and context, with his interpr...

• Word Count: 1753
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The play begins at a critical point of English history, marking the passage from the supposedly stable reign of Edward-I to a chaotic one of his son, who unfortunately could match neither the valour nor the statesmanship of his predecessor. ... The very beginning of the play gives us a hint to the character of Edward, his irresponsibility towards his kingdom, as he writes in a letter to Gaveston, "My father is deceased; come Gaveston, and share the kingdom with thy dearest friend.... Keeping to the Aristotelian triangular plot structure of a tragedy, the play reaches its climax in the Act...

• Word Count: 949
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate