King Lear - Brassed Off - Related Text

Through ‘The Tragedy of King Lear’, Shakespeare represents a distinctive voice in which influences the way we perceive the role of power play in our world as it broadens our understanding of the universality and complexity of power play. Compared with the 21st century film ‘Brassed Off’, we are presented with an insight into the various means of attaining power and its ability to uncover the true nature of people within their struggle for supremacy and control. Shakespeare presents 'The Tragedy of King Lear' as the struggle for power and the political and filial machinations that the desire for power can create. Shakespeare focuses the distinctive voice around the central character King Lear who represents a conceited oppressor whose fall from power prompts the downfall of the Kingdom that he once controlled. The main cause of his demise is his failure to understand and possess a clear vision of the people around him. In Lear's eyes, he sees his eldest daughter Goneril’s facade to be a loyal and true expression, 'Sir I love you more than word can wield the matter/Dearer than eyesight, space and liberty', although Lear's inability to see the truth results in his manipulation and the banishing of his loyal acquaintances; his youngest daughter Cordelia and his dear friend Kent. Although Lear can physically see, it is the understanding, awareness and direction that he lacks and is blind to. In contrast to Lear being physically capable of seeing, Gloucester becomes physically blind but gains the form of vision that Lear lacks, and consequently Gloucester evades a corollary comparable to Lear's. Here Shakespeare presents his distinctive voice on power play through the depiction of the manipulation and motivation behind the characters struggle for sovereignty. His clever use of his characters and their relationships allows us to gain an insight into the condition of the human psyche throughout their individual attempts at power and highlights the complexities associated with power play. Alike to Shakespeare, Mark Herman, the director of the modern film ‘Brassed Off’, also uses characterisation to present the distinctive voice of power play. Danny the leader of the Colliery’s Brass Band appears to be similar to King Lear’s in that they both don’t see the obvious truth in front of them. Through the closure of the colliery, Herman demonstrates the true nature of Danny. Initially Danny neglects to see that there is more to life then music and the band, however, as the storyline continues Danny vision changes, ‘Truth is, I THOUGHT it mattered. I thought that MUSIC mattered. But does it bollocks? Not compared to how people matter’. Danny’s realisation prompts a proclamation that displays the band had lost more than just their jobs; that they had lost their will to win and fight and consequently the little power they possessed. This scene exposes the capabilities of power to control and restrain and demonstrates that within power play, the way in which changes in the world can be perceive are influenced by power play’s ability to reveal the true nature of a person. Shakespeare develops the plot of King Lear’s loss of power through the slow transition from King Lear’s strong, authoritative language to weak, defenceless language. Here, the distinctive voice is being shaped by King Lear’s fall from power. By analysing King Lear’s confident language, 'nothing will come of nothing: speak again', it is evident through his firm tone and defined sentence structure that King Lear is in a state of power and control. His downfall is portrayed through the gradual diminishment of his definitive language, ‘Here I stand your slave/A poor, infirm, weak and despis’d old man’. King Lear’s communication proves ineffective and his sentence formation becomes susceptible, showing his once avoidable powerlessness in the Kingdom which he formerly controlled. King Lear’s expression of the distinctive voice provides an insight into the methods of the mind as a mechanism and influences our perceptions of power play in our world. Shakespeare presents the atmosphere of the play as cruel, unruly and vindictive. The desire for power becomes excessively overwhelming as individuals are without restraint, following their impulse with no real regard for the consequences they cause. In Act 3 Scene 7, Cornwall gouges out Gloucester’s eyes showing no mercy or remorse, ‘Leave him to my displeasure’, for the misguided and selfish purpose of achieving power. Gouging out eyeballs appears fake and exaggerated; however, this action enforces the madness and highlights the psychological malice involved with power play. In addition to characterisation shaping the play’s atmosphere, a Shakespearean device of a sympathetic background involving the ominous weather ‘pelting of this pitiless storm’, complements the plot to emphasise the harsh, malevolent nature of the power struggle within the kingdom. This scene represents the complexities involved with power play as it develops the atmosphere and plot of the play to demonstrate the length in which people will strive in order to obtain power and control. 'Brassed Off' highlights the absence of power within the Grimley Colliery community and depicts the alienation that the corporate managers place upon the miners as they helplessly watch the systematic destruction of their town’s entire industry. Gloria, a trumpet playing, miner’s daughter from Grimley, is rejected by the Grimley Colliery Brass Band as they see her work for the corporate management to be a betrayal, ‘Oy, your f***ing management’. They do not recognise the actuality that is evident; that her fidelity for the Band is strong and they exclude her association. In ‘The Tragedy of King Lear’, King Lear sees Cordelia to have betrayed him as she admits that not all of her heart is for him, ‘I love your Majesty according to my bond, no more nor less’. Alike to this filial affair and parallel to Cordelia in her rejection, is Gloria in ‘Brassed off’. The obvious comparison between ‘The Tragedy of King Lear’ and ‘Brassed Off’ is the blindness and naivety of both King Lear and the Brass Band as they demonstrate that within power play, people are often blinded by the truth and that this inability to perceive and understand the truth can be a fatal complexity in life’s struggle for power. Brassed Off’ acts as a comparison to ‘The Tragedy of King Lear’ as it represents similar ideas relating to power play and aids to broaden our understanding and view of the complexities associated with power play. Both texts depict the distinctive voice as Shakespeare and Mark Herman each present an insightful view of the motivation and consequences in which are involved in and influence our perceptions and role of power play in our world.