King Lear: Comparing The Book And The Movie
23 October 2013 The King
The play King Lear and the movie King Lear both shared many similarities. They both told the story about the aging King of Britain and his fall from glory. The movie I watched was named King Lear and was directed by Trevor Nunn. The person who played King Lear was Ian McKellen. In both of these stories Lear was the King of Britain and both the movie and the play start off with him getting ready to retire and pass down his kingdom. King Lear was a powerful king and also one that was well respected, but as the play and movie develop there is evidence that shows other people do not respect him to the extent that he thought. Except in the movie it is visible when Lear gets upset. One of the things that led to the demise of his status was that he blindly gave his Kingdom away to the wrong daughters. This is the beginning of many events that start to show him becoming senile in both the play and the …show more content…
movie. Although, toward the end of the play and movie King Lear realized that money was not everything, but that true love was. The movie helped the viewer visualize what was going on.
The first similarity that was noticeable between the play and movie was how both of these portrayed King Lear. For example, we learn very early in the play that he was a wealthy man and that he had a lot of wealth he was going to give away. In the movie it was visible that the King was extremely wealthy. The way this was visible was how Lear was dressed. In the movie Lear was dressed up in what appeared to be an expensive outfit and a hat that only a King would Lear. Also, in the movie the house looked very extravagant and fancy. There were very large tables and the décor was the best of the best on everything. When Lear sat down in the movie he had people pulling out his chair and handing him pens. This shows the true power of the King. Normal people do not get that treatment. Seeing this occur in the movie helped me realize how powerful he really versus just reading it in the play.
At the beginning of this play and movie his daughters appear to show that they respect their father, but it is not genuine. The play and movie start off with King Lear getting ready to retire. He is tired of spending time running his kingdom, because it is very tedious. King Lear decides that he is going to split his kingdom up between his daughters and their husbands. The way King Lear decides to split his kingdom up by asking each of his daughters how much they love him. Lear does not have any sons; therefore he has to split his kingdom up against amongst his daughters. Lear says, “Tell me, my daughters,-- Since now we will divest us both of rule, Interest of territory, cares of state,-- Which of you shall we say doth love us most? That we our largest bounty may extend (1.1.55).” In that quote king Lear is telling his daughters that he will split up his kingdom based on who gives the best answer to his question “Which of you shall we say love us most?” In the movie Lear is sitting down at a table and his daughters are standing up talking to their father. This shows his true power because he is sitting down and they are standing up pleading their case to him.
Goneril is the first daughter to answer his question. She basically lies to him and says, “ Sir, I love you more than word can wield the matter (1.1.62).” In the movie, Lear is sitting down at a table while his daughter is standing saying this to him. So then Lear asks Regan the question and she also fabricates and says, “In my true heart I find she names my very deed of love, only she comes too short. I profess myself an enemy to all other joys which the most precious of square of sense professes, and find I am alone felicate in your dear highness love (1.1.75).” At (5.25) in the movie there is a visible smile on Lear’s face while his daughter says this to him. Lear then grabs Goneril’s hand and shows her what land is hers on a map. Regan was saying that Goneril is a good kid, but she loves the king more than life itself. In the movie they show her standing saying this to her father. After she finished giving her speech King Lear kissed her. It was interesting because they didn’t show him showing Regan where her land would be. This leads the viewer to believe that he was waiting on Cordelia’s answer before he showed Regan what he was giving her. Then the King asks Cordelia the question and she responds, “Nothing my lord (1.1.89).” Cordelia was the only daughter to not give her father a fake response. She was true to herself and wasn’t going to make something up just to please her father just like the other two did.
In the movie the first time we saw Lear angry was when Cordelia gave her answer to the King. At (8.37) in the movie King Lear angrily stood up from his seat and at that point everyone in the room sat down. This really showed how powerful the King was. King Lear even had a person who was devoted to just sit there and take notes of what he requested. At (16.03) in the movie the King was saying how he will now disown Cordiela. It was an extremely emotional scene to watch versus read. Then at (16.45) in the movie the King of France stepped forward and announced that he loved Cordelia for who she was and that she would no longer need the King in her life. The next time in the movie when we see King Lear get mad was when Goneril disrespected him by asking him to get rid of his rowdy nights.
Although, the movie did depict King Lear and his entourage to be very loud. At (39.18) in the movie was when he had the last straw with Goneril and lost his cool. He told his men to gather everything up and that they would leave. The look on his face was one of discussed. Then when he was basically turned away from Regans house the movie shows him drop to his knees in pain. He was complaining that his heart hurt when he saw his fool being locked up. At (104) in the movie King Lear was crying because his daughters have betrayed him. He completely freaked out on everyone in the room. Right after he was kicked out of their houses at (1:10) in the movie it showed King Lear out in the rain and it looked like he had been defeated. He no longer had on clothes that looked extravagant and he no longer looked like a king. He looked like a poor
person. In conclusion, both the book and the movie had many similarities among them. For instance, the movie did a nice job of putting the play into video making it easier for the viewer to see the real impact of what was going on. In the beginning of the play they portrayed the King in all these lavish clothes, but by the end of the movie he looked like a run down poor man.
Bibliography
"King LEAR-CD1 2008 The Royal Shakespeare Company Subt.ing.esp." YouTube. YouTube, 20 June 2013. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.
Shakespeare, William, and Alan Durband. King Lear. Woodbury, NY: Barron 's, 1986. Print
The play King Lear and the movie King Lear both shared many similarities. They both told the story about the aging King of Britain and his fall from glory. The movie I watched was named King Lear and was directed by Trevor Nunn. The person who played King Lear was Ian McKellen. In both of these stories Lear was the King of Britain and both the movie and the play start off with him getting ready to retire and pass down his kingdom. King Lear was a powerful king and also one that was well respected, but as the play and movie develop there is evidence that shows other people do not respect him to the extent that he thought. Except in the movie it is visible when Lear gets upset. One of the things that led to the demise of his status was that he blindly gave his Kingdom away to the wrong daughters. This is the beginning of many events that start to show him becoming senile in both the play and the …show more content…
movie. Although, toward the end of the play and movie King Lear realized that money was not everything, but that true love was. The movie helped the viewer visualize what was going on.
The first similarity that was noticeable between the play and movie was how both of these portrayed King Lear. For example, we learn very early in the play that he was a wealthy man and that he had a lot of wealth he was going to give away. In the movie it was visible that the King was extremely wealthy. The way this was visible was how Lear was dressed. In the movie Lear was dressed up in what appeared to be an expensive outfit and a hat that only a King would Lear. Also, in the movie the house looked very extravagant and fancy. There were very large tables and the décor was the best of the best on everything. When Lear sat down in the movie he had people pulling out his chair and handing him pens. This shows the true power of the King. Normal people do not get that treatment. Seeing this occur in the movie helped me realize how powerful he really versus just reading it in the play.
At the beginning of this play and movie his daughters appear to show that they respect their father, but it is not genuine. The play and movie start off with King Lear getting ready to retire. He is tired of spending time running his kingdom, because it is very tedious. King Lear decides that he is going to split his kingdom up between his daughters and their husbands. The way King Lear decides to split his kingdom up by asking each of his daughters how much they love him. Lear does not have any sons; therefore he has to split his kingdom up against amongst his daughters. Lear says, “Tell me, my daughters,-- Since now we will divest us both of rule, Interest of territory, cares of state,-- Which of you shall we say doth love us most? That we our largest bounty may extend (1.1.55).” In that quote king Lear is telling his daughters that he will split up his kingdom based on who gives the best answer to his question “Which of you shall we say love us most?” In the movie Lear is sitting down at a table and his daughters are standing up talking to their father. This shows his true power because he is sitting down and they are standing up pleading their case to him.
Goneril is the first daughter to answer his question. She basically lies to him and says, “ Sir, I love you more than word can wield the matter (1.1.62).” In the movie, Lear is sitting down at a table while his daughter is standing saying this to him. So then Lear asks Regan the question and she also fabricates and says, “In my true heart I find she names my very deed of love, only she comes too short. I profess myself an enemy to all other joys which the most precious of square of sense professes, and find I am alone felicate in your dear highness love (1.1.75).” At (5.25) in the movie there is a visible smile on Lear’s face while his daughter says this to him. Lear then grabs Goneril’s hand and shows her what land is hers on a map. Regan was saying that Goneril is a good kid, but she loves the king more than life itself. In the movie they show her standing saying this to her father. After she finished giving her speech King Lear kissed her. It was interesting because they didn’t show him showing Regan where her land would be. This leads the viewer to believe that he was waiting on Cordelia’s answer before he showed Regan what he was giving her. Then the King asks Cordelia the question and she responds, “Nothing my lord (1.1.89).” Cordelia was the only daughter to not give her father a fake response. She was true to herself and wasn’t going to make something up just to please her father just like the other two did.
In the movie the first time we saw Lear angry was when Cordelia gave her answer to the King. At (8.37) in the movie King Lear angrily stood up from his seat and at that point everyone in the room sat down. This really showed how powerful the King was. King Lear even had a person who was devoted to just sit there and take notes of what he requested. At (16.03) in the movie the King was saying how he will now disown Cordiela. It was an extremely emotional scene to watch versus read. Then at (16.45) in the movie the King of France stepped forward and announced that he loved Cordelia for who she was and that she would no longer need the King in her life. The next time in the movie when we see King Lear get mad was when Goneril disrespected him by asking him to get rid of his rowdy nights.
Although, the movie did depict King Lear and his entourage to be very loud. At (39.18) in the movie was when he had the last straw with Goneril and lost his cool. He told his men to gather everything up and that they would leave. The look on his face was one of discussed. Then when he was basically turned away from Regans house the movie shows him drop to his knees in pain. He was complaining that his heart hurt when he saw his fool being locked up. At (104) in the movie King Lear was crying because his daughters have betrayed him. He completely freaked out on everyone in the room. Right after he was kicked out of their houses at (1:10) in the movie it showed King Lear out in the rain and it looked like he had been defeated. He no longer had on clothes that looked extravagant and he no longer looked like a king. He looked like a poor
person. In conclusion, both the book and the movie had many similarities among them. For instance, the movie did a nice job of putting the play into video making it easier for the viewer to see the real impact of what was going on. In the beginning of the play they portrayed the King in all these lavish clothes, but by the end of the movie he looked like a run down poor man.
Bibliography
"King LEAR-CD1 2008 The Royal Shakespeare Company Subt.ing.esp." YouTube. YouTube, 20 June 2013. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.
Shakespeare, William, and Alan Durband. King Lear. Woodbury, NY: Barron 's, 1986. Print