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King Lear. L.O. Historical Importance. L.O. Historical Importance. ‘King Lear’ begins with ceremony and fanfare. There is a flourish played on a trumpet, a throne and a crown. He is dressed in ceremonial robes and carries an orb and sceptre. He is King. He is powerful.
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King Lear L.O. Historical Importance
L.O. Historical Importance ‘King Lear’ begins with ceremony and fanfare. There is a flourish played on a trumpet, a throne and a crown. He is dressed in ceremonial robes and carries an orb and sceptre. He is King. He is powerful.
L.O. Historical Importance He looks like a king, and his authoritative tones and the measured style of his speech ensures that he also sounds like one.
L.O. Historical Importance The audience in the play and the audience in the theatre would have fallen silent and been shocked with Lear’s unveiled plan. “we shall express our darker purpose” (I i 36) The play begins with a clear cut demonstration and endorsement of settled majesty and power of kingship This is how kingship and power was perceived through Western Europe from the Middle Ages
L.O. Historical Importance ‘King Lear’ deals with questions concerning the nature of kingship and the scope of it’s responsibilities “Give me the map there. Know that we have divided In three our kingdom…” (I i 37-38) These words could be the fulcrum on which the play’s action turns To grasp the truly shocking nature of this proposition we have to set the play in it’s historical context
L.O. Historical Importance Shakespeare wrote King Lear between 1603 and 1606. To the original audience the monarch is always the embodiment of unity. It was a time of political importance as James I acceded to the throne in 1603, unifying the Nations into Great Britain.
L.O. Historical Importance James was already James VI of Scotland and the division of the throne in his ascendance could have led to possible dangers, such as foreign invasion or even civil war, which frightened people. There was an old story of a warrior named Brutus who created London and was crowned King. He then proceeded to disastrously divide the Kingdom between his three sons: thereby creating England, Scotland and Wales.
L.O. Historical Importance There was a prophecy that a second Brutus would appear and re-unite the realm, which would then be named in his honour – Great Britain. James’ propaganda cast him in this role. He was to be the second Brutus. The pacifier. The unifier. The new ‘father’ of the nation.
L.O. Historical Importance The Gunpowder Plot on 5th November 1605 gave James a timely boost. The potentially spectacular terrorist plot was designed to literally disintegrate the new-found political and social unity of Britain. It confirmed James role as the great Protestant integrator and saviour. Lear proposing to split his kingdom and power was shocking to the audience.
