Students' queries and replies in a school study
of Shakespeare's King Lear
No obligation can be undertaken for material appearing here. It is
offered not as definitive but as responsive.
- 30 Apr 2001
-
- hi,
- i am a year 12 student currently doing
an assessment on king lear.
- i am finding it rather difficult and
challenging.
- I have been asked to rewrite a soliloquy
from the play in contemporary perspective but maintaining the same
tone.
- i was thinking of edmund's soliloquy
from act 5 scene 1, but simply dont know where to begin. its hard
to make a 2 min soliloquy run for 4min!!! im finding the whole
shakespeare language concept rather hard to grasp. If you could
possibly help me in any way it would be greatly appreciated. im
running out of time
- thaks for your time
- well done with the site
- alisha
- yes this too is a good one but the
problem is i have to rewrite it in modern perspective adding my
own parts!
- > i understand that the soliloquy is
indicating Edmund's basic attitude
for life, and to him nature
signifies a world without legitemacy. He relishes the notion of
being a bastard.
- > It indicates Edmund's total absense
of a controlling metaphysical component to human life.
- > We are being assessed on clarity,
tone, etc. but most of all textual knowledge, so how do I
incorporate my knowledge of the text into Edmund's
soliloquy?
- > This is just an example of what we
are suposed to be on the lines of doing:
- > "This is the excellent floppery of
the world, that when we are sick in fortune, often the surfiet of
our own behaviour etc"
- > and we have to rewrite it
thus:
- > "it is the overwhelming vast
foolishness of this world, that when things are not going the way
we like, often the overindulgence of our own behaviour
- >
- > Do you understand what I mean? The
language barrier is killing me, and I simply am not creative or
confident enough with my writing to express all my knowledge in a
way in which I accomplish the task properly. I am worried as soon
I run out of time
- > thanks for being so willing to
help
- > alisha
-
- Dear inquirer,
- I agree - modern perspective is hard to
create.
- What famous bastards boast about it
today?
- Could you refer to them? or current events?
eg. Monika Lewinski's baby?
- 'Total absence of metaphysics' - yes there's
plenty of irreligious stances to take up: pragmatism,
etc.
- I fear your example of the rephrasing is NOT
what is expected.
- There is a low level task and relatively
unproductive. Rather,
- Couch it in terms contemporary people would
understand, like:
- Who would deny me my human rights despite
being a bastard?
- Who could deny me my rights?
- What court could refuse me my
inheritance?
- I am a man of this world
- I love to seat and gamble and love
- Don't give me any of that namby pamby
religion......
- Greg
-
From: Jess D
- > Dear Sir,
- >I have just been looking over your
Lear website and found it very
- > useful. I am currently in year 12
in Sydney, doing Lear for the HSC. I was
- > wondering what you think of the
specimen question we have been given:
- > Every new reading of Lear implies a
reconcideration of the way
- > audiences value and respond to the
play" Discuss this statement with
- > reference to one scene and outline
it's impact on the play as a whole. I'm a little confused with
what direction I should take with my answer, and I was hopeing you
could help me out.Thanks for your time.
-
- Hi Jess,
- This seems to be just a variation on
'relevance to every age' type questions.
- See my "Relevance"
and "Objections"
pages.
- Every generation reads it with their
particular context in mind just as Shakespeare's audiences heard
it with their own historical contexts in mind: see
my
comments click here.
- Suggest you stick to one scene say, Lear on
the Heath, or Edgar and Gloucester on the
- supposed cliffs of Dover
- and list your reactions as a modern
reader
- Compare them with what what said, intended and
possible readings.
- Modern scientific, 'psychological' views will
differ.
-
- Why not study the various websites I've listed
showing actors portraying
- Lear in various ways, or see the four or five
versions of Lear I got at the video shop (Schofield, BBC, etc) Or
find a history of how the play was done e.g., the 19th century
dropped the eye torture as too serious? We are also disgusted
too.at such violence whereas the groundlings 1606 thrived
on
- it. Read the Friedlander site too.
Bradley's
essay at and keep hitting 'Next' to
follow the discussion.
- Greg
APPRECIATION
- thanks for the address. You aked me what
specifically helped me with my study -
- that was your character appraisals,
themes and motifs, lins to other lear sites
- (especially helpful) and notes on
Bradley.
-
- Keep up the good work
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Site begun 31 May 2001 and maintained by
G.
Smith Brisbane Australia.