Hi.
this is a summary of what i think the module is about that i posted up last year.
http://community.boredofstudies.org...att-2006-king-lear-introduction-mercedes.html which might be worth taking a look at.
basically the way to approach this (i think) is to have an idea that you can prove. What i mean is do you think its a play about (eg
the role of women/power?
- then ask yourself WHY you think that.
- we live in an age where there is alot of intelligent feminist research going on and were VERY aware of the role of women.
- feminist critics can offer you a great back up for this. what do they think about how feminist ideas have been portrayed over time?
Then look at the play in context
- was shakepeare try to say how incapable women are of holding political power?
--> for eg: one of the productions had regan and gonneril as very sexualised women who have low cut dresses etc to emphasise that... so the director is maybe putting forward his view on how womens role is to be sexual and objectified rather than rational and good leaders (all the pro-feminists with wonderful knowledge of the play please dont beat me up. my knowledge is a bit rusty)
so a director has taken shakespeares ideas and put an anti?- feminist slant on it. is this what shakespear intended or a product of the society in which the play is produced and MARKETED? (the play has to make money but appealing to people who PAY to go see it or BUY it on DVD?) how does that influence the content?
i think the feminist viewpoint is really only good if your passionate about it, but find a viewpoint and in your essay explain why you think that view is applicable in the context of your own enviornemnt and thinking. and also in comparison to perhaps how it might have been intended. remember the play only implies VALUES when it is acted by people who are portraying certain preconcieved ideas.
some other ways of viewing and exploring the play include power, revenge, freudian ideology, etc...
please contact me by PM if you want to discuss this further. goodluck
x. M
