Possible Questions for King Lear (1 Viewer)

[freaking_out]

Originally posted by CursedBeauty
The question in my trials was we had to write a feature article (I hate them) and discuss how King Lear is able to have so many interpretations and viewpoints. We had to include the different interpretations (Marxist, Jacobean tragedy, etc) and the different productions (Brooks, Eyre and others). The question was something like that.

Oh, one advice. Always talk about the textual techniques to prove your point.

i think u had the independent... we had the following:

a literary mag. is doing some articles that explores how texts are valued in society...compose a feature article that discusses how king lear had the capacity to be appreciated in different ways...and somethin' else (don't remember).:mad1:

 

[no_proof_needed]

basically the thing to prepare (I'm doing readings so it might differ a bit for you) is three readings, three scenes. That's the max they can possibly ask you- it'd be a bitch of a question but it covers all bases. they'll probably only ask for 2-2.

 

[freaking_out]

Originally posted by no_proof_needed
basically the thing to prepare (I'm doing readings so it might differ a bit for you) is three readings, three scenes. That's the max they can possibly ask you- it'd be a bitch of a question but it covers all bases. they'll probably only ask for 2-2.

so if u memorised a general essay covering this would this b alright??

 

[DC10]

have to answer the question! .... as i found out in the trials. gosh that was a costly mistake

 

[freaking_out]

Originally posted by DC10
have to answer the question! .... as i found out in the trials. gosh that was a costly mistake

well but what i meant...is that a general essay- which u can manipulate in the exam room.

 

[DC10]

do that if it suits you

 

[freaking_out]

Originally posted by DC10
do that if it suits you

 

[Madi]

im not sure which trial we did, but our Lear question was somewhat impossible:
How are the various strands of power and powerlessness orchestrated by the dramatist in King Lear- refer to at least 2 productions.
well i thought it was hard anyways!

 

[freaking_out]

Originally posted by Madi
im not sure which trial we did, but our Lear question was somewhat impossible:
How are the various strands of power and powerlessness orchestrated by the dramatist in King Lear- refer to at least 2 productions.
well i thought it was hard anyways!

i think this was from last years catholic paper...

 

[~SArAh~B~]

Shakespeare has the capacity to remain our contemporary. Focus on two scenes from King Lear that you have found particularly involving and consider the differing ways they might be presented to achieve particular effects.

The fools role in King Lear is often viewed as a minor role where in fact the character has great significance to gaining greater insight into themes, perceptions and interpretations of the play. Select two speeches made by King Lears fool that reveal something about your interpretation of King Lear. Relate this to at least one theme.

Shakespeares King Lear is popular to contemporary audiences due to the ability to interpret the piece in more than one way. As director of your interpretation develop a lecture for current mature aged students studying the text. You may like to include lighting, setting, costuming, themes, and reference to other interpretations.

Act One Scene One in King Lear is crucial in developing character roles and setting the tone of the piece. Write a letter to William Shakespeare supporting your interpretation of Act One Scene and at least one other scene in the play.

How has your understanding of the theme appearance verse reality develop your interpretation of King Lear.

I think the most important thing to remember with all questions related to King Lear is don't forget this section allows you to be creative and show new light on the play. In all the questions above you have to refer to other productions, how they contrast or how similar. You are allowed to say in your interpretation how you did not want it to be like the Bondi Pavillion production as it does not support my notion of.... blah blah. While the Bondi did blah blah through blah blah my production. You are allowed to speak in first person because some require you to take the role of director.

 

[Madi]

we just had our trials- our question was really hard so it might be a good one to do:
"how are the various strands of power and powerlessness orchestrated by the dramatist in different productions of king lear- at least 2 productions..
i thought it was pretty impossible, but i ended up with 19/20

 

[freaking_out]

Originally posted by Madi
we just had our trials- our question was really hard so it might be a good one to do:
"how are the various strands of power and powerlessness orchestrated by the dramatist in different productions of king lear- at least 2 productions..
i thought it was pretty impossible, but i ended up with 19/20

why u posting up your question twice?

 

[Cyan_phoeniX]

Does anyone have access to a wide variety of answers to
past papers?

ta

 

[emily]

our trial (from memory) was

a book is being compiled entitled 'texts for all time'. Write a letter to the editor expressing why you think that your text should be included. Refer to its importance as a lasting piece, showing its ability to be manipulated in more than one decade

or something

we better just get a basic "productions, discuss" question...

 

[Lazarus]

ETA 2001

"In King Lear, the narrative and its dramatisation present a connection between sexual insubordination and anarchy, and the connection is given a clearly misogynist emphasis". Can this feminist criticism of the play be supported by your study of King Lear and how might this be addressed through different productions?

"The 1980s spawned a whole series of studies of Shakespeare, which exposed the conservative consequences of established approaches to his drama and promoted instead a range of perspectives committed to re-reading the plays in the light of innovative work on gender, race, power, language and the function of criticism itself."
Kiernan Ryan, Director of Studies in English, University of Cambridge
Has your study of King Lear and its reception led you to believe that the play is essentially conservative or does it challenge issues of power?

 

[Andronicus]

OK, because I couldn't be bothered reading all the posts, I'll just say what I think.

There really is only one question that they will ask you on "King Lear", and that will go along the line of assessing different productions and interpretations of the play with reference to critics and all that crap. Thank the heavens that this is not a straight Skakespeare topic, because I really hate the guy and all his work - it pisses me off!

Anyway, if they ask about 2 productions, then you still talk about interpretations, becasue productions are based on interpretations. Let me explain:

Say you write about the Peter Brooke production, then you can refer to the Nihilistic interpretation... and then, if you talk about that, you can contrast it to the Christian interpretation, or even present the Nahum Tate production as an example of the opposite to nihilism and existentialism. You see? And so, if you refer to critics, like Marilyn French, then you can launch into Feminism, and then link this inot the patriarchal interpretation of Marxist or Feudal readings.

It all links together, and is quite simple - rmember to include some quotes and references to the play, but overall, the focusf is the interpretations... I think...

 

[KiMbo]

this question was in our trials
..." imagine you are directing a performance of king lear and you have a particular reading of the play that you want to present to the audience. explain to the people playing the roles of the women in the play how you would like them to represent these characters to reflect the reading you have chosen. make sure you detail specific scenes."
i hope it helps...

 

[Andronicus]

Al-fucking-right! Somebody tell me the answer to this...

Are we supposed to know bloody productions, or interpretations? As far as interpretations go, I could talk or days about a feminist reading, or a nihilist reading, or a Marxist one, but productions are SHIT!

Sure, I have a bunch, but to write a whole essay on them will be crap... and are we supposed to know the actual play (themes and shit) or just the interpretations and productions and CRITICS (all these man-hating feminist critics like McKluskie...)?


What are we supposed to know, becasue I know all the stuff I mentioned above, but it's just SO ANNOYING how we're expected to know so much on one STUPID play - you can tell I don't like Shakespeare...

 

[david4444]

Just think of it this way. The module requires you to do three things:
1. Examine and have knowledge of the ideas represented in the text (ie themes)
2. Discuss how various dramatists have represented these themes in their productions through the techniques they used
3. Have a knowledge of different readings of the play (Aristotelian, Femenist etc.).

The question will most probably be somethnig like: HOW is WHAT explored by the dramatist in King Lear?

I want to know HOW THE HELL you're meant to integrate different readings into a question like that. Do you say that the different readings affect the dramatists view, and thus affects the way they represent certain themes? Or do you say that the dramatists represent a theme through the techniques they use in their own production, and different readings can have different reactions to this?

See Fiona Chan's essay about chaos vs order to see what I mean. The aspect of integrating different readings of the play's themes, as well as different representations of the themes through techniques is really bugging me.

I would really appreciate a response. This has been driving me mad.

 

[david4444]

Andronicus, you have to refer to productions, interpretations and themes.
You say that the Brooke production is a Nihilistic interpretation. What is the Paul Schofield production? Elizabethan? (I have no idea)

But we can't talk about a feminist interpretation because there have been no productions on it. All you can talk about is a feminist reaction to other productions of KL.

You'll have to talk about themes, interpretation of themes and reflections in productions. So what interpretation does the Schofield production relfect?