William Shakespeare’s unrelenting King Lear is considered to be one of the playwright’s most enduring and haunting works for the stage. The challenge of playing its title role has long fallen to some of the greatest actors of our time. This telecast marks Sir Ian McKellen’s return to the Royal Shakespeare Company, that has resulted in a tour-de-force performance as Lear. Co-directed for television by Sir Trevor Nunn and Chris Hunt.
Subjects: Shakespeare
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The Characters of Macbeth
Topics include Macbeth background, the plot, use of language, Macbeth as a tragedy.
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King Lear Basics
Topics include the plot of King Lear, King Lear as a tragedy, King Lear, Cordelia, Edmund, Edgar, Goneril & Regan.
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Approaches to King Lear
Topics include Dual plots approach, the Lear plot, the Gloucester plot, figurative art approach, use of metaphor and images.
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Othello as a Tragedy
Topics include The tragic fall of Othello, Othello as a tragedy, jealousy, the handkerchief, Othello as a tragic figure.
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Introduction to Shakespeare
Topics include the life and times of Shakespeare, Shakespeare’s use of language, Elizabethan drama, the importance of words, real life vs. stage life.
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What is Tragedy?
Topics include Defining tragedy, Oedipus Rex, medieval tragedy, Shakespeare & tragedy.