Shakespeare's King Lear: The Relationship Between Text and Film

Abstract

King Lear is considered one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies. It has been adapted in vastly different ways over the last four centuries by fellow dramatists, novelists, and film and television screen writers. Though seen initially as a means of lending artistic weight to the cinematic medium in its infancy, screen adaptations of Shakespeare's plays have continued to thrive; their sheer volume suggests that the stories they tell and the issues they raise are still of interest to contemporary audiences. King Lear proves to be no exception to the continuing trend. This book focuses specifically on feature-length cinematic adaptations of King Lear, ranging from those considered to be part of the canon of Shakespeare on screen, to its art house reconfigurations, and various mainstream genre interpretations of the play.