A new section of the Introduction to this updated edition considers important professional theater productions and the large output of scholarly criticism on the play which have appeared in recent years. The Reading List has been revised and augmented to reflect the scope of the revised edition. First Edition Hb (1985): 0-521-22194-3 First Edition Pb (1985): 0-521-29389-8
A new section of the Introduction to this updated edition considers important professional theater productions and the large output of scholarly criti...
In the first part of Foakes's introduction, the editor examines King Lear as it is read in the mind versus how it is performed on the stage, analyzing historical productions and certain elements of the play that shine in performance but not in text, and vice versa. This section also explores how and why the play has invited so many interpretations, in reading and performance, since its inception. The next part of the introduction considers trends in the criticism and staging of the play, such as the recent shift of favor from redemptive to bleak readings. Foakes then addresses the...
In the first part of Foakes's introduction, the editor examines King Lear as it is read in the mind versus how it is performed on the stage,...