| Where/when is King Lear set? | – Ancient Britain, several centuries before the arrival of Christianity |
| Historians view? | Pre-Christian Britain had been a single United Kingdom into Britain/Scotland |
| What did James I want to do? | James I wanted to unite Britain and Scotland but this was vigorously opposed. – When the play was performed at James’ court, the King would have been pleased to see that the decision to separate the kingdom of Britain ends in disaster |
| Playwrights? | At the time, playwrights could be imprisoned for writing anything too political.- By setting the play in the past, Shakespeare freed himself to tackle this topic |
| … | Without its pre-Christian setting, the nihilistic and despairing tone might have been unacceptable to Shakespeare’s audience |
| Christianity in Shakespeare’s England | – The state religion- Life was meaningful because it was an opportunity to save God- to publicly express the belief that life is meaningless would have turned away a vast majority of Shakespeare’s audience |
| Pagan gods | Characters talk about pagan gods instead of the Christian “God”- Characters can openly express the view that life is meaningless but cruel- The pre-Christian setting allows Shakespeare to present a bleak vision of a world devoid of meaning while avoiding religious offence |
| Setting | – First half of play takes place in the safe and comfortable palaces- As the play progresses, an increasing number of its scenes take place in dirty and unsafe surroundings- Heath in a violent storm |
| What does the change in setting represent?? | – Shift from safe, interior spaces to threatening outdoor locations reflects Lear’s gradual loss of wealth and status.It reminds the audience that shelter and security are privileges one can lose- When Lear gives up his power, he was certain that he would spend the rest of his life in comfort- It’s all to easy for people to lose everything |
Setting and Location in King Lear
July 18, 2019