 King Lear / The language
The language of Shakespere presents a challenge to english actors, writers and directors and indeed the public. So for our french public we have been especially careful to choose language from the original which will be most easily understood. The show lasts 90 minutes wherein you will find 60 minutes of ‘pure’ Shakespeare text. We have added two short ‘modern lanaguage’ prolouges and several songs to illuminate the text, explain the plot and reiforce the action of the scene. The story will be easy to follow, even for students who do not have the necessary level of english. The production is therefore suitable for all lyceens and maybe for 3eme college if they have taken part in some preparation (it is for you to decide – please don’t hesitate to contact us and to read the text available on this website).
I believe it is especially important to keep as much of the original text as possible, presented in such a way that any audience of any age or nationality can feel involved and enjoy the show.
The writing team of ANDREW LOUDON and EMMA REEVES are extremely experienced in adapting from novels and theatre pieces, they have had enormous success in the UK with LITTLE WOMEN, COOL HAND LUKE, ANNE OF GREEN GABLES amongst others. They adapted for us our hugely successful production of SHERLOCK HOLMES last year.
We have chosen to present the main stories of the two families – King Lear with his three daughters and Gloucester with his two sons. Shakespeare himself gave far more importance to these stories than, say, the battle scenes which are only briefly dealt with in the original as in our production.
The main cuts we made from the original Shakespeare were to remove the characters of the husbands (Albany and Cornwall), the courtiers (Kent, Oswald, Gentleman etc). However, all the memorable moments of the play are represented in our version - the division of the kingdom, Cordelia leaving with the King of France, the heath, the storm, the blinding of Gloucester, the scheming of Goneril and Regan, the ambition of Edmund, Edgar’s flight into the wilderness, the madness of Lear, the return of Cordelia to help her father, the sword fight between Edgar and Edmund and the resoultions. The deaths at the end of the play are the result of the human tragedy and not the battles – Goneril, Regand and Edmund ‘marry in an instant’ when they die in quick succession. Gloucester dies after he has made his piece with his abused son Edgar (which mirrors the forthcoming death of Lear of course). Cordelia dies off stage (killed at the command of Edmund) and the whole play builds to the death of King Lear.
Interestingly until the 1880s the play was sometimes performed with a ‘happy ending’ where Edgar married Cordelia. In my adaptation, I have gone back to the original text using both Folio and Quarto but where the Fool and Edgar are alive at the end.
Please take a moment to print the text which you will find on this website. You have at your disposal both the text of the theatrical presentation and a cut version of the original Shakespeare. We are so confident in our work, that we suggest you read our text in preference to studying the original Shakespeare. Obviously do read and enjoy the original text if you so wish – but it is not necessary to study the original with your students. You can base an entire term of course work on our shortened version.
Once the text is finalised, we shall be putting a vocabulary list on this site.
We have also made an audio recording (CD) of the text of the play, using the actors who perform in the piece. This CD is available at 23 euros only to schools who come to see the show. There is no music on the CD, only the text ; scene by scene. A copy of the text can be posted to you to work alongside the CD in your coursework.
|
Accueil >> King Lear >> Dossier pédagogique >> The language 
