Paper Summary:

This paper looks at how the film "The Madness of King George", released in 1994 and directed by Nicholas Hytner, is a comedy/drama built around a dark episode in the long reign of King George III. The paper discusses some of the movie's themes and, in particular, how the film provides a glimpse of a king struggling to come to terms with the loss of the American colonies and its political aftermath.

Outline:
Effectiveness and Realism
Relevance
Theme

From the Paper:

"The prevailing theory is that King George actually suffered from an episodic, inherited disorder known as porphyria (but there is speculation that manic depression may also have been a factor), and the film suggests that the King's condition was exacerbated (if not triggered) by the stress of losing the war against the emerging nation. Did the American Revolution drive the King insane? Probably not, since the onset of symptoms associated with porphyria generally manifest between the ages of ten and thirty, although the stress of the political climate certainly would not have contributed to his recovery. Besides, there is evidence that the King did eventually make peace with the unavoidable outcome, even though for months following the defeat he referred to it with great sadness and resentment."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Brinkley, Alan. The Unfinished Nation. 3d ed. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000.
• Ebert, Roger, The Madness of King George http://www.Suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/1995/01/962694.html (27 January, 1995)
• Hibbert, Christopher, George III: A Personal History, New York, NY: Basic Books, 1998.

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