"King Lear" and "Titus Andronicus"

Paper Summary:

This paper shows how the presentation of Shakespearean plays on the stage has varied considerably from age to age. This tendency to alter and re-create Shakespeare has been as much dictated by the taste of the public as it has also been supported by literary and dramatic interpretations. Thus, new meanings have been invented over the years to suit particular social needs. The paper shows that in the case of "King Lear", one can see that the play was subjected to revision by Shakespeare himself in an attempt to make it more suitable for presentation in his own time. It was later re-interpreted to the point of complete distortion by Nahum Tate to fit the social need for complacency and was, finally, restored to as much its original form as possible in the twentieth century. The paper argues that as "Titus Andronicus" has had an almost similar fate, one is drawn to the conclusion that the reason why Shakespeare's plays have enjoyed such an ongoing popularity is because they have been adapted, re-invented and interpreted through the centuries.

From the Paper:

"King Lear was certainly staged again after its performance at King James' court. We have reasonable evidence to believe that the play was most probably written in 1605 and that Richard Burbage was the original Lear, while Robert Armin played the role of the Fool. However, it seems unlikely that the Quarto text was ever used for public performances for two reasons. Firstly, the direct references to King James and the political overtones in the Fool's scolding lines made the Quarto text unsuitable for the public. Secondly, the Folio version is much more suitable in theatrical terms because its dramatic action is a lot swifter and the presentation of events is much more economical from the theatrical point of view."

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