Welcome to the sublime and terrible world of King Lear! This week join Claire Curtis-Ward, Levi Morger, Sam Gibbs and Ariana Karp as we commence our examination of Shakespeare's remarkable tragedy.
Here are a few reflections on King Lear from the Romantic poets to 20th century commentators:
"O golden-tongued Romance with serene lute!
Fair plumed Syren! Queen of far away!
Leave melodizing on this wintry day,
Shut up thine olden pages, and be mute:
Adieu! for once again the fierce dispute,
Betwixt damnation and impassion'd clay
Must I burn through; once more humbly assay
The bitter-sweet of this Shakespearian fruit.
Chief Poet! and ye clouds of Albion,
Begetters of our deep eternal theme,
When through the old oak forest I am gone,
Let me not wander in a barren dream,
But when I am consumed in the fire,
Give me new Phoenix wings to fly at my desire." --John Keats
"Above all others, this is the Shakespeare play of our time." --Jan Kott
"King Lear…ultimately baffles commentary." --Harold Bloom
We then talk about our own initial thoughts about the play and our experiences with it. What is your experience of King Lear? Write in to TablingPodcast@gmail.com or post on our Facebook page!
Drawing of the final scene of King Lear.