<p>Episode 218:</p><br><p>Last time I looked at the first part of ‘King Lear’ from the opening scene where Lear makes his disastrous decision to split his kingdom between his children, through to the renowned scene where the ex-king and his fool are caught in a raging storm on the moor and saved only by the loyalty of Kent.&nbsp;&nbsp;On the way I looked at the deliciously evil Edmund, the poor judgement of his father Gloucester, and the scheming of Lear’s oldest daughter Goneril.&nbsp;&nbsp;Now I will complete this look at the play and discuss it’s place as a very Jacobean play addressing the concerns of its time when King James was working hard at an attempt to unite his disparate kingdom.&nbsp;</p><br><p>The role, character and purpose of the Fool</p><p>The mock trial scene</p><p>The blinding of Gloucester</p><p>The character and cruelty of Regan</p><p>Edgar and Gloucester on the cliffs at Dover</p><p>Hope before tragedy as Lear and Cordelia are reunited</p><p>A family dispute as the heart of the play</p><p>Why Lear resonates so strongly with audiences</p><p>The sense of ‘no place’ in the play</p><p>King Lear as a message for King James&nbsp;</p><p>The significance of the non-Christian setting of the play</p><p>The play as a tragedy and a history play</p><p>A brief view of the later critical and performance history of the play</p><p>A small selection of ‘King Lear’ on film</p><br><p><br></p><p>Support the podcast at:</p><p><a href="http://www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com</a></p><p><a href="http://www.patreon.com/thoetp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.patreon.com/thoetp</a></p><p><a href="http://www.ko-fi.com/thoetp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.ko-fi.com/thoetp</a></p><br><p>You can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.&nbsp;</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>