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orcinus_olive 's review for:
King Lear
by William Shakespeare
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The beginning is alright, but Lear is such a cartoonishly bad character, it's hard to really get anything meaningful out of his plot or get very invested in the first place. The side plots and characters however are all the more compelling. The story of Earl Gloucester and his sons is really gripping, pretty much overshadowing the main plot. Especially since we should have probably seen more of what Lear's daughters were doing after chasing away their father and get more insight into their heads.
The final act is so good, stirring so many emotions at once and braiding all the plot threads into a tragic but compelling conclusion. The scale of a looming battle/war with the French forces also really does add a nice atmosphere and tension, even though it barely actually shows up.
The final act is so good, stirring so many emotions at once and braiding all the plot threads into a tragic but compelling conclusion. The scale of a looming battle/war with the French forces also really does add a nice atmosphere and tension, even though it barely actually shows up.