King Lear Commentary

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqL2DDXYoG0&t=0s&list=LLXvWVHNOoXpWR_iQFdHLOrQ&index=9

The video I chose shows a artistic project that is produced by the Goat Theatre on King Lear. It uses music as a way of telling a story. The video uses a combination of gestures, music, and words to bring forth the message of Shakespeare’s King Lear. It utilizes a variety of artistic elements such as sounds, color, clothing, and facial expressions to highlight the themes in the story. The video shows all of the characters wearing black articles of clothing. There is not a bright color in sight. I believe the producer is trying to convey the dark nature of the plot by using minimal colors in his/her work. It represents the theme of blindness and darkness in King Lear himself. He was blinded by his greed and arrogance that he did not see his daughters did not truly love him. He did not see how they “loved” him for his wealth. I believe the digital user found the drama and suspense most appealing about King Lear. There is suspenseful and haunting music that plays in the background that sets the tone for the story. The drums that are being played as well as the chant like voices in the background represent the craziness and madness that Lear goes through throughout the play. The loud drumming sound also gives off a powerful sense since the characters are loyalty. The facial expressions the actors make give us a visualization of the emotions the characters go through. It allows the viewers to feel the emotions the characters in the play feel. The video brings Shakespeare’s play to life with the powerful dancing and loud, booming voices of the characters. The producer also uses minimal props and decorations to have the audience focus on the characters themselves and the emotion they are giving off. He/she finds the nature of King Lear most appealing. It was interesting to see how a piece of literature can be translated into something as artistic as a song.