Alexandra Tu
9/24/2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahFtoCq6CHw&t=394s
Ian McKellen: Understanding King Lear, the Character
In the video, Understanding King Lear, the Character, Ian McKellen explains his understanding of the title character by providing insight into Lear’s backstory. Initially, I was intrigued because of the way that McKellen articulated his thoughts — it drew me into the discussion. This play was not concerned with the past—there was no explanation, backstory or quick summary; we just jumped right into the present. It can be difficult for the audience to interpret the story and understand the characters, which is why I found this video to be helpful and worthy of a discussion.
This commentary discusses Lear’s character and his transformation throughout the play. McKellen made many excellent points towards the end of the video about the relationship between Lear and his daughters. At 6:32, McKellen states, “I think he has been a bit of a bully. And you see him bullying his daughters, which perhaps explains why the two elder daughters have the characters they do. They turn into dreadful bullies themselves. Like father, like daughter”. His analysis of Cordelia, the youngest daughter, stems from the ‘good’ characteristics of Lear—His willpower and strength (similar to that of a warrior). McKellen proposes that King Lear could have been a warrior because the man he liked the most in the play was Kent—the man who told him the truth from the beginning despite getting thrown out. Kent returns in disguise and was well liked by Lear. McKellen suggests this is because he can recognize a man who is sturdy and moral with military values.
The relationship between Lear and Cordelia was one consisting of love. The commentator believed Lear loved Cordelia the most and wanted her love back in return. Thus, in the first scene, he got very upset when he felt like his love was not reciprocated back to him. In summary, I believe the commentator was trying to analyze deeper into Lear’s character and provide an understanding of the type of King he was—Not just a politician, bully, or a king who ruled solely because his father did, but also a warrior who always had a heart.