watch this scene.
The playwright's can use stage conventions to make an impact. By watching this scene explain how meaning was conveyed through the movie. To view the movie please click on this selective reading.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftW7WcoOuU8. What emotions was felt, and what have you learned about the importance of stage conventions, and stage craft?
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ReplyDeleteStage conventions within a play all aid, in portraying a particular event or style without necessarily being realistic. In relation to this scene Act 2 scene 4 much emotion is built here. The thunder rolling when Lear tells Regan about the cruel treatment he receives from Goneril, and when he curses both Goneril and Regan, adds to the scene by creating interest and suspense among the audience. This thunder relates to how Lear was feeling at this time which was truly a mixture of pain and anger. Quite often within Shakespearean plays, one can say that Shakespeare quite often uses nature to portray a particular event, either good or bad in order to grasp his audience's attention. The thunder used within this scene allows the audience to realise the seriousness of what is occuring within this scene, and allow the audience to truly feel sorry for Lear. Lear mentions " You think ill weep; no ill not weep", here the audience can see that he is filled with mixed emotions for though his voice is loud and powerful, the audience can feel his hurt through his words spoken.
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ReplyDeleteThroughout the movie King Lear, Shakespeare portrays King Lear as a normal human being with a very complex and fragile character. In this very sentimental play, Shakespeare places Lear through the worst anguish of his life. The anguish Lear goes through helps him finally realize that human nature is not always loving, caring, and giving as his kingship disguises him to think. One may describe the mental states Lear goes through as myriad mental states. Throughout the play Lear reaches many realizations through his mistakes and symbolic madness, people’s wrong doings toward him, and his return to sanity through redemptive salvation.
ReplyDeleteFor example Act 2 scene 4, the storm is also based on the level of King Lear's anger. While reading the novel we discover that things are wrong and we know there is a storm happening. However, we are not constantly reminded of this fact and therefore often forget the main reason everyone is fighting. Through the movie's scenes and camera shots we are constantly seeing the darkness that the storm has bought with it. The camera shots allow the viewer to see the characters unwind and develop within the king’s anger.
The slippage of his self-image finally causes him to go mad. Before Lear goes mad he realizes the state in which he is turning when he states, “My wits begin to turn”. Lear’s suffering is primarily mental and climaxes when Regan throws him out in the storm. The main mistake appears as he [Lear] enters the phantasmagoria [fantastic imagery, as in a dream] of his madness. This type of thinking makes Lear become mentally unstable.
As well as staging, the use of props and costume are central to the visual effects of Shakespearean theatre. They are made to function as visual signifiers of various sorts: as thematic symbols, and indicators of character and setting. Props especially can appear in clusters of images to form a thematic motif, and they can be made to remain on stage, overlapping with other elements of the play to produce lasting images and layers of meaning. Costumes have a peculiar social function. to extent many more times than is ever true today, clothing signified social status and privilege.
just to add. something i realize about shakespeare and how he uses metaphors, similes, and other figures of speech to compare Regan, Goneril, and other characters to animals. This imagery shows that human greed and lust for power, as well as other negative qualities, turn people into rapacious or poisonous beasts. It also demonstrates that the dilemmas people create for themselves can lower them to the status of beasts.
ReplyDeleteWithin a play there are many devices used to portray different types of impact.One of the devices that maybe used to portray different impact within a play is by the use of stage convention. Stage Convention maybe referred to as words and actions and other techniques that are used to create scene and atmosphere that aren't really there. This was portrayed in King Lear in act2 scene 4.In this scene Lear was having a conversation with his daughter Regan about the treatment that he received from his eldest daughter Goneril. Within his conversation with Regan Goneril appeared at the castle. In this scene although there weren't many props on the stage the actions and words spoken by the characters conveyed meaning. Words suchas "natural hags" and "a disease in my flesh" spoken by Lear towards Goneril and showed the audience the hatred that was building up in him. Also his actions showed his anger towards his daughters. This could be seen through his pacing on the stage, also the expression on his face showed his emotion at that time. Lear was heart broken by his daughters responce towards him, especially Regan as he thought that she would have allowed him to keep his hundred men. He felt some what betrayed and disappointed that it sounded as though near to the end of the scene that Lear wanted to cry( However he stated that he would not cry). He was rather hurt too when they had put one of his men in the socks (kent). This was some what disrespectful towards the king and showed that whosoever did this had no respect for the king.
ReplyDeleteMeaning was also conveyed through the different sound effects. For example the thunder represented Lear's anger when he was cursing his two daughters and refering to them as "natural hags". When Lear said these words the thunder sounded even louder.This brings out Lear's emphasis on his words.It also alerted the audience on the dramatic significance of the scence and it braced the audience for the climax( which had basically started to begin). Also the sounding of the trumpets alert the audience of the storm that was about to come. This ties in with stagecraft as stagecraft is a generic term reffering to film and video production. It includes rigging scenery, hanging and focusing of lighting, design and procurement of costume, makeup and recording and mixing of sound. These were dipicted within the scene. All these help to bring across meaning.
This shows that both Stage Convention and Stagecraft are important as they both aid in bringing across the importance of a particular scene or play. This would allow the audience to better understand the development of the play, and the dramatic significance of each scene.
SHEMEZ BROWNE
Meaning was conveyed in the movie through the use of stge conventions, these were expressed through the actors facial expressions, behavior on stage and through sound effects used in the movie. First through facial epression the audience can clearly see and feel Lear's heart ache and pain through his facial expressions as he curses his daughter Goneril. This is meaningful because it helps the audience to better understand the movie and the plight and joys of the characters because their feelings are expressed through their facial expresssions or (non-verbal communication).
ReplyDeleteThe same can be said of the characters behaviour on stage.Lear's anger,frustration ,pain and hurt is expressed through his behavior and raised voice, he would literally attack another character in frustration showing his deep anger or pace the stage repeatedly.This is meaningful because without these actions the audience would not know that he is truly angry,but his behaviour, raised voice and dialogue clearly expresses his anger to the audience.
The most effective stage convention is the sound effect.These add meaning because the help the actors to express themselves.Sound effects act as an indication to the audience as to what is going to happen next. For instance in this scene before Goneril enters the sound of trumpets are heard to signal her arrival.They are also used to express a characters feelings. For example, while Lear curses Goneril the sound of thunder is heard to show how deep his anger is.
In the scene, meaning was conveyed through the playwright’s use of lighting, sound effect, tone and language. Here, it is seen that King Lear is on the verge of going mad. He was now present at his daughter Regan’s house after being rejected by his other daughter Goneril as he begged her pardon that, she would allow him and his hundred knights to stay with her. However, Regan tried to persuade King Lear into going back to Goneril and asking her forgiveness. It was here that the playwright’s use of tone and language to convey meaning was evident. King Lear voice was filled with rage and hatred for Goneril as he referred to nature, wishing for her to be cursed- that she would become lame (“strike her young bones you taking airs, with lameness.”), be blinded and her beauty would be no more (“You nimble lightenings, dart your blinding flames into her scornful eyes: infect her beauty, you fen-suck’d fogs, drawn by the powerful sun, to fall, and blister.”). As the scene continues, the sound of trumpets was used to signal Goneril’s entrance into the castle. At this point, Lear becomes angrier.
ReplyDeleteFurther, King Lear’s attempt to hit Regan’s husband, the Duke of Cornwall for putting his servant, Kent in the sticks, conveyed to the audience the anger and passion that had been long building up inside and was now being revealed. At the ending of the scene, King Lear’ tone was also very intense, illustrating his anger and frustration for his daughter’s ungratefulness. Shakespeare uses different dramatic effects in order to get his point across effectively.
According to Jeffrey Kahan in “King Lear: New Critical Essays”, “In the changes Lear ring on the word nature in the speech, he comes closest to arriving at an integral image of human condition in all its heights and depths. At the end of his speech, he hears the first rumbling of thunder, the beginning of the storm that will soon cost him his sanity. Lear never regains the balance view of human nature he achieves at the end of Act 2. But in shaping his tragedy, Shakespeare presents the storm only one moment in the life of Lear, a painful but still only temporary disruption of the natural order. Thus Shakespeare’s play as a whole offers what Lear can glimpse only partially and fitfully-a lasting image of the duality of the human condition and its paradoxical mixture of nature and convention.”
The use of stage conventions such as the sound effects, being the thunder and the trumpet sounds, body movements, diction and tone all contribute to the overall impact of Act 2 Scene 4 in King Lear. At the beginning of the scene it is seen that Lear is venting off his frustration that has been built upon his chest by Regan’s ‘sister’s naught’. As Lear eventually maligns Goneril, on behalf of her callous and selfish ways, the sound of thunder suddenly commences which provides that particular part of the scene with an emphasis on the anger and irate state of the King. Furthermore, his uneasy body movements and facial expressions add to the understanding of the audience that Lear is definitely infuriated, thus the tone is personal and angry.
ReplyDeleteThe trumpet sounds depict a royal effect on the scene which started when Goneril came on stage. Case in point, Goneril enters the scene with an air of vanity, showing her disregard towards her father’s anger; there is nothing royal about that, thus the ironic effect the trumpet sound brings about. Secondly, as the betrayal from both ‘unnatural hags’ [Goneril and Regan] unveils itself, Lear pleads for patience: ‘You Heavens give me that patience, patience I need…If it be you that stirs these daughters’ hearts/Against their father, fool me not so much,…’. In addition, within Lear’s second outburst of anger, which was also emphasized by thunder sounds, his feelings of pain were revealed through his choice of words; the figurative language, specifically metaphors and personification, added to the mixed emotions of rejection and treachery he felt on behalf of the two sisters: ‘…touch me with noble anger, /And let not women’s weapons, water-drops,/Stain my man’s cheeks…’.
Finally, it is agreeable to say that the stage conventions used in Act 2 Scene 4 impacted the play as it depicted a lucid understanding of the combined sentiments that Lear, in particular, experienced throughout the scene.
Conventions are necessary devices accepted by tacit agreement between author and audience for solving the problems in representing reality that are posed by a particular artist medium. In watching a modern production of a Shakespearean play, the audience accepts the convention of the characters speaking in blank verse instead of prose, and uttering their thoughts in asides and soliloquoys, as well as the convention by which actions presented on a single stage in less than 3 hours may represent events which take place in a great variety of places and over a span of years. This scene from King Lear conveys the heartfelt emotions felt by King Lear in his demise, as his "wrectched daughters" are treating him as if he has not done anything for them. In his moments of deepest despair his ultimate betrayal is evident as in his asides he conveys his emotions and sometimes questions the "heavens" as to why they do not have pity on him a poor wretched old man. These stage conventions are of great importance to an playwright's play as they convey the deep emotions of the characters and oftentime they reveal something unknown to the audience what the other characters do not know. This moment of aside is that such character's time to express his/her emotions to the audience in order for them to gain a greater understanding of the novel.
ReplyDeleteStage Convention are the foundations for any dramatical presentations. It is what makes the diction and the story line put forward in a play totally understandable. Stage conventions do carry much substance when dealing with plays because like the literary device imagery..which is when ones uses words to depict something of a photographical nature in words and which is most often used in novels or novelias...it is like the device used to depict imagery in a play since you would rarely find words to show how the scenes are set in the play itself.
ReplyDeleteStage conventions solely deal with things such as sound, costumes and in most cases the actually scene or area that the play has to take place in.
The theatrical presentation or excerpt that we were required to look at is a stage type presentation and much conventions were not made use of though there were some. As aforementioned, the costumes are a part of stage conventions and the costumes or items of clothing used helps us to defrentiate between who is royalty and who works for royalty. To expound on this thought.. King Lear, Goneril and Regan all dress in flashy and what should be termed fine wear and then there are the servants who have been given simple and rather cheap material to show their servantile positions. The soldiers clothing would of course be self explanatory as of course I am sure we are all well aware that soldiers done armour because they always have to be prepared for battle.
As my colleagues mentioned in their contribution the thunder which was constantly heard is also a form of stage convention. The thunder is used to express anger--King Lear's anger that is...it gives the play effect and it shows us how angry king lear was because of the treatment he was receiving from the children that he thought truly loved him.
In terms of the stage craft the noise of the storm is emited at opportune time to add to King Lear's emotions and the ultimate moments of despair when he was confronting his daughters and calling curses upon their heads for their betrayal. These crafts are used detly and it is ironic that the storm should be raging symbollizing King Lear's rage at his astonishment of his daughters' behaviour which is totally unacceptable owing to the fact that he gave them all he had.
ReplyDeleteMy apologies..i did forget to include Stage craft..which deals with the more technical aspect of the theatrical presentations. I think stage craft is a simpler way of say dramatic unities--which is another literary device that deals with time, place and action---this is exactly what stage craft is...There is not much use of this in the excerpt that this assignment is based on, but one thing i did note was everytime the thunder clapped to depict Lear's anger--the lighting in the room flashed and i suppose thi was to show lightning..which added effect to Lear's anger...
ReplyDeleteStage conventions help to add meaning to the play which helps the audience to properly understand the characters. Meaning was conveyed through stage conventions such as lighting and the tone of the characters. The thunder helped to set the mood of the play. The tunder helped to show the anger and resentment Lear felt towards his daughters.The lighting fixtures was used to add dramatic effects and to portray attitudes. The tone of the characters along with facial expressions help highlight the climax.
ReplyDeleteStage conventions govern th movement of the charters the style or rythm of a play and overall the meaning that is conveyed by the audience. Factors such as lighting, props, sound,and speech direction are involved in stage conventions.
ReplyDeleteIn this scene (actII scene 4) the speech employed a lot of comparison to nature and animal, King Lear compare his daughters to animals to show the audience how the carnal,vicious and cold hearted thier acts are "sharp tooth like a vulture", "struck tongue most serpent like". comparing them to "wicked creatures" tell us the audiences that there are not human beings.
In the opening of the scene, Lear is found sitting on the floor, this position conflicts his normal status of autority and symbolizez that he has fallen from his thrown this stage direction conveys to the audience that King lear authority is cut and that he is defeated.
Also in this scence King lear kneels as he begs for Regan to let him stay with her.This stage direction makes him seem powerless ( not king like).
Sound effects also help the reveal or highlight the meaning to the audience, thunder is heard as king lear curse his daughters, the thunder in this scene aid in escalating Lear's un seen feeling of bitterness and anger.The thunder echos the harshnes of the curses.
the trumpet as well builds the suspension in the audience since it prepares the audience for upcoming drama (telling us when another character is coming).
Shenice
Adama
Stage convention refers to the using of words and actions to create scenes and atmosphere that aren’t really there. It consists of costume, lighting, sound effects, movement, backdrops, props and many others. The effectiveness of stage convention can only be seen in the incorporation of structural elements. It also needs the support of the other features in drama to be recognized as well as to depict the significance of it. Some features of drama are dialogue, soliloquy, stage direction, chorus, dramatic unties and disguise.
ReplyDeleteIn accordance to the play many elements of stage convention was used to incorporate the scene effectively. This scene was taken from Act 2 Scene 4. The play began with movement which was significant in showing who needs who and who is old. For example King Lear went upon his knees begging Regan to take him in and when she denied him to go back to Goneril he got up as quick as possible. This shows that King Lear is weak and in need of the things that makes him feel like a king. Without the things that he desires he realizes how powerless he really is.
However, the sound effects of the thunder storm while King Lear was crying to the sky of the words which he cursed upon Goneril began to put fear in Regan. Regan even realizes that if King Lear could curse her sister for not treating him as the royalty that he once was that he will do the same to her and she was not ready for any of that yet. This enlightens the audience of the pain he feels and it shows them that King Lear is at a lost of what to do. It shows the rage that he feels as well.
Another sound effect is the sounds of trumpets on the arrival of Goneril who King Lear was highly upset with. For betrayal was felt a lot King Lear because Regan hugged her sister Goneril which upset him. Then more conflict occurs because Regan’s husband confesses after King Lear asked for his servant that he sent him (Kent) away in the stocks. King Lear was very upset that he wanted to hit him down but he was held back. After the arrival of Goneril everything began to come down on King Lear such as his two daughters ganging up on him and his desires to at least feel King Like cannot be met. Even his son in law laughed and smiled as King Lear’s life fall before his eyes as all the bad news is told to him. It did not consist of much of a backdrop and any props for the stage was very bare.
While the lighting is very effective in showing the characters facial expression, emotion and movement and they speak. The light was very bright upon King Lear for he was the star of the scene and had a lot to express. King Lear was frustrated, anger, depressed and felt the lowest as the other characters took advantage of his emotion as he tried to work with the fact that he only has the title but has no power. He tried asking his daughters for little things such as more knights to make him feel king like again but they were so evil and could careless that took as much as they can from him to bring him down. Personally I think that they were trying to kill surely but slowly. Though this was the case their costumes added royalty to the characters. Each character has a war style to their look which helped the scene in showing that their family is known for war and conquering all. King Lear lost the edge of his look cause he seem to dress a bit like peasantry and that is what he was in this scene for he was in need of his families help to be royalty again. Characterization played and important part in this scene because each character was revealed through their actions over their words.
Continually stage craft is considered a technical rather than an artistic field as the focus of stagehands is usually on the practical implementation of a designer's artistic vision. It is considered the management of the stage by the stage personnel or personnel’s based on the arrangement of the all scenery, costumes, lighting, and sound, and organizes the cast which is just similar to the effectiveness of the stage convention. The importance of stage convention and stage craft is to help the audience to understand what is going on in the play and well as to look at a situation in a different way than jus one way. The emotion felt was a lot such as anger and hate. It reminded me of a cliché that ‘what goes around must come back around’ and to ‘live as you would have others live with you.’
Finally, it can be clearly seen that this is life and stage convention is used to make the vision of a play more effective.