A Philosophical and Political Analysis of Edward Bond’s Play Lear

Abstract

Baz Kershaw in The Politics of Performance: Radical Theatre as Cultural Intervention opines that a play “have to be seen in their full cultural milieu; in relation to the aesthetic movements of which they are a part; in relation to the institutional structures of the art; in relation to the cultural formations they inhabit” (Kershaw 5). In this regard, an unequivocal reading of a postmodern drama turns out to be a betrayal of its pluralistic and multi-layered signification. Edward Bond’s Lear is a quintessential example of a postmodern drama that weaves within its narrative fabric the aesthetic, philosophical, and political elements. First performed in 1971, Lear is a radical and violent rewrite of Shakespeare's King Lear. While Shakespeare’s play dealt primarily about the politics of sovereign power, responsibility, and the problems associated with it, Bond’s Lear is actually an allegorical taledepicting contemporary political issues and unreliability of democracy which in itself is vulnerable to slipping into an authoritarian government. This paper attempts a philosophical, political, and social analysis of the play Lear. The paper also analyses how ideas ofItalian Philosopher Georgio Agamben find an expression in the play. It also reads the play as a clarion call for practical activism and the need for public intellectuals to safeguard the true spirit of democracy.