BBC: King Lear (2018) part 8

Read the previous post here: http://lilliteraturereviews.blogspot.com/2018/06/bbc-king-lear-2018-part-7.html

Act IV, Scenes 1-4

Plot Summary

Act 4 opens with Edgar reflecting to himself that situation could be much worse, when he is confronted with the sight of his blinded and beaten father being led by an old man. Gloucester is telling the old man that losing his sight is worth it if he can touch his son, Edgar, once more. Yet, Edgar chooses not to reveal his identity and remains in the disguise of Poor Tom. Gloucester asks "Tom" to lead him to Dover. Edgar (as "Tom") agrees. Gloucester says that he wants to go to the top of the highest cliff.

Goneril and Edmund begin scene 2, arriving at her husband, Albany's place. Oswald reveals that Albany is no longer ally to Goneril, and that he is pleased that the French have landed. Aggravated by Albany's cowardice, Goneril decides to take control over her husband's army.  She sends Edmund to Cornwall's house to prepare his troops for the battle against the French, and bids him goodbye with a kiss and the promise of messages. Albany arrives as Edmund leaves, and criticises Goneril for driving her father into madness. Goneril retaliates, calling him a coward, and the argument escalates.

News arrives of Gloucester's blinding and Cornwall's death, and Albany reacts with horror while Goneril expresses mixed feelings. Goneril feels Cornwall's death with give Regan less power, yet it also gives Regan opportunity to pursue Edmund. Albany asks of Edmund's whereabouts when his father was being abused, and is horrified to learn that Edmund was the one who betrayed him. Albany decides he must help Gloucester - and declares revenge on Edmund.

Meanwhile, in Dover... Kent, in disguise, speaks with a French gentleman and learns that the French have landed, but quickly departed due to trouble at home. Cordelia, now the Queen of France, has learned of her father's mistreatment and feels sorry for him. Kent reveals that Lear has also arrived in Dover, but refuses to face Cordelia because of how he mistreated her. The gentleman tells Kent that Albany and Cornwall's armies are both on the move, ready to fight the French.

Cordelia arrives with her soldiers and Lear hides in the cornfields, singing madly to himself. She sends her men in search of him, and consults a doctor about his mental health, who prescribes sleep. News of the British armies is brought to Cordelia, who orders her men to stand ready for battle.

BBC Production

A few scenes have been either omitted or rearranged from now on, so I'll keep this section in the order of the BBC production.

In a smooth transition, Edgar's words are heard before he is seen, as he narrates the beginning of his monologue over a montage of Gloucester being guided by servants and Edgar making his way across a field along the side of the road - the road, of course, reminds us that this is a modern adaptation, and therefore a modern landscape is required. He meets his father on his path, and puts on an awkward squeaky voice in attempt to disguise himself from his father, and the man leading Gloucester is convinced that Edgar is mad. Gloucester sends the old man away, and asks Edgar to lead him to Dover; Edgar responds that he will, in that same awkward squeaky voice. His face is becoming wet with tears as he looks upon his father with confusion and sorrow.

The scene quickly changes upon the mention of the Dover cliffs, and Edgar has apparently guided his father all the way to Dover. Perhaps they walked, perhaps they caught a bus, we'll never know. Edgar (still disguising his identity from his father) pretends to take Gloucester to the edge of the cliff, backs away when requested, and watches with tears streaming down his face as Gloucester falls to the ground. Edgar wipes his face and runs toward his father, adopting a common London accent this time. Poor Gloucester seems genuinely disappointed that he has survived the fall from the cliff, as this stranger tells him.

A quick flit to the French army shows that they are preparing for battle, and reminds the viewer that there are political issues to follow as well.

Read part 9 here: http://lilliteraturereviews.blogspot.com/2018/06/bbc-king-lear-2018-part-9.html