Shakespeare Electronic Conference, SHK 7.0948.  Saturday, 14 December 1996.

(1)     From:   Jeff Myers <
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        Date:   Friday, 13 Dec 1996 20:48:37 GMT
        Subj:   Re: SHK 7.0941  Re:  Last Lines of Lear

(2)     From:   John Velz <
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        Date:   Friday, 13 Dec 1996 18:00:21 +0200
        Subj:   Cleopatra as comedy


(1)----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Jeff Myers <
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Date:           Friday, 13 Dec 1996 20:48:37 GMT
Subject: 7.0941  Re:  Last Lines of Lear
Comment:        Re: SHK 7.0941  Re:  Last Lines of Lear

Neither Edgar nor Albany would suffer as much as Lear because they both delude
themselves with the naive Christian (proto-Christian, in this case?) belief in
a providential justice.  _Lear_ might be read as an attempt by Shakespeare to
let his audience experience vicariously a tragedy that their Christian ideology
denies them by isolating them from the finality of death and thereby making
them less fully human. Just a thought.

As for who says the lines, I prefer Edgar because he has been a more prominent
spokesman for the new ideology.

Jeff Myers

(2)----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:           John Velz <
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Date:           Friday, 13 Dec 1996 18:00:21 +0200
Subject:        Cleopatra as comedy

Jimmy Jung asks about Cleopatras played for laughs.  This isn't exactly an
instance, but the actress who had been great as Viola on stage and is truly a
comedy actress, Jane Lapotaire, was cast as Cleopatra in the PBS film. Simply
dreadful. What sticks in the memory is the endless weeping she engaged in at
Antony's death.  I yearned to offer her a box of kleenex.

When I got my ticket a day or two ago there were only singles avalable and
precious few of them.  Thanks for the tip about *Cymbeline*.

John Velz