Comparison of the play “King Lear“ by William Shakespeare and its cinematic

adaptation by Laurence Oliver

ACT 1
In this essay, I will compare and analyze the similarities and differences between the play "King Lear"
written by William Shakespeare, and its cinematic adaptation directed by Laurence Oliver. The focus
of the analysis will be on the first act of the play, which has been divided into two parts in the movie.
The play, written in the 17th century, tells the story of an old British king who plans to divide his
kingdom among his three daughters. Oliver's adaptation brings this classic play to life on the big
screen.
As stated, the play dramatizes the story of an aged king who plans to divide his kingdom between his
three daughters. The division will depend on the quality of each princess' declarations of love for her
father. Goneril and Regan both flatter their father to get a share of his kingdom, but Cordelia, the
youngest, says nothing because she cannot describe her love for her father. Her father
misunderstands her words, and as a result, he disowns her. In the beginning of the movie, we almost
immediately get to know all the characters and see their costumes which perfectly show the time in
which the play takes place. Throughout the entire plot, there is background music that accompanies
the action. The music is included in the movie to enhance the overall dramatic effect. Also, it helps
spectators to immerse themselves in the movie as a whole. The main difference between the play
and the movie is that the first act in the movie is split into two parts. The first part covers the first two
scenes of the act, while the second part covers the remaining three scenes. However, there are no
changes in the way the scenes are presented. The dialogue in both the movie and the play remains
mostly the same, with some minor differences. For instance, the word "freedom" is used instead of
"friendship" in one of the altered lines. Lines about King's daughters were added to his speech, while
some of the lines from Edmund's monologue were removed.
In conclusion, the comparison and analysis of the first act of the play "King Lear" written by William
Shakespeare and its cinematic adaptation directed by Laurence Oliver have brought some interesting
insights. Overall the movie adaptation has been successful in bringing the timeless story of
Shakespeare's play to life on the big screen.