This is a brief (ten minutes) summary of King Lear that was created by Sparknotes. I chose this video because it is somewhat informative, and depicts the overall plot line of King Lear. That being said, I also chose it because I felt that it did not adequately do the play justice at all. To me, it is more an example of condensing a great work of literature into a brief and very boring segment. The video is dull, and the man narrating it speaks in a monotone. I never thought that death, betrayal, and the downward spiral of a king's sanity could be so BORING. I enjoyed the play immensely while reading it, but actually found myself drifting off while I watched this video. Shakespeare can be wonderfully entertaining and exciting when done properly, but this video is definitely an example of what not to do when trying to engage students.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptXr7LKylpg
When studying Shakespeare, it is so important to utilize several different interpretations. Although this is clearly a valuable source, it must be used in accordance with studying the text and at least one other visual interpretation of the play. For me, this video brings to light how important it is to look at Shakespeare's plays from as many different angles as possible to garner the full experience, and draw your own conclusions.
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