Realism of 'King Lear' and 'Rear Window': A Comparison

A point of realism in 'Rear Window', is the state of the society. During the time that 'Rear Window' was set, 1954 New York, society was facing issues and problems. WWII had ended a decade earlier, and men were coming back from war. During WWII, women gained power and prevalence, because the men who were usually holding all of the high positions and power, were off fighting in the war, allowing women to gain power and higher social status, by working. When the men came back from war, they expected everything to fall back into place, the way things were before. However, the women were not willing to give up this newfound power and sense of self-worth. 

This can be seen in the relationship and conversations between Jeff and Lisa. They talk about getting married, and who would have to relinquish power (e.g. change job/lifestyle) for the other. Lisa is an independent woman with a high position well-paying job. She is perfectly self-sufficient and does not need anyone to support her. Jeff is a retired air force pilot, who now works as a photographer for a magazine. He is also self-sufficient, but less well off than Lisa is. This makes Jeff feel intimidated. The fact that Lisa’s possession of power unsettling Jeff, is highly realistic.

Similarly, in ‘King Lear’ the state and balance of power is also highly realistic. In ‘King Lear’, while the women have some power, it generally does not exceed beyond the home. When women marry, they relinquish all of their power to their husband. Goneril and Regan gave up the power they had (by being daughters of the king) when they got married. Their grasp for power when Lear is giving his away is realistic. Women at that time were repressed, and forced to adhere to the desires and orders of their spouse or father. So, when they are given power by Lear, the fact that they exercised it so happily, is quite realistic.

In ‘King Lear’, the setting is unrealistic. It is unrealistic because it is out of time. It is set in a pre-Christian period, where the people were pagan. They worshiped the stars etc. In the period in which the text is set, modern countries exist. This is not realistic because the modern nations (England and France) in the play, have not been pagan for many centuries. This makes the setting unclear. The play is out of time. It does not comply with the timeline of history.

On the other hand, the setting of ‘Rear Window’ is very realistic. The film is set in New York in 1954. Every aspect of the environment, the issues, and the character’s beliefs. The setting of the text is so realistic, that the plot could have conceivably happened in real life. The things that make the setting so realistic, is the fact that we are given an exact time and place, and a clear background of each character.

In ‘Rear Window’, each of the characters are very realistic and believable. Each of the characters has a background and backstory. For example, Jeff and Tom are retired air force pilots, who flew and fought in World War II and Stella has been an insurance company nurse for many years. The characters are realistic because they provide insight into real world issues and topics. Marriage is the biggest topic they discuss. Almost all of the characters have something to say. Another thing that makes the characters realistic, is their interaction with each other. Their dialogue and their body language, are both highly believable. The characters seem to be real people. They appear genuine and realistic.

In comparison, the characters in ‘King Lear’ are slightly less realistic. We are not given much backstory for each of the characters. We are only given bits and pieces of background information, instead of like in ‘Rear Window’, where the characters each have a stated background. The dialogue between the characters is also slightly more unrealistic. Although the language is quite antiquated, even for the time is was written, I think that the language is a bit too flowery to be realistic. I don’t think that people would have used such elaborate language as used in the text.

In conclusion, I think that ‘King Lear’ and ‘Rear Window’ are realistic. They both portray their worlds believably. The characters, the setting, the topics, all blend together to create something that works well. By combining these things, Shakespeare and Hitchcock have made texts that have elements that can be applied and compared to today’s world. This makes both texts believable.

Individuality in King Lear and Rear Window

Individuality in King Lear and Rear Window

Both comparative texts 'King Lear' by Shakespeare and 'Rear Window' by Hitchcock deal with the idea of individualism. Similarly, they provide us with characters who refuse to conform to society's wishes, displaying individuality. 'King Lear''s Cordelia and Lear characters both display a stubbornness and refusal to conform. Lisa from 'Rear Window' displays similar traits. Individuality is also emphasised in both pieces through disability, mental illness in 'King Lear' and physical disability in 'Rear Window'. And finally, the two pieces 'King Lear' and 'Rear Window' utilise asides to create psychologically real characters, rather than stock characters. This creates individual characters with defining personalities.

In 'King Lear', we clearly see individuality through characters who refuse to conform to society's wishes. Cordelia is the most apparent examples for this text, in the opening scene, Cordelia refuses to describe how much she loves her father, when he asks ''Which of you shall we say doth love us most?'' Cordelia's opinion contrasts with Lear's, believing the commodification of love to be shallow and insincere. This refusal to conform proves Cordelia to be an individual, but leads to her banishment. The fact that this clear portrayal of individuality occurs in the opening scene emphasises this theme's impertinence. Another King Lear character who displays individuality would be Lear himself. Lear's individuality is more stubborn and self-centred, while Cordelia's is more moral and sincere. Lear reacts very negatively to any disagreement to his personal views, notably his views on love in the opening scene. However, making a king out to be stubborn is unexpected and very notable, again, emphasising the importance of this theme in the play. We also see this to display individuality in 'Rear Window.'
            Similarly, 'Rear Window' displays individuality through the character of Lisa. Lisa refuses to conform entirely to Jeff's views of how a woman should be, however, Lisa contrasts with the aforementioned characters as she avoids major conflict while displaying her individuality. Lisa does choose less glamorous clothing to appease Jeff, but maintains her interest in fashion through her reading of a fashion magazine while Jeff sleeps in the closing scene. Dis-similarly, Lisa clearly holds the view of ''ignorance is bliss'' and doesn't make her individuality as blatant as the characters in King Lear. However, the texts are identical in that they both use characters to display individuality through refusal to conform.

'King Lear' uses the form of disability of mental illness to emphasise individuality in the play. Lear displays a degenerative form of insanity throughout the play, gradually becoming more and more mentally unstable. We first see this in his rash response to Cordelia's individuality in the opening scene. This insanity is strongest in during the scene which takes place during a storm, symbolising the chaos in Lear's mind. There are also repeated uses of "mad" and "madness" throughout the play. As a disability, mental illness differentiates Lear from other characters and proves him to be an individual. This is mirrored in the text 'Rear Window'.
           We also see disability to emphasise individuality in the text 'Rear Window.'' The film's primary character is Jeff, a man confined to a wheelchair due to a broken leg. This temporary disability limits his behaviour compared to those around him, differentiating him from the other more able-bodies characters, making him an individual. The character of Mrs. Thorwald is another physically confined character in the piece, the nuisance she apparently creates due to her illness costs her her life. However, the form of disability contrasts with that of 'King Lear', as 'Rear Window' emphasises physical disability to display individuality, rather than mental illness.

There is a heavy use of asides in 'King Lear.' Asides create a more psychologically real and genuine character as we get to understand their true feelings and thoughts, differentiating them from others and emphasising individuality. A notable aside very early on in the play is one said by Cordelia in Act 1: Scene 1. In this aside, Cordelia states "I am sure my love's moe ponderous than my tongue." We understand Cordelia's reasoning for defying her father, making her a more layered and individual character. Edgar is another character who frequently engages in asides. While Edgar's asides clarify why he is in disguise, they also add a depth to his character, making him more of an individual. This technique is also used to emphasis individuality in 'Rear Window.'
          Asides can also be seen in 'Rear Window.' Jeff frequently comments on the behaviour of Mr. Thorwald, voicing his concerns, while also making him more psychologically real, and, therefore, more of an individual. However, 'Rear Window' contrasts with 'King Lear' in that their asides are much less lengthy and frequent, but are, nevertheless, present in this text.

In conclusion, individuality is a very key theme to both 'King Lear' and 'Rear Window.' Both of these texts utilise similar means to display individualism. The two pieces present us with character who refuses to conform, namely Cordelia and Lear in 'King Lear' and Lisa in 'Rear Window," however, Lisa's avoidance of conflict in exercising individuality contrasts with Lear and Cordelia. Both texts also use disability to emphasise the idea of individuality, 'King Lear' using mental illness and 'Rear Window' physical. Lastly, asides are readily used by 'King Lear' and 'Rear Window' to create more psychologically real and, therefore, more individual characters.

Women in Power

Women In Power

 The powerful woman is a key factor in King Lear, A Doll's House and Rear Window. She has a central role in each story and is represented in different ways throughout the three texts. Ibsen shows the powerful woman breaking out of oppression in a time when it was not heard of, Shakespeare's powerful woman has her own ideas and is strong willed, Hitchcock's is a persistent and independent young woman.

 In King Lear, Cordelia stands out to the audience as she defies her father from the very first scene,showing her freedom of expression and strong will from the onset. Cordelia separates herself from her sisters as she does not agree with what they are saying, or what their father is asking for. Shakespeare's use of the powerful woman in this play is the beginning of the downfall for King Lear and those around him. By banishing Cordelia and allowing the malevolent daughters to rule the kingdom is the beginning of the end for Lear. Cordelia's powerful attitude turns everything around and ultimately leads Lear to madness.

 Similarly, in Rear Window, Lisa Freemont is extremely independent and has a very clear set of ideas and goals. She has her own work, interests and achievements, separate from any man. It is clear that she wants to marry Jeff but she is not put off by his obvious doubts. In this text, however, this powerful woman drives the story to an ultimately happy ending. Her self confidence does not anger Jeff and by her uninfluenced actions trying to catch Torwald, Jeff sees that she is someone he wants to marry. 

 This can also be observed in A Doll's House, the power of a woman is the key to this whole play. The play begins with a woman who has no life of her own, she is living under the spell of her husband, she has absolutely no real independence. In this play, it is an act of blackmail that ultimately changes things for Nora, but her new outlook gained from this experience is what changes the ending of the play. She suddenly realises what has been at the back of her mind for her whole life, that she is not really living. She takes control of the situation and by doing so she becomes the powerful woman that sets an example for the world at this time.

 All three authors take the same approach to the powerful woman as they don't lose their independence throughout their story. They are strong women who don't lose their point of view in situations, they stick to their ideas and have their voice heard.

 King Lear's Cordelia firstly tries to make her father realise her love for him in a true way not just as he has asked or as her sisters have done, but she is immediately put down for her defiance. She is told that she is horrid and has no respect. To hear this from a father she loves so dearly may be enough for her to breakdown and take back her words, but Cordelia is strong in her own mind and ideas, she will not be controlled by a man. This continues throughout the play as she accepts her banishment and travels away, returning only in war to protect those she loves.

 Likewise, in Rear Window, Lisa is aware of what she wants and doesn't let this go for anyone. She wants Jeff but he doesn't think she is capable of his lifestyle. They have uneasy talks of what will come in the future for them but this doesn't hold Lisa back. She believes in herself and in the end she gets her way. Her and Jeff are happy and most likely to be married, but Lisa has not just conformed to the way that Jeff wants her to be, she is still herself and Jeff now loves her for this. She is even seen reading her fashion magazine in the last scene, a sign she is still herself and in control.

 This can also be observed in A Doll's House, however the text does not begin with Nora as a powerful, independent woman but as the events of the play unfold and Torvald's actions cause her to re-think her life, she gains a much better insight into herself and from that, a sense of independence. She see's things clearly now and must figure the world out for herself. This puts her in a very difficult position of having to leave her family and home behind, but she does not back out despite this, she stays strong to herself and her judgement. She is determined to better herself and her life and she never doubts herself after this.

 The powerful woman in all three of these texts is defined by her independence and courage to speak out in a time when women were thought to be second class citizens and shouldn't have a say in things. This is seen in all three texts even though the texts differ greatly in the time periods of when they were written. The one thing holding the powerful woman back, and this can be seen in all three texts, is their acceptance of how they are treated by those close to them, men in particular.

 We can see in King Lear that Cordelia certainly has no hesitations in voicing her own thoughts of disagreement with her father, which is very true to herself. However, Lear banishes Cordelia and insults her very deeply. Cordelia leaves but returns later on in the play and has men find Lear and care for him. She reunites with a father who has been deeply unkind to her and was so quick to judgement of a daughter whom he has loved and has loved him for her whole life. This shows an acceptance by Cordelia of how she has been treated, which she should never view as having been fair.

 Likewise, in Rear Window, Lisa allows Jeff to speak rudely to her throughout the film. He often puts her down, implying she knows nothing about the real world, only what's in magazines. She does voice her opinion in these situations but only to disagree with what he thinks of her, not acknowledging the fact that what he is saying is quite insulting. she lets the man who she loves and who is supposed to love her speak to her in such an unkind way, she is not staying true to herself in these situations.

 Similar to Rear Window and King Lear, and maybe most obviously of the three texts, is Torvald's treatment of Nora in A Doll's House. As Nora does not have much independence or voice in her life until the end of the play, how unequally she is treated by her husband is quite prominent. He does not allow her to have control of money, she doesn't have a job and he absolutely despises her when he learns that she has borrowed money without telling him, even though it was to save his life. He is obsessed with societies view of their family and he tries to control Nora because of this. Deep down Nora knows this but she lives and does as Torvald says for eight long years. It is not til the end of the play that she no longer accepts it, so in a way she is different to our other powerful woman as she learns that she deserves so much more than this unfair treatment from a man.

Foil Characters in King Lear and Rear Window

Foil Characters in King Lear and Rear Window 

Foil characters are characters that contrast each other.  They are like mirror images; they are clearly different but they share similarities. A writer’s use of foil characters helps the reader understand each individual character better, and develop them as the story goes on. Shakespeare’s plays are rich in complex and interconnected characters which compare and contrast throughout the play.

In King Lear, an example of Foil Characters would be Lear and Gloucester. Their families are nearly identical. They both deal with the issue of blindness. Gloucester is blinded in the play, and throughout the play Lear is blind to what’s going on.

Kent and Oswald are an example of foil characters. The biggest contrast between the two the people they serve.  King Lear and Goneril are enemies in the play. Lear is Kent’s master and Goneril is Oswald’s master. The actions of one bring the other one down. The two servants differ in their values. Kent is a loyal servant and is motivated by defending his values. He confronts Lear after the king banishes his daughter for being truthful. He honors his values more than the King’s judgment. This is done in complete loyalty to the King, even though Lear is blind to it. Kent is trying to make Lear see that he is making a mistake. When it would have been in his best interest to stay silent, Kent decided to speak out in defense of his values and in the best interest of the King.

In Rear Window, Jeff spends his time sitting in the darkness, watching others and not being seen by his neighbours until the climax of the film. He is more passive than Lisa, who conversely, is very active and exciting. She is always jumping around Jeff’s apartment, doing things for him. She eventually does a lot of investigating about the murder, while Jeff is confined to the apartment.

Lisa is the real dominating character in Rear Window. Even though we see the world from Jeff’s point of view, she is one of the main characters in the film. In King Lear, women play a huge role 

Morality in 'King Lear' and 'Rear Window'

Both William Shakespeare's 'King Lear', and Alfred Hitchcock's 'Rear Windows' present the theme of moral corruption. In both texts, individuals are to blame for their immoral actions. However, I would like to examine how these characters are products of their environment. In 'King Lear', we are presented with the character of Lear, who is initially a narcissist who banishes his daughter Cordelia after she refuses to obey his wishes. Cordelia is clearly a moral person who stays true to herself and serves as a foil for Lear. Lear attempts to commodify his daughter's love by ordering her to profess her affection for him, and in doing so renders familial affection cheap and meaningless. This is one of the first instances of immorality we see in the play, and goes to the heart of the causes of the upset in the play: feudal society. The manner in which wealth and property pass hands through the patriarchal model of marriage is the pillar of the immorality in the play. To quote Karl Marx,‘in pre-capitalist systems it was obvious that most people did not control their own destiny — under feudalism, for instance, serfs had to work for their lords.' In the morally corrupt world of the play, the characters have little control of their own destiny: Lear is doomed to madness, and Cordelia must marry who her father wishes. Similarly, in 'A Doll's House', Nora is not in control of her own destiny, and is constricted by the role of the 'doll wife'. 'King Lear' and 'A Doll's House' are very similar in the way that they show morally strong women defying this system of social slavery: Nora leaves her husband to lead a better life as an educated individual, and Cordelia defies her father no matter the catastrophic consequences in order to stay true to herself.  

Similarly, In Hitchcock's 'Rear Window', the viewer is presented with the morally strong character of Lisa who stays true to herself despite the expectations of society or male characters. However, in contrast to Nora and Cordelia, as a modern, successful woman, Lisa has a lot of agency. She has her own career, as we see in the beginning of the film. She has the money to provide her partner Jeff with an expensive meal, and is dressed in extravagant clothing. Jeff laments that she is 'too perfect', and that he wants a woman who could 'go anywhere and do anything', showing an unethical view of male entitlement: he expects Lisa to change for him but he won't change for her even though she wants to get married. This is very similar to 'King Lear' in the way that Lear rules his family as he does his kingdom: undemocratically. His relationship with Cordelia is a dictatorship in which he demands her subservience. This is also seen in 'A Doll's House': Nora is expected to put her family first while Torvald isn't. All three texts present an array of immoral characters who are products of their society, as well as moral characters who defy their environment to do the right thing. 

The theme of eyesight is used both in 'King Lear' and 'Rear Window' to highlight the theme of morality. The plucking out of Gloucester's eyes mark the most abhorrent and evil scene of the play, the point at which it seems there can be no return to good or civilisation. This is linked to the theme of voyeurism and the moral problems it presents in 'Rear Window'.  The bed-ridden Jeff spies on his neighbours, much to the dismay of Lisa. However, when Thorwald kills his wife, it is due to Jeff's prying eyes that he is caught and charged. This raises the question of whether or not everyone deserves privacy, even murderers and criminals. It interesting to observe how Hitchcock uses point-of-view shots to give the viewer the impression they are Jeff, watching his neighbours: Hitchcock forces the viewer into the role of voyeur, watching others for their entertainment, which, as cinema goers, is exactly what the viewer is. Hitchcock cleverly forces the viewer into a morally compromising position. 

In conclusion, 'King Lear' and 'Rear Window' both display a range of characters who are products of their environment and thus, behave in morally corrupt ways with some individual exceptions. Both texts use the theme of eyesight to highlight the separate themes of evil and voyeurism. 

Fear as a motivation in A Dolls Hous

I think fear is a key emotions of many of the characters in this text. Many of the character’s actions and thoughts are a purely a result of their fear.

   Nora, in the beginning, forges her father’s signature in order to borrow money to save her husband as she fears for his life. Her troubles are a result of this rash action. She spends most of her time working to try and earn this money back, but refuses to tell her husband of what she has done as she fears what his reaction to it will be- she knows he is against borrowing money. She lies and deceives him because of this. She leads him to believe she is irresponsible and unable to manage her money when in reality she is very careful and cautious with the money she spends. Although Torevald may not see it at this time, but I think this causes an emotional distance between these two characters, especially on Nora’s end- I think this, in the end, contributes to the failure of their marriage. This all being a result of Nora’s fear to tell her husband the truth.

   Krogstad, on the other hand fears losing his job and again becoming a social outcast again after spending so much time trying to redeem himself in his community. He is desperate to keep his job and uses Nora’s decision to bribe her. I think this act by Krogstad seemed very drastic and we can see his anxiety and fear because of this .

Likewise, when Torevald finds out about Nora’s doings, he acts extremely irrationally. He loses his temper with Nora and explodes at her, telling her she is no longer suitable to mother his kids and he fears that she will poison their minds with her lies. His first thought is of his reputation and name in society, that Nora has disgraced him and their family, he fears that this will get out and ruin him. He acts and speaks too her very rudely and lets his fear and anger take over him at that moment -a mistake on his part which causes Nora to finally realize that this marriage is over.In one of the versions of the play that we have watched, the directors has interpreted his anger as so violent that he hits Nora.

  I think all of these characters have traits in common. They have all panicked and made rash decisions which in one way or another they have come to regret. If it wasn't for Nora's fear for her husbands life, she would not have committed this crime in the first place, This was an act of desperation and a decision made under great pressure, however her decision to keep this form Torvalds was calculated and planned until krogstad got involved.

KL

I think that this I the case for many of the characters in King Lear also.

Regan poisons her own sister Goneril as she fears he is going to steal the man she is in love with.

Gloucester naively believes the forged letter from his son Edgar and fears for his life as he believes that his son in planning to overthrow him. He orders for him to be captured.

Lear, one of the main culprits of making rash decisions due to fear. He fears lack of acceptance, He feels the need to be loved by everyone. He feels he is going mad and this makes him fearful..He banishes his own daughter from the kingdom when she refuses to follow his orders to tell him how much she loves him. He fears rejection from his family and people and feels the need for their approval and as a result ends up isolating himself because of this. I think that in this play, Lears family have considered his state and treat him slightly more tolerantly because of this. I think that Goneril and Regan are blinded by the power they are being given and will do anything to what. Goneril and Regan reject him from their household and try to takeaway all of his authority. I think that Lear fears this as in some ways he is scared to let his crown go because her does not know who he is if he is not king.

When Thorwald finds out Jeff knows what he did, he tries to kill him. He is terrified about people finding out about what he did and will do anything to keep this secret.

that I some ways Jeff is scared also. He sees the other couples through his window and is probably wondering what his marriage would be like is he did marry Lisa. I think that he is scared of settling down and marrying Lisa because he thinks that it would mean letting go of everything in his old life, travelling around the world. He is too stubborn to compromise and in the end is actually slightly fooled by Lisa.- she pretends to read the travel book but when he is not looking reverts back to her fashion magazines!

        

Foil Characters in A Doll's House

Foil Characters in A Doll’s House

Henrik Ibsen creates characters in A Doll’s House who change throughout the play. Foil characters are characters that contrast each other. They are like mirror images; they are clearly different but they share similarities. Ibsen’s use of foil characters helps the reader understand each individual character better.

Christine is a foil to Nora. Nora is the main character and Christine is a less important character. They both have similarities, but generally Ibsen uses Christine to compare with Nora and to bring out her flaws. Nora is living in a dolls house, and this is a separate environment from Christina and the real world. This is the world that Nora is longing to be a part of but Torwald won’t let her.

Christina is a hard working independent adult, and she is more than capable of looking after herself in the outside world. Nora is something of the opposite. She can’t even look after herself, let alone her own children. Chrisitinas journey from independence to marriage is a foil to Noras journey in the opposite direction.

Some of the characters in the play seem to be opposites, but in fact they have several similarities. Krogstad and Torvald, Christine and Nora, and Krogstad/Christine’s relationship and Torvald/Nora’s relationship are all foils to each other. As foil characters, they have similarities as well as differences.

Krogstad and Torvald are foils to each other. They both have children and are lawyers. They were childhood friends and now they work together at the bank. Even though they have the same professions as each other, Torvald’s position at the bank is much higher than Krogstad’s. Everyone hates Krogstad, while on the other hand everyone loves Torvald. The idea that Krogstad is the villain of the play is reinforced by the reactions that Nora displays whenever Krogstad is around. Eventually we understand that Krogstad committed forgery to help his children, not to help himself. Krogstad is hated by others for the crime he committed to help his children, yet Torvald is loved even though he committed a dishonest act to serve himself. Torvald helped Nora’s father in order to win Nora as his wife. Krogstad no longer has a wife because Christine left him for money.