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Structures of power are intrinsic to the play King Lear and its function as a seventeenth century power play. Ultimately, King Lear supports structures of power, as the responder is enabled to see the destructive consequences of the reversal of what Elizabethans believed as the natural order of things, with characters undergoing various personal conflicts as a result of this inversion of order. Interpretations of this message have varied since the initial performance of King Lear in 1606 and are continually adapting to changes within society and human development in general. Similarly, productions of the play have differed considerably depending upon the personal circumstances and views of the director as well as the audience, who are ultimately responsible for discovering their own interpretation of the play. Imre Csiszar’s 1981 interpretation of King Lear is one of several attempts to adapt the play to its specific audience and context, with his interpretation emphasising the economic issues of the play and centring on Marxist ideology.

The women of the time were tainted by their sexual capacity, whereas men were empowered by it, reinforcing the patriarchal ideology of the time. In Act one, scene one, the stage is lit up like a chessboard, conveying not only the segregation of the kingdom, but also the rivalry between the players. Lear’s blindness due to his power is emphasised when he fails to see through the superficial and hyperbolic words of Gonerill when she says, “I love you more than eyesight, space and liberty”, yet is angered when Cordelia states “I love you according to my bond, no more, no less”. Lear’s rash decision to banish Cordelia can be seen to be caused by the absence of maternal figures, causing Lear’s blocked capacity for intimacy. This is supported by Coppelia Kahn’s ‘The Absent Mother’. In her paper, Kahn compares the maternal role to that of the paternal, i.e. nurturer vs. disciplinarian and spiritual guide. This is reinforced by using the love test scene of the play as an example, proposing that this scene is a variant of the wedding ceremony, where male dominance is once again emphasised, both in terms of authoritarian and procreator. Kahn raises the idea of about Lear’s “frustrated incestuous desire for [Cordelia]”, as Lear attempts to manipulate this ritual through disowning and disinheriting her – deeming her unfit to marry and thereby keeping his paternal protection in tact. Benny also draws connection between Gonerill, Regan and Edmond as they become intoxicated by their pursuit and consequential destruction of power. They are conveyed as being instinctively drawn to the pure evil that emulates from Edmond’s being through costuming. At the outset of the play, Edmond is dressed similarly to Gonerill and Regan, in black, with the conventional and quotidian dress serving to communicate their lack of power. As he gains sabotages structures of power through his destructive and manipulative actions, his costume changes to leather and he wears a coat, symbolising the accumulation of power. Gonerill and Regan’s attraction to the villainous Edmond is portrayed as being merely a symptom of their quest for power, as they share the same strength: treachery. Edmond’s death signifies Shakespeare’s condemning of his actions and beliefs, with Edmond acknowledging, “the wheel has come full circle”, recognising that now he must pay for the pain that he has inflicted.

That thoust mayst shake the superflux to them

Similarly, The Bondi Production of 2002, directed by Tanya Benny emphasises the issue of power structures through a feminist interpretation.

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