King Lear: Pre-Reading Portrait Assignment

King Lear--Pre-Reading Portrait Assignment

due Monday, March 8

Below are thumbnails of five portraits of King Lear (obviously played by various actors). Today, you will pick three of these portraits to study (limited numbers available).

Part One—Individual or in partners

1. Select one portrait from the five available.
2. Brainstorm a list of specific adjectives you could use to describe the portrayal of Lear. These adjectives should focus on the presence/personality of Lear in that portrait.
3. Refine your list of adjectives down to 2-3 of the best words to describe Lear in your portrait.
4. Defend your adjective choices. What details within the picture convey/suggest this portrayal?
5. Write your claim and defense up in a clear paragraph. Make sure to identify your portrait by its number.

Part Two—Individual only

1. Select two more portraits from the five available.
2. After studying the two new portraits and brainstorming some ideas about their portrayals of Lear and what details create those portrayals, compare and contrast them to the first portrait you wrote about and to each other.
3. Write up your analysis

Part Three—Individual only

1. Read Act 1, scenes 1 and 2 of King Lear.
2. Revisit the portraits you studied. Which of the portraits seems to be the most accurate depiction of the character of Lear in the play so far? Why?

Click on a thumbnail below to see the full-portrait.


Portrait 1	Portrait 2	Portrait 3



Portrait 4	Portrait 5