The Subversion Of Shakespearean Legacy: Reinterpreting King Lear In Edward Bond’s Lear

Abstract

Edward Bond’s Lear is the most controversial and violent play and the title itself suggests, a radical reworking of William Shakespeare's King Lear. It focuses on how Bond subverts Shakespeare’s text to critique modern political and social structures. Through an anti-authoritarian perspective, Bond transforms Shakespeare’s tragedy of personal folly into a dystopian narrative that underscores the violence and alienation inherent in authoritarian power. Bond's reimagined Lear dissects the hierarchical and militaristic society by shifting its focus from the moral tragedy of kingship to an exploration of oppression, social responsibility, and systemic cruelty. Using critical frameworks from Brechtian alienation and Marxist criticism, this article highlights Bond's critique of power and the tragic consequences of its unbridled exercise.