『 왕은 살아있다』: 치유를 향한 긴 여정

Abstract

Shakespearean plays have been frequently adapted to films since the movie was invented. King Lear, as one of them, has revealed its malleability into versatile perspectives. This paper concentrates on The King Is Alive, among the numerous film versions of King Lear, as a case study of dramatherapy. In the movie, a group of travellers are thrown into the middle of Kalahari desert due to the broken compass and shortage of gasoline. Facing the fear of death, they start rehearsing Shakespeare’s King Lear, led by Henry, a member of the group. Through rehearsals, they confront inner and outer conflicts that finally lead to healing of their trauma even with some exception of destructive results. The procedure remarkably reflects Sue Jennings’ theory of drama therapy: E(Embodiment), P(Projection), and R(Role Play). As a result, the movie shows us that King Lear, like most other plays by Shakespeare, never fails to provide a wonderful spectrum which reflects a wide variety of human conditions combined with cultural and political implications.

Shakespearean plays have been frequently adapted to films since the movie was invented. King Lear, as one of them, has revealed its malleability into versatile perspectives. This paper concentrates on The King Is Alive, among the numerous film versions of King Lear, as a case study of dramatherapy. In the movie, a group of travellers are thrown into the middle of Kalahari desert due to the broken compass and shortage of gasoline. Facing the fear of death, they start rehearsing Shakespeare’s King Lear, led by Henry, a member of the group. Through rehearsals, they confront inner and outer conflicts that finally lead to healing of their trauma even with some exception of destructive results. The procedure remarkably reflects Sue Jennings’ theory of drama therapy: E(Embodiment), P(Projection), and R(Role Play). As a result, the movie shows us that King Lear, like most other plays by Shakespeare, never fails to provide a wonderful spectrum which reflects a wide variety of human conditions combined with cultural and political implications.