<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>In his 1991 French production of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, the fourth of his career, German director Peter Zadek amplified the low-life scenes, first in the streets of Vienna and also in the prison, where he presented Pompey, the tapster-pimp turned apprentice executioner, as being as fully involved in his new job as he had been previously in the streets of Vienna under Mistress Overdone’s orders: now he is chopping up and sawing up naked females on stage. This paper will present some of the aspects of this expressionist sado-masochist version of the play, and discuss its legitimacy.</p></abstract>

In his 1991 French production of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, the fourth of his career, German director Peter Zadek amplified the low-life scenes, first in the streets of Vienna and also in the prison, where he presented Pompey, the tapster-pimp turned apprentice executioner, as being as fully involved in his new job as he had been previously in the streets of Vienna under Mistress Overdone’s orders: now he is chopping up and sawing up naked females on stage. This paper will present some of the aspects of this expressionist sado-masochist version of the play, and discuss its legitimacy.

TORTURE ON STAGE: PETER ZADEK’S STAGING OF MEASURE FOR MEASURE

University of Caen, France Esplanade de la Paix,14032 Caen, France

Gender Studies

{"article-title":"TORTURE ON STAGE: PETER ZADEK\u2019S STAGING OF MEASURE FOR MEASURE"}

In his 1991 French production of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, the fourth of his career, German director Peter Zadek amplified the low-life scenes, first...

TORTURE ON STAGE: PETER ZADEK’S STAGING OF MEASURE FOR MEASURE

Published Online: Feb 14, 2014

Page range: 112 - 125

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/genst-2013-0007

Keywords
expressionism, low-life scenes, Measure for Measure, Shakespeare, staging

This content is open access.

TORTURE ON STAGE: PETER ZADEK’S STAGING OF MEASURE FOR MEASURE

Published Online: Feb 14, 2014

Page range: 112 - 125

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/genst-2013-0007

Keywordsexpressionism, low-life scenes, Measure for Measure, Shakespeare, staging

This content is open access.

Keywords
expressionism, low-life scenes, Measure for Measure, Shakespeare, staging