Shakespeare - Leading and Featured Roles Question

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 8/15/11 at 1:54pm

1) In THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, is Portia really considered a leading role? I always considered her a featured role... In response to the Tonys 2011 nominating Lily Rabe in the leading category..

2) In KING LEAR, what would the following characters be considered - Goneril, Regan, Edmund, Edgar, Gloucester - all featured or any leading?

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/15/11 at 2:03pm

1) Rabe was petitioned for leading and approved by the committee. I would consider Portia a leading role.

2) I think anyone besides Lear and maybe Cordelia has to be considered featured.

[Kad]

Posted: 8/15/11 at 2:05pm

1) Portia is a usually considered leading role. I am not sure how she could be considered otherwise. She is the heroine of the play, responsible for its denouement, and her plot is given almost as much focus as the main plot. She is the female lead of the play and her part is considerably larger than the featured characters.

2) I would consider all those roles featured.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 8/15/11 at 4:33pm

1) In THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, is Portia really considered a leading role? I always considered her a featured role... In response to the Tonys 2011 nominating Lily Rabe in the leading category..

Portia is the pivotal female role in a play in which all the roles - even Shylock and Antonio - could arguably be considered featured. She is also the "voice of reason," to the extent this brilliant but troubling play has one, and the vehicle by which the action is resolved, with her the crowning center of the plays famous poetic denoument.

Shorter answer: she could be considered either lead or featured.

2) In KING LEAR, what would the following characters be considered - Goneril, Regan, Edmund, Edgar, Gloucester - all featured or any leading?

Clearly all featured.

[mikem]

Posted: 8/15/11 at 6:05pm

I do not know the text that well, and the only production of The Merchant of Venice I have seen is the Pacino/Rabe one, but in that production, Portia was to me unquestionably a leading role. Portia was really the focus of the production (and it seemed that she had more lines than anyone else, including all the men).

[CAX]

Posted: 8/15/11 at 8:32pm

I always find Shakespeare funny that way.

Like Midsummer Night's Dream... who's the lead of that?
Cymbeline?
Othello?

And is it the line count that determines it for you or is it the character at the center of the action of the piece?

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 8/15/11 at 8:38pm

I never understood why Iago was considered Leading. Surely, Othello is the leading character and Iago should be considered Featured.

It's like in Streetcar, Stella is obviously just as bloody leading as Blanche is, and yet she is always considered Featured/supporting. Except for when McDormand played her in 1988... both McDormand and Danner were in the leading category

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/15/11 at 8:45pm

When Shakespeare wrote, I don't think he really cared about who was leading or supporting. He told his story.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 8/15/11 at 9:05pm

Portia is also the largest role in the play (going by number of lines - 22% are hers).

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 8/15/11 at 9:13pm

We never suggested or implied that Shakespeare cared or didn't care, we are simply having the discussion for ourselves. I'm sure one way or the other, Shakespeare would be glad to know that we are still talking about his plays, through whatever topic. I'm interested in this area of discussion and just want to know other people's views, that's all... :)

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 8/15/11 at 9:15pm

Iago and Othello are pretty evenly matched. As much as Othello is the protagonist of the play, Iago drives that play from the moment it begins.

[mallardo]

Posted: 8/15/11 at 11:09pm

If you're counting lines I believe Iago is a bigger part than Othello.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/15/11 at 11:59pm

That wasn't my intent -- I understood the reason for the discussion, and didn't mean to imply anything negative toward that.

I AM, however, having a difficult time putting into words what I was trying to express -- which is maybe why I didn't say more with my original post.