Abstracts Category : Other

The influence of William Shakespeare on the works of Harold Pinter

by Charles Douglas Morton

This thesis examines the influence that William Shakespeare had on the works of Harold Pinter. This breaks down into three chapters: page, stage and screen. The page section examines Pinters early writings about Shakespeare (1950-1956) and the ways in which this influence can be seen in Pinters later development as a playwright. The stage chapter considers Pinters time at the Royal Shakespeare Company (1962-73) and the role that this played in establishing his reputation as a playwright with particular reference to his collaborations with Peter Hall. The screen section analyses the unproduced screenplay for a film of The Tragedy of King Lear that was completed in 2000 and places it in the critical context of King Lear on film. Through this, I aim to prove the significant and lasting influence that Shakespeare had on the works of Harold Pinter.