Hip-hop Lear: Intermedial References of the play ‘King Lear’ (1606), by Shakespeare, in the series ‘Empire’ (2015-)

Abstract

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.35572/rlr.v9i3.1793

This article aims at demonstrating the intermedial references of the play King Lear (1606), by William Shakespeare, in the thematic structure of the TV series Empire (2015-, FOX), conceived by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong. Our working hypothesis is based on the recognition of premeditated correspondences between the composition structures of the Shakespearean text and the composition structures of the TV series in question. Based on the thematical mirroring mechanism used by the authors of the series, widely known by the audience, we aim to present the similarities between these objects, using, for this purpose, the theoretical advances developed by the studies on intermediality – mainly those by Irina Rajewsky (2012) –, and specifically directed to literary studies. To illustrate, in a general way, the process of mobilizing intermedial references of Shakespeare's work, we also present a brief introduction on the relations between American television and the English playwright, as well as a display of the cultural products that constitute our proposal for dialogue.