Consuming the Royal Body: Stillness, Scopophilia, and Aura in Lear and Macbeth on Screen

Drawing on Hilary Mantel's evocation of the frozen body monarch as an object to be gazed upon and consumed, this article revisits three cinematic Shakespearean films in order demonstrate ways which kings are made abject. By applying Laura Mulvey's language scopophilia instances Ran (Kurosawa, 1985), King Lear (Brook, 1971), Macbeth (Kurzel, 2015) where framed still, sees royal bodies at mercy camera. In their stillness fragmentation, especially moments trauma, these both draw gaze camera while same time being subject exploitation by it. Further, ecocritical framework, argues that consumed along with landscape well camera, aligning fate abject king land they inhabit, if not rule. Through reframing relationship between screen monarchs, filmed environment, one hungry scrutiny, concludes power relationships tragedy open subversion.