The film production of King Lear by Peter Brook was followed by different critical opinions. W. Chaplin (1973) considered the production a dramatic failure due to its violent nature; however, W. Johnson (1972) instead praises the “outbursts of exaggerated violence” which, according to him, successfully lead to the creation of the production's atmosphere. Through both of these perspectives we see violence as central to Brook's interpretation of King Lear. Similarly, Anne Bradby (2004) described Shakespeare's Lear as having an "unprecedented atmosphere of robbery, cruelty and physical pain" as central to its plots and themes (a theme also touched upon by other critics such as G. Orwell (1947 ) and W. Knight (1949)). From this we see that interpretations of King Lear benefit from an examination of violence. To show how Brook establishes his signature atmosphere of violence, I will explore the presentation of violence, the destruction of compassion, and the reactions to both of these key aspects of the production. created to directly establish violence through: the setting, the brutality resulting from the action of the characters and the emphasis on language. Key elements include the architectural setting (castles), costumes and props (particularly the choice of weapons), and landscape. Additionally, to heighten the significance of these characteristics, Brook uses diverse responses to violence and careful attention to cinematography. Landscape and setting permeate every scene of every production; within Brook's Lear this repetition creates continuity of raw violence throughout the production. In cases such as Edgar's sad escape at 0:42, to the gruesome conclusion of the battle at 2:01, the landscape and... half of the sheet... from Shakespeare Survey. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982. Print.Carnovsky, M. and P. Sander (1977). "The Eye of the Storm: How to Play King Lear." Shakespeare Quarterly 28(2): 144-150.Schlueter, L. a. (1991). “Reading Shakespeare in Performance: King Lear” Associated University Press. Johnson, W. (1972). Film Quarterly 25(3): 41-48.Chaplin, W. (1973). “Our Darkest Purpose: King Lear by Peter Brook.” Arion 1(1): 168-187.Hole, S. (1968). "The Background of Divine Action in King Lear." Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 8(2): 217-233. Carroll, W. C. (1987). ""The basis will be superior to the legitimate one": the beggar of Bedlam and Edgar's role in "King Lear"." Shakespeare Quarterly 38(4): 426-441.Isenberg, A. (1951). "Cordelia absent." Shakespeare Quarterly 2(3): 185-194. Knowles, R. (1999). "The Return of Cordelia." Shakespeare Quarterly 50(1): 33-50.