King Hedley is angry, very angry, and perhaps with good reason. His mother left him in the care of another woman at an indeterminate young age, so he s angry at her. His wife doesn t want to bear the child she s carrying, so he s angry at her. The U.S. economy may be booming, but the boom has passed over the kingdom of Hedley. His anger is equally convincing, but less of an asset in illuminating his character or the play.
Anger can be a great motivator and a catalyst for action.
But it doesn t seem to motivate King Hedley to do much except yell. And when anger is a character s only emotional note, as it is here, it gets monotonous. This is not to say that his character is unrealistic - there are men who are angry all the time, but they re not protagonists of dramas with classical aspirations. This is not to single out Mr. Mitchell. It appears to be how his character was written by August Wilson, and it s certainly how he was directed by Marion McClinton.