Richard's deformity is not merely a physical sign of spiritual evil, but also a metaphor for the twisted era of internecine and intra-generational violence of which he himself is the inevitable conclusion. Richard claims that his disability disqualifies him for a peaceful age's love-making, but his effective wooing of Lady A I remembered this play as being nothing more than a superb melodrama organized around a charismatic, one-dimensional villain, but I now realize it is more complex than that.
Richard claims that his disability disqualifies him for a peaceful age's love-making, but his effective wooing of Lady Anne--literally over her husband's dead body--belies this claim. No, Richard, who from infancy has known nothing but civil war and betrayal, can only be effective when he is either murdering his Plantagenet relatives or plotting to do so. Thus, when he finally becomes king, he can neither enjoy the honor nor rise to the challenge, and therefore is soon plagued with nightmares and consigned to destruction.
Richard fancies himself as the medieval Vice, commenting sardonically to the audience on the action he has devised, heedless of the fact that he is also part of a universal moral design. Richard, who embodies in concentrated form the worst deeds of his time, must be purged so that a new age can be established.
It is here that the women of the play become important, transforming it into Senecan if not Sophoclean tragedy. In periodic choruses, the queens Margaret, Elizabeth and Anne plus the Duchess of York mourn their children and others who have been snatched from them by civil war, and call down vengeance on Richard and other murderers.
The interesting thing about this chorus, however, is that it is not composed of unified expressions of grief and vengeance, for the woman continually curse and blame each other, each proclaiming her own sorrow as somehow superior to that of the others.
Ironically, the age's long history of crimes against mothers deprives even maternal grief of its unity. I believe this is Shakespeare's first self-conscious attempt to create tragedy--in the classical sense--out of popular drama. The conception of the women's chorus--both a traditional tragic chorus and at the same time something more personal, more ironic--is particularly impressive in this regard.
Unfortunately, however, Shakespeare overreached himself. In execution, the chorus of queens is often whiny and wearying, and slows down the action without illuminating it. Nevertheless, it is a great step toward the tragic resonances of the major plays. View all 19 comments. Nov 15, Leonard Gaya rated it it was amazing. Shakespeare wrote two titanic tetralogies at the start of his career, spanning through the dynasties of 15th-century kings of England, from Edward III down to Henry VII.
Downward because it illustrates the collapse of a nation into political chaos. While Henry V was the apotheosis of a heroic king sent from heaven, all of Henry VI was a slow descent, and finally Richard III, the cursed king, last of the Plantagenets, is like a monster out of hell. In a way, it is urgent to re-read these plays today.
They are like a cautionary tale, in a time when a general lack of purpose and justice would have us agree to let an impostor with despotic ambitions access political power. Inward because it gradually shrinks down, from the width of two nations England and France under one king, down to one country England alone , down again to two houses Lancaster and Plantagenet , down still to one house York , and now down to one single individual: Richard, the dog.
As a result, while Henry V was an epic play spanning across Europe, Richard III feels like a constrained nightmare, an introspection into a deranged, sadistic mind. The periodic monologues addressed to the public actively contribute to this effect. The other characters are only there to be abused or killed. The people Richard rules over barely exists anymore, except for a couple of cutthroats and some gullible worthies. His kingdom even is worth less than a horse when his death draws near.
Richard is evil in a fantastic, insane way. Never again did Shakespeare give the prominent role to such a shocking psychopath: Iago Othello and Edmund King Lear are supporting characters. Even Macbeth — for which Richard III is a sort of first draft — is, in a way more humane, sensible, torn inside by guilt and a sense of vanity.
Richard is just a bloc of abyss. Next to him, George R. The reshaping of the text and plot is very cleverly done and brings more sense and clarity to the material. The film is also visually stunning. But the cast is what really stands out, especially Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays a particularly intense Richard.
A hero, in his own mind or a historical villain? King Richard the Third , grew up in the turbulent years of the War of the Roses, , the English crown fought between the House of York, symbolized by the White Rose, and the House of Lancaster, the Red Rose, Sovereigns on the throne, vanish rapidly, ironically, two branches of the same Plantagenet family. Richard's brother Edward IV, at 6 foot four inches, the tallest British monarch in history, is dying, over indulgences, so much food and A hero, in his own mind or a historical villain?
Richard's brother Edward IV, at 6 foot four inches, the tallest British monarch in history, is dying, over indulgences, so much food and drink, the warrior king has become very fat, I mean obese. His two sons, Edward and Richard, are too young to rule, with the demise of their father, Uncle Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, places the young , trusting princes, his nephews, in the legendary Tower of London, part castle and the other a prison, Queen Elizabeth, the mother, Edward the fourth's wife, flees to a sanctuary with her two remaining daughters.
They the little princes, disappear without a trace from sight, a mystery that has never been solved. Wild rumors spread that they were executed, by the rather ambitious man. Through less than ethical maneuvering, treacherous, some say with the help of the greedy Duke of Buckingham , takes the throne, many rivals fall, Buckingham too, including even disloyal brother Clarence, the last one, he has, and the blood spills freely, but a new king is crowned, Richard , long live the king Queen Anne dies, the new monarch's wife, he then wants to marry young Elizabeth, his brother Edward IV's, daughter Uneasy lies the man on the throne, a new threat emerges from exile in France, the Earl of Richmond's navy, lands in England, his marching army sets off to challenge Richard, the Battle of Bosworth Field , will decide who becomes master of the unstable nation.
But the eyes of the dead, will no longer see the beautiful blue skies above, the green grass under their feet, the sweet smelling roses, both white and red, growing on the land, the soothing sounds of water, as it goes over rocks, in a small brook, the singing of the happy birds, to each other, on a tree, the gentle winds touching the gentlemen's faces, the magic of the rainbow colors, after a refreshing rain, the warm Sun, drying the pastures The caressing and kisses , of loved ones, the untroubled, shouting children, playing outside View all 23 comments.
Ah good old Dick III. Killing yer husbands, killing yer children. An all-round family guy. View 2 comments. Feb 20, Sean Barrs rated it liked it Shelves: shakespeare , plays , 3-star-reads. Poor old Richard. I think you needed more than that horse to save your kingdom….. Sep 05, James rated it really liked it Shelves: 3-written-preth-century , 1-fiction. People have generally heard of this King, and know more about him than they realize, but he is not one of the more famously read plays in high school or college, falling behind the more popular comedies and tragedies of Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and A Mid-Summer Night's Dream.
Why This Book Although I read this play in high school, I had a more in depth read in a Shakespeare course where we compared each play to a painting of our choosing and a TV or Film adaption instructor choice. He's also angry over a physical deformity, carrying a rather huge chip on his shoulder. He goes on a small killing spree, then forces one of the widows into marrying him.
He has his brother the king executed and makes it look like his other brother committed the crime. All that stands in his way are his 2 young nephews, and while Richard is ruling the country until his nephew is older, it's just not enough for him.
He manipulates others into asking for him to become the permanent king, and then secretly locks the princes in a tower or kills them. The world may never know. Over a short period of time, he becomes mocked and disliked, as the people know he is a horrible man. When his wife is no longer valuable to him, he has her killed and attempts to marry the daughter of the former Queen young enough to be his granddaughter supposedly , to strengthen his claim to the throne.
The battle begins for the throne, and Richard has a dream he will die. The next day, he is killed by his rival, who then marries the daughter of the former Queen and becomes the new King. It's written in the late 16th century, so some of the language requires some interpretation.
It was a play, so not a typical book read with a specific point of view. It's based on reality; most of the plot actually happened to the kings and queens of that time. Strengths Shakespeare knew how to write. His language was beautiful. His words created vibrant and memorable images. He included themes and motifs across the scenes. He took as much from reality as he could, interjecting only enough balance of humor to offend some, but not those who would imprison him.
The story is simply fantastic. So many things people talk about today come from Richard III, including a few lines from this play. Most everyone who knows a thing or two about British kings and queens are familiar with the young boys imprisoned in the tower. And when Richard III's body was dug up in in a parking lot in Leicester, the world waited to find out if it was actually him or just some other skeleton.
It WAS him. Brothers fighting brothers. It's a bloody story, but helps teach a lot of history to kids in school. But it's not for everyone. And not an easy read. Questions and concerns are more about: 1.
Did Shakespeare really write it, or was it a ghost writer? Did Richard III really kill the boys, or did they die somehow else? What was his deformity? Was he really all that bad, or did Shakespeare mock him and for years, we've all played a game of telephone. If you don't know that one, email me 5. Which TV or Film was the best adaption? You must see the one I noted above. It's brilliant. A masterpiece in acting, plot re-creation and scenery.
Final Thoughts If you're going to read it, invest the time in reading all the plays tied together for the War of Roses. Get to know the characters, look up their realities, understand their relationships, and jump in with eyes wide open. Don't just read it because it sounds like a good story. There's more to it, and you won't enjoy the style of the play without having the affinity for year old words and a love of British royalty. About Me For those new to me or my reviews I write A LOT.
Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. View all 5 comments. Nov 10, G. In the seduction scene from Act 1, the guy playing Richard, who was a complete asshole, decided to put his hand on my left breast somewhere towards the end. I turned round and punched him in the face, knocking out one of his teeth. They had to end the play there and then and I got expelled, but it was worth it.
View all 13 comments. Dec 17, Lyn rated it liked it. Richard, though, is made to be more complex than the medieval personification of Vice, more human and thus, more terrible. But I know none, and therefore am no beast. View all 4 comments. Jun 18, Amalia Gkavea rated it it was amazing Shelves: favorites , classics , shakespeare , british-culture , theatre , european-culture , britain , british-theatre , united-kingdom , british-history.
Richard loves Richard; that is, I and I. Is there a murderer here? Yes, I am. Then fly! What, from myself? Great reason why: Lest I revenge. What, myself upon myself? Alack, I love myself. For any good That I myself have done unto myself? O, no! Alas, I rather hate myself For hateful deeds committed by myself.
I am a villain. Yet I lie. I am not. Fool, of thyself speak well. Fool, do not flatter: My conscience hath a thousand several tongues, And every tongue brings in a several tale, And every tale condemns me for a villain.
There is no creature loves me, And if I die no soul will pity me. And wherefore should they, since that I myself Find in myself no pity to myself? This was an exceptionally amazing play. He is brilliant and absolutely, totally ruthless.
The play is action-packed and such a fitting fantastic end to the long series of plays that started way back with Edward III. The play is so well-structured and the character of Richard III so evil that this makes for an incredibly intense and enjoyable read. We see Richard seize the throne in a moment of chaos mostly fomented by him an This was an exceptionally amazing play.
We see Richard seize the throne in a moment of chaos mostly fomented by him and then lose everything when he dies at Boswell. I also watched the classic Laurence Olivier version which feels dated but is still worth it in particular for the opening soliloquy, "In the winter of our discontent" which is sublime.
The wooing of the widow in this one was so evil. So much material here, I think there is still a good case to make that Richard III is one of the most evil literary characters ever created.
Aug 10, E. View 1 comment. Feb 04, Paul Bryant rated it really liked it Shelves: shakespeare. Here is an excellent and fun archaelogical story. They just found Richard III. He was under a municipal car park. People had been parking their Renault Clios and Ford Fiestas on top of him for years.
Another part of the field. After that, allegedly, the body was dragged into Leicester 25 miles south of Nottingham Here is an excellent and fun archaelogical story. After that, allegedly, the body was dragged into Leicester 25 miles south of Nottingham , hung up for the amusement of passers-by for a few days, then buried in the choir of Greyfriars Abbey.
Richard's grave vanished. No one gave a monkey's about it. They couldn't care less. People forgot where the Greyfriars Abbey even was. They mystery of the King's whereabouts remained — until today!
She was the one who got a bee in her bonnet about it. She identified the car park as the area where the choir used to be. She did the convincing. A couple of weeks later they had uncovered the foundations of the abbey and two human skeletons, one of which was complete.
The skull showed a major head wound. The spine was crooked. There was an arrowhead in the spine. DNA tests were done, radio carbon tests were done, and today they announced it's him. Give me a bowl of wine: I have not that alacrity of spirit, Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have. Act V scene ii. BCC Email: rgeorge bcc. I have not ordered any textbooks, because all of Shakespeare's plays are easily available on the Internet for free.
The plays I plan to discuss this quarter are listed below, and the order we'll go over them is in the Calendar. This course is an introduction to Shakespeare as a dramatist, offered for both majors and non-majors. Its aim is to help you read and appreciate Shakespeare's plays. We will begin in the first week by discussing Elizabethan England and the basics of Elizabethan drama.
Then we'll do close readings of several of the plays, chosen to represent the major genres Shakespeare wrote comedy, tragedy, history, romance and to cover the course of his career. I like to do things thematically, and one of the themes I see running through all these plays is POWER: the limits and duties of those in authority, and an examination of what kinds of authority are legitimate and the consequences of illegitimate uses of power.
I plan to keep coming back to this theme as we discuss the plays, but feel free to make thematic connections of your own. Since no one can write about a work without being able to remember what happens in it, you should always be ready to summarize the action of the part of the play currently under discussion, recognize the characters' names, have some sense of what comes before and after a given scene, and explain the meanings of any unfamiliar words or usages that have been defined for you in the text, handouts, or class discussion.
I think you'll find that careful reading notes will be a big help. You can make up two of these short writings; after that, missed work will be averaged as a zero. GRADES: Your grade will be based on your writing, both the regular short papers and one final paper at least five pages long discussing some critical insight you've developed about two or more of the plays.
Here are some extra things you can do that may, if done well, raise your grade:. Many Shakespeare plays are available at local video stores or through public libraries; viewing one might be a great excuse for a small party. If you do this, write a short 1-page discussion of the differences between these performances and what you've read. Record your sessions on cassette and turn the cassettes in to me, clearly identifying the readers.
I'd suggest at least one hour of this a week. Or get a group together and read through a whole play; it could be another party idea. Again, record it and turn in the tapes. As with anything else, minimum effort will get minimal results, but real engagement or work at a higher level than you are able to produce in the in-class writings can pay off.
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