Character Analysis Of King Richard III

This excerpt of King Richard III by William Shakespeare is from Act 5, Scene 3, and lines 316 to 343. It is right before the Battle of Bosworth, between Richard and Richmond. The two opposing sides have been drawing closer to each other, while the tension builds. The huge contrast in character between the leaders of the two armies is extremely evident. Having just been visited and cursed by ghosts, Richard is feeling extremely unconfident and unsure of himself. As the drum of his enemy sounds in the distance, Richard attempts to give his soldiers a final speech. He is trying to motivate his men, although the majority does not support him. He has to use a variety of tactics to make his soldiers more passionate. The literary features such as

The king tells his men to “whip these stragglers o’er the seas again”, which is a hyperbole for beating the enemy. His choice of words is very violent, such as ‘whip’ and ‘lash’. This shows how ruthless and violent he is. He then continues to abuse the opposing side’s men, and his diction includes various insults directed towards them. He calls them “famished beggars” and “poor rats”. This is an example of how Richard is feeling very insecure and unsure of himself, having to slander others in order to feel more confident. He also uses a polyptoton, telling his men that if they are to be “…conquered, let men conquer us”. His repetition of the word ‘conquer’ in different forms makes his soldiers feel shame and embarrassment, since it implies that Richmond’s soldiers, whom are not worthy, should not beat them. The king continues with a series of rhetorical questions. He demands, “Shall these enjoy our lands? Lie with our wives? Ravish our daughters?” These questions instill a feeling of defensiveness and protectiveness in his soldiers. It tells them how the enemy will hurt them and their families. It is also an example of a climax. Richard builds up to the things that matter to his men the most, so that they start to feel more and more angered by Richmond’s men. The king does not encourage his men with support and praise; alternatively, he uses intimidation and fear as a form of motivation. As well, Richard builds on their sense of inclusion, by using words such as ‘we’ and ‘our’ when referring to his own team, making his men feel possessive as if they one united force, all fighting for a noble cause, when in reality; Richard is just using them for his own