King Richard: Hero Or Villain?

“RICHARD: To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,
By drunken prophecies, libels, and dreams”
(Act 1, Scene 1, Lines 29-33)

It is clear in these lines that Richard possess a will to cause harm unto others. He has laid plans and made active choices that are villainous in nature. Furthermore, he himself is “determined to prove a villain”. Sometimes more important than the roles that others place on us are the roles we assign to ourselves. Not only does Richard feel as though he must be villainous to achieve his ends, he actively wants to take on the role of the villain. To further build on to Richard’s role as an antagonist,

To be very blunt, there is a certain amount of death and despair to go about in all worlds. The purpose of this examination is not to determine what of this death and despair Richard directed to others, but rather the determine how much additional harm he caused unto the world around him. The first way we determine what falls under the general despair of the universe and what does not is by establishing necessity. Richard does not need to be king- he wants to. This means that any actions taken by Richard in the name of ascending to the throne are relevant to our examination. Next, and actions that were taken by Richard in self-defense, or as a response to the actions of others can be taken to be necessary. Given these two broad criteria, why is Richard conclusively a villain under the scope of utilitarianism? First, let us examine the

GLOUCESTER: Chop off his head.”
(Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 193-196)

Richard’s pursuit of the throne is unfettered and clouded by no external factors. This is heavily reflected in his actions. Without hesitation, he calls for the death of Lord Hastings at the mere suggestion that he might not comply. His detached approach to human life and liberty lead him to murder and pillage as he sees fit. Often this is not only to achieve personal goals but also for the sake of causing harm as it pleases him. This is exemplified in the following quote:

“RICHARD: Which done, God take King Edward to his mercy
And leave the world for me to bustle in!”
(Act 1, Scene 1, Lines 152-153)

Richard not only desires the throne and to rise to power, but also to have the unlimited ability to cause harm that comes with processing the power of being king. He wants to be able to “bustle in” the world as he