The Importance Of Margaret's Curses In Richard III

Closely examining Margaret’s curses, her most impactful use of language, in Richard III provides the deepest insight into her transcendent voice. As time progresses, more and more directors are cutting Margaret out of productions of Richard III, leaving Richard to dominate the play. However, Garber communicates the true necessity for Margaret as she asserts that “Margaret’s curse is history”, in fact, although she only appears in Act 1 scene 3 and Act 4 scene 4, her impactful curses continue to haunt the characters she curses throughout the play, even when she is not present (116). Her curse on Richard’s henchmen is recalled by Rivers and Gray in Act 3 as they move towards their death. Gray utters “Now Margaret’s curse is fall’n upon our heads”, and Rivers replies “Then cursed

O remember, God, / To hear her prayer for them as now for us” (LOOK UP IN BOOK 3.3), proving her impact extends beyond the moments she is physically present. It is her words, and more specifically her curses that continue to haunt the cursed.
The subjects of Margaret’s curses and the reasons behind her choice in who to curse is important to understand and consider. Margaret casts curses on Queen Elizabeth, Richard, and his companions. In her first direct curse, Margaret addresses Queen Elizabeth, beginning by her question “Can curses pierce the clouds and enter heaven? / Why, then, give way dull clouds, to my quick curses. / If not by war, by surfeit die your king. / As ours by murder to make him a king.” (1.3. 191-194). She opens with a general curse on the king, directed towards the heavens. Her choice to look upwards, and cast her curses towards the heavens leads to a sense that she is addressing higher beings, and more importantly, she is addressing heavenly beings, not witches or the underworld or dark sources. Perhaps her address to the heavens implies that she possesses the ability to bring