What Is The Context Of Looking For Richard A Complex Character

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Storytelling projects the human experience which reflects society's historical and contextual values which transcend time, allowing the individual to interrogate their wider world. L2Q Al Pacino’s docudrama Looking for Richard(LFR)(1996) recontextualises William Shakespeare’s play, Richard III (RIII), through the lens of textual conversations, using a shift in language registers to make the play more accessible to contemporary audiences. Shakespeare antagonises Richard’s pursuit of power as villainous and follows the predetermined Elizabethan ideologies that Richard’s appearance is reflective of a twisted inward nature. Pacino uncovers Richard’s motivations through a humanist lens, placing a less significant power on Richard’s appearance but …show more content…

In Shakespearea’s era, appearance was significant, backed by the Levitical doctrine, deeming any deformity, such as Richard’s “ugly as a dog” appearance to be his reality in other perceptions dooming Richard’s future to be filled with corruption and villainy. This allows Richard to effectively manipulate those who empathise with him, exposing a congruence as Richard hides his internal corruption under others' expectations of him. This is evident as he admits to “hateful deeds committed by myself”, yet confirms “I am a villain”, whilst his inward realities oppose this notion; “yet I lie; I am not”. Further, through aphorism, Richarids twisted inward nature is evident as “conscience is but a word that cowards use”. His dismissive attitude towards conscience reflects his distorted views of virtue as being a mechanism of the weak. Richards's machinations are deeply resonant with the Elizabethan audience, due to perpetual fears of threats to Queen Elizabeth I’s rule. Moreover, Shakespeare elevates the inhuman elements of Richard’s appearance whilst establishing other characters' observance of him as a metaphorical “hog”, “spider” and “toad" through bestial imagery. This allows for Richard’s appearance, “deformed, unfinished and sent before my time”, to solidify his villainous character. Thus, …show more content…

Through intertextuality, Pacino states “All the world’s a stage”, this metaphor highlights the audience's lack of knowing as actors perform contrary to their reality. Pacino encourages the audience to question Richard’s inward nature, through a series of rhetorical questions, “What is he? Is he the devil?...we don't know.” This shifts the viewer's focus from Richard’s appearance to his internal struggle with his flawed psyche. This is further exemplified through the non-diegetic sound, comparing Richard to “politicians, complete with lies and innuendo”, highlighting the modern relevance of power struggles, such as the modern autocracies. Thus, prompting audiences to reflect upon politicians' actions, showcasing the complexities of political intrigue affecting a character’s appearance within modern society. Likewise, Pacino states he “disassembles nature with [his] fury” to deliver Richard’s soliloquy, reflecting his deceptive nature. The metaphor encapsulates how Richard’s deformity shapes others' perceptions of him, “cheated of the feature”, as his true motives lie beneath his surface, enabling Pacino to encourage the audience to see attitudes to Richard’s appearance as an injustice in light of his sympathetic portrayal, as “Richard is a fascinating villain, but he's also human”. Subsequently, by juxtaposing Pacino’s performance with scholarly

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