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Critical essay on richard iii deception
Shakespeare as a historian reference to play richard 2
Analyse the character of King Richard II
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The famed saying goes, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely". While this is true, an unwavering belief in the impenetrability of that power can be just as corruptive. In William Shakespeare's Richard II, the plays titular character faces exactly this dilemma. Believing his claim to the throne to be ironclad and divinely mandated, Richard finds himself at odds when he returns from war to find he has lost his power over England.
In the "death of kings" speech of Act III, scene II, Richard wrestles with the realization that though he is king, he is also a man. His kingship is symbolic and it is conferred not simply by title and grandeur, but through loyalty, leadership, and respect -- none of which Richard possesses by this point in the play. Realizing this, he must confront his own humanity and mortality, that is the reality that the English kingship will live on and he will die. Richard’s dilemma throughout the speech is illuminated in three keys realizations: first, that he is alone; second, that his kingship was a performance; and third, that the crown’s power is only symbolic.
First, is Richard’s realization that he is alone. This is particularly shocking to him, because this is the first time ever that Richard has found himself without anyone at his side. As king, he was never alone, surrounded by subjects and advisors who would tell him whatever he wanted to hear. He finds himself now without a single sympathetic voice, declaring at the beginning of the speech "Of comfort no man speaks!" (line 144). This is reason enough for Richard to abandon all hope, because as king, he could never even imagine being alone. This realization is such a shock to Richard that it affects him at the most basic level: his will to live.
He has not...
... middle of paper ...
... but death. Death rules over all the actions that have taken place, and is the driving force behind Richard’s despair.
Throughout the "death of kings" speech, Richard must grapple with the now all too obvious reality that he will die and his "divine right" to the throne will not protect him. All the pomp and theatrics of his reign have meant nothing, because he wields no real power and does not have the skills to rule. The crown itself is but a symbol, and Richard the man is left now with nothing but himself and no will to go on living. Richard has never known any identity but king, and without it, he can do nothing but sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of his own death and the inevitable death of all kings.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. "Richard II." The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David M. Bevington. 7th ed. N.p.: Pearson, 2014. 745-83. Print.
Shakespeare constructs King Richard III to perform his contextual agenda, or to perpetrate political propaganda in the light of a historical power struggle, mirroring the political concerns of his era through his adaptation and selection of source material. Shakespeare’s influences include Thomas More’s The History of King Richard the Third, both constructing a certain historical perspective of the play. The negative perspective of Richard III’s character is a perpetuation of established Tudor history, where Vergil constructed a history intermixed with Tudor history, and More’s connection to John Morton affected the villainous image of the tyrannous king. This negative image is accentuated through the antithesis of Richards treachery in juxtaposition of Richmond’s devotion, exemplified in the parallelism of ‘God and Saint George! Richmond and victory.’ The need to legitimize Elizabeth’s reign influenced Shakespeare’s portra...
Richard III's Usurpation and His Downfall Richards rule was always unstable due to his unlawful usurpation to the throne and his part as far as the public was concerned in the death of the two princes. As a result right from the start he didn't have the trust or support from his country. As soon as he became King people were already plotting against him. After he was crowned he travelled the country trying to raise support by refusing the generous gifts offered to him by various cities. However unknown to him a rebellion was been planned in the South.
The undeniable pursuit for power is Richard’s flaw as a Vice character. This aspect is demonstrated in Shakespeare’s play King Richard III through the actions Richard portrays in an attempt to take the throne, allowing the audience to perceive this as an abhorrent transgression against the divine order. The deformity of Richards arm and back also symbolically imply a sense of villainy through Shakespeare’s context. In one of Richard’s soliloquies, he states how ‘thus like the formal Vice Iniquity/ I moralize two meanings in one word’. Through the use of immoral jargons, Shakespeare emphasises Richard’s tenacity to attain a sense of power. However, Richard’s personal struggle with power causes him to become paranoid and demanding, as demonstrated through the use of modality ‘I wish’ in ‘I wish the bastards dead’. This act thus becomes heavily discordant to the accepted great chain of being and conveys Richard’s consumption by power.
give in to Richard that quickly, or at all. Also we know that the only
Richard did not manage to recover from the usurpation of Edward and after allegedly murdering the two Princes in the tower his reputation had fallen greatly. He had lost a lot of respect from nobles and from the populus. Killing the Princes could be seen as one of the major factors of his downfall. It was common place in monarchical families to have brothers and sisters "put out of the picture", but even in these primitive times, the murder of innocent children was a taboo.
Richard starts of persuading Lady Anne to marry him. After killing her husband and dad, he still blames her for not accepting his love. With great confidence, he tells her to either kill him or marry him. “Arise,
...f control of scenes and verbal encounters, which finally ends with his magnificent downfall. [implement more Margaret control/curses/competition in the beginning]. Despite Richard's best attempts to write his own ending, the audience is now forced with the truth that it was Margaret's prophecy that ripened to fruition. With Richard's final soliloquy taking blame for his actions and "the outward movement away from any semblance of Richard's control, completes the separation of Richard and audience" (Schellenberg 66). Through the course of Act V, Richard takes part in only two of the six scenes. Of these two scenes, he shares the stage with Richmond, the rising actor to take the lead role.
to behave in the same way as King Richard, and since he is acting this way, the
Richard had weakened since he had become king and was no longer ruthless as he had no reason to be ruthless. He had got what he wanted and was pleased with himself. He thought he was invincible, and he was too confident, which cost him his life. If he had been more careful, he would have been aware of the danger that lied before him. But, he did use some similar techniques in both the scenes.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Rev. ed. No Fear Shakespeare. SparkNotes LLC. 2005. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Richard’s disdain for humane beliefs and customs (such as religion, marriage, and family) shows when he treats them as nothing more than empty forms – this further labels him as a demon of indiscipline and rebellion. He sees virtues as contrary to his power-thirsty nature and aim, which emphasizes his pathological shamelessness and lack of hremorse. With his charisma, he woos Lady Anne in order to disempower her, revealing his disregard towards the seriousnesss of murder and respect for women: “What though I killed her husband and her father?” (I.i.156). Richard shows his disrespect towards love and marriage as he becomes her husband “ not so much for love / [but] for another secret close intent” (I.i.159-160) to benefit himself. In Act IV, Richard “prays” with ...
This contributes to a very villainous role. Richard begins his journey to the throne. He manipulates Lady Anne. into marrying him, even though she knows that he murdered her first. husband.
"therefore, since I can not prove a lover, To entertain these fair well spoken days, I am determined to be a villain".As a villain Richard must be heartless, he can not let his emotions interfere with his actions.
From the outset of the play, it is obvious that Richard subscribes to the majority of the Machiavellian principles. Certainly, he is not ashamed or afraid to plot heinous murder, and he does so with an ever-present false front. "I do mistake my person all this while,"1 he muses, plotting Anne's death minutes after having won her hand. He will not even entertain the ideas in public, demanding they "Dive...down to [his] soul."2 He knows that he must be cunning and soulless to succeed in his tasks. Richard also knows it is essential to guard against the hatred of the populace, as Machiavelli warned.
The first play which we see involves Richard connecting directly with the audience on the same level in Act 1 Scene 1. He tells us that despite the recent bloodshed and destruction caused by the War of the Roses, he is in full swing in an attempt to take over the throne of England. Not only is Richard telling us his plans, there is also much foreshadowing shown towards the future of England. In doing so, he clearly illustrates his false and treacherous plan, as well as tries to make a subtle attempt to gain sympathy from the audience. "That dogs bark at me as I halt by them" (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 24) It is clear through this statement that Richard is attempting to attach the audience so they feel sympathy towards his cause. This relationship remains throughout the play throughout the numerous asides and soliloquies in which Richard addresses the audience on his status and thoughts. This can be seen in many occasions throughout the play, but an example can be found in Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 247-284. This could possibly to raise the suspense level in the audience and to create a tone of irony and he also help to set the tone of blood and evilness as in the opening speech.