Richard III

Purpose

Explores the consequences of the individuals relentless pursuit of power.

Explores the role of conscience in moral decision-making.

Context

Machiavellian influence- Richard, as the antagonist, moves beyond the concepts of the Vice figure and
the Machiavel. Richard does anything to achieve powere even though it is immoral and unethical. He
commits incest by marrying Lady anne.

Clear class structure

Monarchy supreme

Themes

The allure of evil Richard engaged in evil words and deeds

Lust for power- Richards use of Machievellian ideas to attain the goal of the crown. Richard not the
only character who lies and manipulates to obtain power and control.

The birth of the House of Tudor-represents change and the new world order and hope, after many
years of instability(War of the Roses).

The Supernatural- Margarets curses, Clarence and Richards dreams.

Good vs Evil- Richard does many evil deeds and is surrounded by ineffectual and gullible males, like
Hastings. The women are more aware of how dangerous he is.

Role of Women- The women are presented as weak and powerless yet they are the intuitive and
perceptive characters of the drama. They foresee the future and play a role in instigating his downfall.
There is an irony here in that they are not so weak after all.

Form

Play

Historical tragedy- conclusion to the historical tetralogy that began with Richard II. Plays builds to a
climax- Richard crowned king, and then the denouement unravels as his deeds become darker and lead
to his ultimate defeat and death at Bosworth.

Text techniques
Quote
Richard
I am determind to prove a villain
As I am subtle, false, and treacherous,
This day should Clarence closely be mewed
up
Richard
Well, your imprisonment shall not be long.
I will deliver you or else lie for you.

Act/S
C
1, 1

Technique

Effect/purpose/meaning

Soliloquy

This reveals Richards thoughts

and villainy while also allowing for
the audience to understand what
he has planned.

1, 1

Pun

This causes the audience to feel

sympathy for Clarence as he does
not know that Richard means his
death.

Richard III
RICHARD
O, he hath kept an evil diet long,
And overmuch consumed his royal person.
'Tis very grievous to be thought upon.
Anne
Avaunt, thou dreadful minister of hell.
Thou hadst but power over his mortal body;
RICHARD
Go, tread the path that thou shalt ne'er return.
Simple, plain Clarence! I do love thee so,
That I will shortly send thy soul to heaven,
If heaven will take the present at our hands.(
Richard
Was ever woman in this humor wooed?
Was ever woman in this humor won?
Ill have her, but I will not keep her long.
RICHARD
Your beauty, that did haunt me in my sleep
To undertake the death of all the world,

1, 1

Apostrophe

1, 1

Metaphor

Soliloquy

1,2

Soliloquy

This reinforces the deep and dark

nature of Richards intent for his
actions.

1,2

Personificat
ion

ANNE
O, gentlemen, see, see dead Henrys wounds
O God, which this blood madst, revenge his
death!
O earth, which this blood drinkst revenge his
death!

1,2

Apostrophe

This makes the audience question

or ridicule Richards actions for
his murderous actions that take
into account no morals at all.
Apostrophes were used in the
Elizabethan era to emphasize
sadness.
They are used to address or
personify Items that are not
physically there.

ANNE
Thou mayst be damnd for that wicked
deed.
O, he was gentle, mild, and virtuous.
ANNE
With all my heart, and much it joys me too
To see you are become so penitent.
ANNE
Vouchsafe, defused infection of a man,
Of these known evils but to give me leave
RICHARD
And with thy scorns drewst RIVERS from his
eyes,
And then, to dry them, gavst the duke a
clout
Steeped in the faultless blood of pretty
Rutland
HASTINGS
O, twas the foulest deed to slay that babe,
And the most merciless that e'er was heard
of!
Richard
I was a packhorse in his great affairs,
A weeder-out of his proud adversaries,
A liberal rewarder of his friends.
QUEEN MARGARET
(aside) Out, devil! I do remember them too
well:
Thou killedst my husband Henry in the

1,2

Dramatic
irony

1,2

metaphor

1,3

imagery

1,3

Apostrophe

1,3

Metaphor

1,3

aside

This adds comedic irony to the

play as the audience knows that
secretly, Richard wants to attain
the position of the king.
This allows the reader to picture
Annes pain over the death of the
king.
he wryly comments on the fate that
awaits the Duke of Clarence.

This reflects the manipulative

nature of Richard in the fact that,
Anne has gone from hating
Richard to wanting to marry him.
This allows the audience to
imagine the character of Richard
as one infected man.
This imagery allows us to picture
Rivers giving someone a rag
soaked with blood. Here, Richard
is attempting to cast blame on
Rivers.

This emphasizes that Richard has

succeeded in influencing Hastings
to believe that Rivers is the
murderer.
Imagery of Richard as a horse and
as a weeder (like a gardener) is
instilled.
This allows the audience to feel
for queen Margaret, as here she
expresses her anger in her mind.

Richard III
Tower,
QUEEN MARGARET
Thou elvish-marked, abortive, rooting hog,
The slave of nature and the son of hell,
Thou slander of thy heavy mothers womb,

1,3

Metaphor

This conjures up the most

horrifying and ugly images for the
audience to picture, e.g. hogs,
abnormalities and the devil.

RICHARD
To fight on Edwards party for the crown;
And for his meed, poor lord, he is mewed up

1,3

Dramatic
irony

QUEEN MARGARET
And turns the sun to shade. Alas, alas,
Witness my son, now in the shade of death,
Whose bright out-shining beams thy cloudy
wrath
Hath in eternal darkness folded up.
RICHARD
I do the wrong, and first begin to brawl.
The secret mischiefs that I set abroach
I lay unto the grievous charge of others.
And thus I clothe my naked villainy
With odd old ends stolen out of Holy Writ,
And seem a saint when most I play the devil.
RIVERS
A virtuous and a Christian-like conclusion
To pray for them that have done scathe to
us.

1,3

Light and
dark
imagery

This adds excitement as the other

characters are not aware of
Richards duplicity while Richard
is speaking falsely.
This imagery give us a vivid
image of how the sun has been
concealed by dark clouds, just like
a storm.
This implies that Richard is
relentless and has no morals.
This passage allows the audience
to understand more of Richards
plan to take the throne.
It also allows the reader to
wonder until his conscience will
take hold of him.

1,3

Irony

QUEEN MARGARET
I will not think but they ascend the sky,
And there awake Gods gentle-sleeping
peace.
(aside to BUCKINGHAM)
O BUCKINGHAM, take heed of yonder dog!
Look when he fawns, he bites; and when he
bites,
His venom tooth will rankle to the death.
Have not to do with him. Beware of him.
Sin, death, and hell have set their marks on
him,
And all their ministers attend on him.
Richard
So do I ever (aside) being well-advised,
For had I cursed now, I had cursed myself.

1,3

Aside,
metaphor,
apostrophe

1,3

aside

1,3

Soliloquy

CLARENCE
O sirs, consider: they that set you on
To do this deed will hate you for the deed.

1,4

Apostrophe,
dramatic
irony

Richard
By any in this presence, I desire
To reconcile me to his friendly peace.
Tis death to me to be at enmity;

2,1

Irony

This makes the audience marvel

at how successful Richard has
been in manipulating peoples
mind as we know that Richard is
not a virtuous person and would
not pray for others.
This imagery depicts Richard as a
rabid dog in the perspective that
whatever such a dog bites on will
die. The dog itself will end of
dying a long painful death.

Richard would pray indefinitely as

he is the sole causer of
everyones harm.
Richard would not curse the
wrongdoers as it is himself. That
would mean he knows the errors
of his ways, which he doesnt.
This makes the audience feel for
Clarence as he does not know
that Richard had given the order
for his death.
Richard creates mischief and does
not want peace with everyone.
This mischief allows him to pick
sides so that one person may

Richard III
I hate it, and desire all good mens love.
RICHARD
O, they did urge it still unto the king.
God will revenge it. Come, lords, will you go
To comfort Edward with our company?

2,1

Apostrophe

DUCHESS
Ah, that deceit should steal such gentle
shape,
And with a virtuous visor hide deep vice.
RICHARD
Sister, have comfort. All of us have cause
To wail the dimming of our shining star,

2,2

Metaphor

2,2

Metaphor,
dramatic
irony

THIRD CITIZEN
By a divine instinct, mens minds mistrust
Ensuing dangers, as by proof we see
The water swell before a boist'rous storm.

2,3

Imagery

RICHARD
(aside) So wise so young, they say, do never
live long

3,1

aside

RICHARD
(aside) Short summers lightly have a forward
spring.
RICHARD
I say, without characters fame lives long.
(aside) Thus, like the formal Vice, Iniquity,
I moralize two meanings in one word.
HASTINGS
O bloody RICHARD! Miserable England,
I prophesy the fearfullst time to thee

HASTINGS
O momentary grace of mortal men,
Which we more hunt for than the grace of
God!
Lives like a drunken sailor on a mast,

3,1

aside

3,4

Apostrophe

3,4

Apostrophe

Richard
Now will I go to take some privy order
To draw the brats of Clarence out of sight,
And to give order that no manner of person
Have any time recourse unto the PRINCEs

3,5

Soliloquy

have friends turning against him.

This makes the audience marvel
at Richards smart play with
words. He has even penetrated
the king to believe what Richard
wants him to believe.
This is used for emotion. It brings
happiness to the audience to
know that not everyone is duped
by his duplicity.
This is used to invoke emotion in
the audience. Richard is the
cause of the kings death, and is
only acting sad.
This imagery reassures the
audience and is used for
emotional turbulence while also
creating vivid images that
emphasize the trouble.
This reveals the happiness in
Richards heart that his plan is
become a reality.
This foreshadows the death of the
young prince to come and shows
that he will even kill children.
individuals become famous by
acting without character, or in an
evil manner, or that bad people
live a long time.
This emphasizes the anger that
Hastings feels for Richard, while
having a underlying sadness that
the reign under Richard will be
relentless, yet he cannot do
anything about it.
Here, Hastings points out, the
flaws of humans. Humans seek
the grace of people with high
statuses rather than God,
succumbing to whatever they
want.
This goes back to elizabethian
times where a shift in political
power would regularly cause the
downfall and mass execution of
dozens of formerly powerful
people.
This gives the reader a door into
Richards mind.

Richard III
RICHARD
I do suspect I have done some offense.
That seems disgracious in the citys eye,
RICHARD
Who, earnest in the service of my God,
Deferred the visitation of my friends.
BUCKINGHAM
Two props of virtue for a Christian PRINCE,
To stay him from the fall of vanity;
And, see, a book of prayer in his hand,

3,7

Dramatic
irony

3,7

Dramatic
irony

Apostrophe,
metaphor

DUCHESS
O ill-dispersing wind of misery!
O my accursd womb, the bed of death!
A cockatrice hast thou hatched to the world,
Whose unavoided eye is murderous.

4,1

Richard
(aside) The deep-revolving witty Buckingham
No more shall be the neighbor to my
counsels
Hath he so long held out with me, untired,
And stops he now for breath? Well, be it so.
Richard
O bitter consequence
That Edward still should live true noble
prince!
RICHARD
(aside) I will converse with iron-witted fools
And unrespective boys. None are for me
That look into me with considerate eyes.
High-reaching BUCKINGHAM grows
circumspect.
Boy!

4,2

Aside, pun

4,2

Apostrophe

4,2

aside

Richard
Go, muster men. My counsel is my shield.
We must be brief when traitors brave the
field.

4,3

Queen margaret
Where is thy husband now? Where be thy
brothers?
Where are thy two sons? Wherein dost thou
joy?
Who sues and kneels and says God save the
queen?
Where be the bending peers that flattered
thee?
Where be the thronging troops that followed
thee?

4,4

Rhyme

Repetition,
rhetorical
questions

Richard has AREADY done many

offenses, but here, he is putting
on a face/act to show that he has
morals and is modest.
This act is done to gain the
acceptance of the population and
other officials.
The audience knows that Richard
is not religious, a believer and
arrogant through the past
soliloquys.
Buckingham is assisting in the
manipulation of the public.
A cockatrice is a legendary
creature that could turn people to
stone or killing them by either
looking at them.
This is metaphorical of Richards
evil and murderous nature.
Whoever Richard saw was next in
line to the throne would be killed.
Buckingham may need a breath
because he may be wanting to
run away or because he will die.

This emphasizes the paranoia

that Richard feels with the prince
still alive. This foreshadows the
killings to come.
Richard directs his actions toward
securing and maintaining his
power.
Buckingham has been pushed to
the limit and will not agree to
assist him to kill children.
Richards requests have
conflicted with his moral values.
Richard wants action because
theres no time for words and no
one to trust.
It is ironic as he normally uses
words to resolve problems. It
emphasizes that his alone.
Here, queen Margaret questions
Queen elizabeths quality of life
as the women have suffered loss,
defeat, and the death of their
children and husbands.
This is significant because
Margaret had prophesized this in
Act 1.

Richard III
Queen margaret
A hellhound that doth hunt us all to death
That dog, that had his teeth before his eyes,
To worry lambs and lap their gentle blood;

4,4

Metaphor

Pun

STANLEY
Ill muster up my friends and meet your
Grace
Where and what time your Majesty shall
please.

4,4

Richard
Heaven and fortune bar me happy hours,
Day, yield me not thy light, nor night thy
rest,
Be opposite all planets of good luck
To my proceedings if, with dear hearts love,
Immaculate devotion, holy thoughts,
BUCKINGHAM
This is the day wherein I wished to fall
By the false faith of him who most I trusted.
This, this All Souls' Day to my fearful soul

4,4

Heaven and
hell
imagery

5,1

pun

Richmond
The wretched, bloody, and usurping boar,
That spoiled your summer fields and fruitful
vines,
Swills your warm blood like wash

5,2

RICHMOND
The weary sun hath made a golden set,
And by the bright track of his fiery car,

5,3

Metaphor

Imagery

GHOST OF KING HENRY VI

(to RICHARD) When I was mortal, my
anointed body
By thee was punchd full of deadly holes.
Think on the Tower and me. Despair, and die!
GHOST OF CLARENCE
(to RICHARD) Let me sit heavy in thy soul
tomorrow,
I, that was washed to death with fulsome
wine,
Tomorrow in the battle think on me,
And fall thy edgeless sword. Despair, and
die!

5,3

Repetition
and dark
imagery

This imagery vividly depicts

Richard as a child monster who
killed innocent animals such as
lambs and drank their blood.
This makes the audience feel less
sympathy for him.
Stanley has used the power of
language to trick Richard. He will
meet his friends and fight Richard
with them.
This foreshadows the abandoning
of Richard from Stanley.
This connotes strong images of
Richard being in darkness. Even
as the sun rises, it will be covered
up, while everyone will be in a
bright light.

This is religious to the elizabethan

context. All soul's day was a day
where everyone dies. It is a day
where the souls (dead) roam the
earth.
Buckingham knows he will die. His
trust in richard has led to
Buckingham's death. His role in
creating the false persona has
also caused the death. (pun)
This strong imagery allows the
reader to imagine what the
kingdom has become under
Richards reign.
The fields and vines have
become spoilt.
This allows the reader to picture
the normal sun setting leaving a
road in the sky for him to follow.
This emphasizes that Richmond
has been looked up upon by the
heavens.
Richards demise has already
begun with his conscience
beginning to affect him.
His efforts to attain the status of
king through his immoral killings
and orders of death have come
back to haunt him. He cannot
ignore his conscience anymore
but it is too late.

Richard III
GHOST OF PRINCES
Dream on thy cousins smothered in the
Tower.
Let us be lead within thy bosom, RICHARD,
Thy nephews' souls bid thee despair and die.
GHOST OF KING HENRY VI
Harry, that prophesied thou shouldst be king,
Doth comfort thee in thy sleep. Live and
flourish.

5,3

Repetition
and light
imagery

Richmonds good deeds and

morals to abide by his conscience
have given the ghosts no reason
to haunt him, but to give him
hope and support.

5,3

Apostrophe,
soliloquy

it is very clear that Richard has

moved beyond a simple, flat
version of the medieval character,
Vice, and experiences the deeply
divided emotions that
characterize real human beings.

5,4

pun

He would trade everything for a

horse on which to improve his
chances of surviving the battle
rather than die honorably for his
cause.
It shows that Richards life
definitely has been vanquished.

GHOST OF CLARENCE
The wrongd heirs of York do pray for thee
Good angels guard thy battle. Live and
flourish
GHOST OF PRINCES
Sleep, RICHMOND, sleep in peace and wake
in joy.
Good angels guard thee from the boars
annoy.
RICHARD.
O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict
me!
The lights burn blue. It is now dead midnight.
Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh.
What do I fear? Myself? Theres none else by.
RICHARD loves RICHARD; that is, I and I.

O, no! Alas, I rather hate myself

For hateful deeds committed by myself.
Richard
A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!