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Richard III

Richard III. By William Shakespeare. Overview: Aspects of the play we will be studying. Richard the character The language of the play Structure Themes Motifs Other aspects: the role of women, other characters…. Richard: the Character. Is a theatrical character who plays many roles

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Richard III

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  1. Richard III By William Shakespeare

  2. Overview: Aspects of the play we will be studying. • Richard the character • The language of the play • Structure • Themes • Motifs • Other aspects: the role of women, other characters…

  3. Richard: the Character • Is a theatrical character who plays many roles • Is not a normal tragic hero: multifaceted • Embodies various dramatic types For each of the topics above, find supporting examples and evidence as we go.

  4. A theatrical character who plays many roles • Reluctant prince • Political manipulator • Cornered, sweating rat • Bluff soldier • Others? • Devoted brother • Stalwart friend • Witty wooer • Loyal subject • Plain blunt chap • Pious convert • Benevolent uncle • Good protector

  5. Is not a normal tragic hero: multifaceted • In some ways, conforms to archetype, but also: • A Villain and a tyrant • A controller • An actor • Delights in his powers of deception and ingenuity • Dangerously disrespectful • he is paradoxical • his motivation is unclear • he rejects remorse

  6. Embodies various dramatic types (1) A Senecan tyrant: a one dimensional character in Senecan (Greek) tragedies • Five act division • Highly stylised speech and line for line fencing matches • Use of soliloquy • Narrative reports of horrors recited by messengers • Cycles of revenge and retribution • A chorus for comment on the action • Stock characters such as ghosts and a tyrant

  7. Embodies various dramatic types (2) The Vice figure from medieval morality plays: • The function of the Vice figure was to show how easily human nature could be tempted into sin • The devil’s accomplice, a master of mischief and wordplay • Takes the audience into his confidence and invites applause for deceiving others • A show off • And expert at twisting words and at the art of double entendre

  8. Embodies various dramatic types (3) A Machiavellian ruler: • Politically amoral • Cunning • Has a reputation that will dissuade people from deceiving/tricking him • Chooses to be feared rather than loved

  9. Embodies various dramatic types (4) A conventional Elizabethan stage villain: • Has intellectual rather than popular appeal • Opposes the moral order by being atheistic and satanic • His moral monstrousness is symbolically represented by some unnatural quality • His career follows the pyramid structure of rise, triumph and fall

  10. Comparing the soliloquies (1) • 1:1:1-41: Ian McKellan; Laurence Olivier • 1:1:145 -162 • 1:2:227 -263 • 5:3:178 – 207 • For each of these, make notes on:contentlanguage • Compare and contrast the four soliloquies

  11. Comparing the soliloquies (2) • Comment on the following quotation:When taken with other salient soliloquies, most notably "Was ever woman in this humor wooed?" and "My conscience hath a thousand several tongues" from later in the play, Richard transcends the Vice archetype that Shakespeare uses as an initial frame of reference. It keeps Richard from being the cartoon he might have been in lesser hands.

  12. Richard’s character: Consensus Discussion • Richard’s excessive energetic evil is more compelling theatrically than vapid virtue • Richard is a fully realised human being • Richard gets what he deserves • Richard’s charms make the audience excuse his actions • The only truly unforgiveable thing Richard does is kill the Princes in the Tower • Richard may well be evil, but he’s not as bad as Queen Margaret.

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