NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Richard III (play)

Richard III is William Shakespeare's unflattering depiction of the short reign of Richard III of England. The play is sometimes classified as a tragedy (as in the earliest quarto); but it more correctly belongs to the histories, as classified in the First Folio. It picks up the story from Henry VI, Part III and concludes the historical series that stretches back to Richard II. After Hamlet it is Shakespeare's second longest play and is the longest of the First Folio, whose version of Hamlet is shorter than the Quarto version. The length is generally seen as a drawback, for which reason it is rarely performed unabridged. It is often shortened by cutting peripheral characters. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (718x1200, 222 KB) http://emc. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (718x1200, 222 KB) http://emc. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Richard III (2 October 1452 â€“ 22 August 1485) was King of England from 1483 until his death. ... Shakespeare wrote tragedies from the beginning of his career: one of his earliest plays was the Roman tragedy Titus Andronicus, and he followed it a few years later with Romeo and Juliet. ... Traditionally, the plays of William Shakespeare have been grouped into three categories: tragedies, comedies, and histories. ... The title page of the First Folio with the famous engraved portrait of Shakespeare by Martin Droeshout The First Folio is the name given by modern scholars to the first published collection of William Shakespeares plays; its actual title is Mr. ... Henry VI Part III is the third of William Shakespeares plays set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England, and prepares the ground for one of his best-known and most controversial plays: the tragedy of King Richard III (Richard III of England). ... Title page of Richard II, from the fifth quarto, published in 1615. ... The American actor Edwin Booth as Hamlet, seated in a curule chair, c. ... The title page of the First Folio with the famous engraved portrait of Shakespeare by Martin Droeshout The First Folio is the name given by modern scholars to the first published collection of William Shakespeares plays; its actual title is Mr. ... Quarto has several meanings: In bookbinding and publishing, quarto indicates the book size which results when four leaves of the book are created from a standard size sheet of paper. ...

Another reason for editing is that Shakespeare assumed that his audiences would be familiar with the Henry VI plays, and frequently made indirect references to events in them, such as Richard's murder of Henry VI or the defeat of Henry's queen Margaret. Nowadays the previous plays are virtually unknown, so the character of Margaret is often cut and extra lines are sometimes invented or added from the trilogy to explain the characters' relationships.

Sources

Shakespeare's primary source for Richard III, like most of his histories, was Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles; the publication date of the second edition, 1587, being the terminus post quem for the play. Shakespeare likely consulted Edward Hall's The Union of the Two Illustrious Families of Lancaster and York, and according to scholars, was familiar with Samuel Daniel's poem on the civil wars.^[specify] Raphael Holinshed (died c. ... Terminus post quem, (limit after which), Earliest point in time when the text may have been written. ... Edward Hall (c. ... Samuel Daniel (1562 â€“ October 14, 1619) was an English poet and historian. ... Lancaster York For other uses, see Wars of the Roses (disambiguation). ...

Date and text

Richard III is believed to be one of Shakespeare's earliest plays, preceded only by the three parts of Henry VI and perhaps his earliest comedies. It is believed to have been written circa 1591. Although Richard III was entered into the Register of the Stationers Company on October 20, 1597 by the bookseller Andrew Wise, who published the first quarto (Q1) later that year (with printing done by Valentine Simmes), Marlowe's Edward II (play), which cannot have been written much later than 1592 (Marlowe died in 1593) is thought to have been influenced by it. A second quarto (Q2) followed in 1598 containing an attribution to Shakespeare on its title page. Q3 appeared in 1602, Q4 in 1605, Q5 in 1612, and Q6 in 1622; the frequency attesting to its popularity. The First Folio version followed in 1623. The precise chronology of Shakespeares plays as they were first written and performed is impossible to determine, as there is no authoritative record and many of the plays were performed many years before they were published. ... Year 1591 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Stationers Register was a journal maintained by the Stationers Company of London. ... The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. ... For other uses, see: 1597 (number). ... Andrew Wise (fl. ... First quarto is a bibliographic term, usually encountered in the study of English literature in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, especially in regard to the early printings of the plays of English Renaissance theatre. ... Valentine Simmes (flourished 1585 â€“ 1622) was an Elizabethan era and Jacobean era printer; he did business in London, on Adling Hill near Bainards Castle at the sign of the White Swan. ... Christopher Marlowe (baptised February 26, 1564–May 30, 1593) was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. ... Edward II is an Elizabethan play written by Christopher Marlowe. ... Year 1592 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Second quarto is a bibliographic term, most often encountered in the study of English literature in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, especially in regard to the early printings of the plays of English Renaissance theatre. ... Events January 7 - Boris Godunov seizes the throne of Russia following the death of his brother-in-law, Tsar Feodor I. April 13 - Edict of Nantes - Henry IV of France grants French Huguenots equal rights with Catholics. ... This page is about the year. ... 1605 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Events January 20 - Mathias becomes Holy Roman Emperor. ... Events January 1 - In the Gregorian calendar, January 1 is declared as the first day of the year, instead of March 25. ... The title page of the First Folio with the famous engraved portrait of Shakespeare by Martin Droeshout The First Folio is the name given by modern scholars to the first published collection of William Shakespeares plays; its actual title is Mr. ... Year 1623 (MDCXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Performance

The earliest certain performance occurred on Saturday, November 17, 1633, when Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria watched it on the Queen's birthday. Yet plainly it had been performed many times before that. The Diary of Philip Henslowe records a popular play he calls Buckingham, performed in Dec. 1593 and Jan. 1594; this might have been Shakespeare's play. Events February 13 - Galileo Galilei arrives in Rome for his trial before the Inquisition. ... Charles I King of England, Scotland and Ireland Charles I (19 November 1600–30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625, until his death. ... Henrietta Maria Henrietta Maria (November 25, 1609 - September 10, 1669) was Queen Consort of England, Scotland and Ireland (June 13, 1625 - January 30, 1649) through her marriage to Charles I. The U.S. state of Maryland (in Latin, Terra Maria) was so named in her honour by Cæcilius Calvert... Philip Henslowe (c 1550 - January 6, 1616) was an Elizabethan theatrical entrepreneur. ... Events May 18 - Playwright Thomas Kyds accusations of heresy lead to an arrest warrant for Christopher Marlowe. ... Events February 27 - Henry IV is crowned King of France at Rheims. ...

Colley Cibber produced the most successful of the Restoration adaptations of Shakepeare with his version of Richard III, at Drury Lane starting in 1700. Cibber himself played the role till 1739, and his version was on stage for the next century and a half. (It contained the immortal line "Off with his head; so much for Buckingham" — possibly the most famous Shakespearean line that Shakespeare didn't write.) The original Shakespearean version returned in a production at Sadler's Wells Theatre in 1845.^[1] Colley Cibber, actor, playwright, Poet Laureate, first British actor-manager, and head Dunce of Alexander Popes Dunciad. ... For other uses, see Restoration. ... This pamphlet promotes the performance of the, in these days, popular play Richard III according to Cibberâ€™s adapted version in Drury Lane Theatre London at the night of the 14th May 1838 // For almost 200 of the playâ€™s 400 years history Shakespeareâ€™s Richard III found its audience... Currently home to Lord Of The Rings, the musical. ... Events January 1 - Russia accepts Julian calendar. ... // About the number 1739 1739 is the smallest integer that can be written as sum of three perfect cubes, in two ways. ... Sadlers Wells theatre, 2005 Sadlers Wells Theatre is located on Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell, London. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Characters

(Links are to articles on the historical personages, who may not precisely correspond to Shakespeare's portrayal of them.)

Edward IV (April 28, 1442 â€“ April 9, 1483) was King of England from March 4, 1461 to April 9, 1483, with a break of a few months in the period 1470â€“1471. ... Edward V (4 November 1470 â€“ 1483?) was the King of England from 9 April 1483 until his deposition two months later. ... King Edward V and the Duke of York in the Tower of London by Paul Delaroche This article is about Richard, Duke of York, son of King Edward IV who was imprisoned in the Tower of London. ... George (Plantagenet), Duke of Clarence (October 21, 1449 - February 18, 1478) was the third son of Richard, Duke of York and Cecily Neville, and the brother of King Edward IV of England. ... Richard III (2 October 1452 â€“ 22 August 1485) was King of England from 1483 until his death. ... Edward (Plantagenet), Earl of Warwick, (February 25, 1475-November 28, 1499) was the son of George, Duke of Clarence, and a potential claimant to the throne during the reigns of both King Richard III of England (1483 - 1485) and his successor, Henry VII of England (1485 - 1509). ... Henry VII (January 28, 1457 â€“ April 21, 1509), King of England, Lord of Ireland (August 22, 1485 â€“ April 21, 1509), born Henry Tudor was the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty. ... Thomas Bourchier (ca. ... The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader and senior clergyman of the Church of England, recognized by convention as the head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ... Dr Thomas Rotherham (1423 - 1500) was an English cleric and minister. ... Arms of the Archbishop of York The Archbishop of York, Primate of England, is the metropolitan bishop of the Province of York, and is the junior of the two archbishops of the Church of England, after the Archbishop of Canterbury. ... This article is about the 15th century English Bishop, for other uses see John Morton (disambiguation). ... Arms of the Bishop of Ely The Bishop of Ely is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. ... An 18th century illustration of Henry Stafford. ... John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk. ... Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk (c. ... Anthony Rivers, 2nd Earl Rivers (1442?- June 25, 1483) was an English nobleman, courtier, and writer. ... Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset (1457 – September 20, 1501) was the eldest son of Elizabeth Woodville and consequently a stepson of Edward IV of England. ... Richard Grey (1458? â€“ June 13(?), 1483) was son to John Grey, 2nd Baron Ferrers of Groby, and Elizabeth Woodville, later Queen Consort to King Edward IV of England. ... John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford (1443 â€“ 10 March 1513) was one of the principal Lancastrian commanders during the English Wars of the Roses. ... William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings of Hungerford (~1431 - 1483) became one of the great powers of the realm during the reign of Edward IV of England, but after being found for conspiracy against one time companion, Richard III, was executed a week later. ... Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby, KG (1435 - July 29, 1504), an English nobleman, inherited his fathers titles, including that of king of the Isle of Man, in 1459. ... Francis Lovell, Viscount Lovell (1454 - 1487(?)), a supporter of Richard III and son of John, 8th Baron Lovell, probably knew Richard from a young age and was to be a life-long friend and supporter of the future king. ... Thomas Vaughan (c. ... Sir Richard Ratcliffe (died 1485) was a close confidant of Richard III of England. ... Sir William Catesby (1450-1485) was a prominent member of the group that supported Richard III of England during his brief reign. ... James Tyrrell (c. ... Sir James Blount (d. ... Sir William Brandon (1426 â€“ August 22, 1485) was a son of a senior Sir William Brandon of Wangford, Suffolk (d. ... Sir Robert Brackenbury (d. ... Christopher Urswick was a priest and confessor of Margaret Beaufort. ... Dr. Ralph Shaa (sometimes called John Shaa) (died 1484) was a 15th century British theologian, the half-brother of the Lord Mayor of London, who played a minor but pivotal role in the War of the Roses by preaching a sermon in 1483 which claimed that Edward IV had already... Blue Plaque to Sir Edmund Shaa, by Mottram Church Sir Edmund Shaa (born Mottram in Longdendale, Greater Manchester, died London 20 April 1488) was a goldsmith, and Lord Mayor of London in 1482. ... Henry Long of Wraxall (c1417 - 3 May 1490), was an English politician and lawyer. ... Elizabeth Woodville or Wydville (c. ... Margaret of Anjou (Marguerite dAnjou, March 23, 1429 â€“ August 25, 1482) was the Queen consort of Henry VI of England from 1445 to 1471, and led the Lancastrian contingent, in the Wars of the Roses. ... Cecily Neville (3 May 1415 â€“ 31 May 1495), Duchess of York, was called the Rose of Raby (because she was born at Raby Castle in Durham, England) and Proud Cis (because of her pride and a temper that went with it). ... Anne Neville (June 11, 1456â€“March 16, 1485) was Queen consort of King Richard III of England 1483-1485. ... Margaret Pole (1473 - 1541), Countess of Salisbury, was the daughter of George, Duke of Clarence, brother of Edward IV and Isabella Neville . ...

Synopsis

The play begins with Richard describing the accession to the throne of his brother, King Edward IV of England, eldest son of the late Richard, Duke of York. Edward IV (April 28, 1442 â€“ April 9, 1483) was King of England from March 4, 1461 to April 9, 1483, with a break of a few months in the period 1470â€“1471. ... This article is about Richard, Duke of York, father of King Edward IV. For the article about Edward IVs son who was imprisoned in the Tower of London see: Richard, Duke of York (Prince in the Tower). ...

The speech reveals Richard's jealousy and ambition, as his brother, King Edward the Fourth rules the country successfully. Richard is an ugly hunchback, describing himself as "rudely stamp'd" and "deformed, unfinish'd", who cannot "strut before a wanton ambling nymph." He responds to the anguish of his condition with an outcast's credo: "I am determined to prove a villain / And hate the idle pleasures of these days." Richard plots to have his brother Clarence, who stands before him in the line of succession, conducted to the Tower of London over a prophecy that "G of Edward's heirs the murderer shall be" - which the king interprets as referring to George of Clarence (although the audience later realise that it was actually a reference to Richard of Gloucester). In Greek mythology, a nymph is any member of a large class of female nature entities, either bound to a particular location or landform or joining the retinue of a god or goddess. ... The credo (Latin for I believe; pronounced ) is a statement of religious belief, such as the Nicene Creed (or, less often, another creed, such as the Apostles Creed). ... â€œBad guyâ€ redirects here. ... For other uses, see Tower of London (disambiguation) Her Majestys Royal Palace and Fortress The Tower of London, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically simply as The Tower), is an historic monument in central London, England on the north bank of the River Thames. ...

Richard next ingratiates himself with "the Lady Anne" -- Anne Neville, widow of the Lancastrian Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales. Richard confides to the audience, "I'll marry Warwick's youngest daughter. What though I kill'd her husband and his father?" Despite her prejudice against him, Anne is won over by his pleas and agrees to marry him. This episode illustrates Richard's supreme skill in the art of insincere flattery. Anne Neville (June 11, 1456â€“March 16, 1485) was Queen consort of King Richard III of England 1483-1485. ... Edward of Westminster (October 13, 1453 â€“ May 4, 1471) was the only Prince of Wales ever to die in battle. ... This article is about the title Prince of Wales. ... Richard Neville, jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury (22 November 1428 â€“ April 14, 1471), is known as Warwick the Kingmaker. Warwick was the richest man in England outside of the Royal Family. ...

The atmosphere at court is poisonous: the established nobles are at odds with the upwardly-mobile relatives of Queen Elizabeth, a hostility fueled by Richard's machinations. Queen Margaret, Henry VI's widow, returns in defiance of her banishment and warns the squabbling nobles about Richard. The nobles, Yorkists all, reflexively unite against this last Lancastrian, and the warning falls on deaf ears. Margaret of Anjou (Marguerite dAnjou, March 23, 1429 â€“ August 25, 1482) was the Queen consort of Henry VI of England from 1445 to 1471, and led the Lancastrian contingent, in the Wars of the Roses. ...

Richard orders two murderers to kill his brother Clarence in the tower. Clarence, meanwhile, relates a dream to his keeper. The dream includes extremely visual language describing Clarence falling from an imaginary ship as a result of Gloucester, who had fallen from the hatches, striking him. Under the water Clarence sees the skeletons of thousands of men "that fishes gnawed upon." He also sees "wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl, inestimable stones, unvalued jewels." All of these are "scatterd in the bottom of the sea." Clarence adds that some of the jewels were in the skulls of the dead. Clarence then imagines dying and being tormented by the ghosts of his father-in-law (Warwick, Anne's father) and brother-in-law (Edward, Anne's former husband) in a hellish afterlife. After Clarence falls asleep, Brakenbury, Lieutenant of the Tower of London, enters and observes that between the titles of princes and the low names of commoners there is nothing different but the "outward fame," meaning that they both have "inward toil" whether rich or poor. When the murderers arrive, he reads their warrant (which is falsely portrayed as being from the king), and exits with the Keeper, who disobeys Clarence's request to stand by him, and leaves the two murderers the keys. Clarence wakes and pleads with the murderers, saying that men have no right to obey other men's requests for murder, because all men are under the rule of God not to commit murder. The murderers imply Clarence is a hypocrite because he "unripdst the bowels of (his) sovereign's son (Edward) whom (he was) sworn to cherish and defend." Tactically trying to win them over, he tells them to go to his brother Gloucester who will reward them better for his life than "Edward will for tidings of (his) death." One murderer insists Gloucester himself sent them to perform the bloody act, but Clarence does not believe this. He recalls the unity of Richard Duke of York blessing his three sons with his victorious arm, bidding his brother Gloucester to "think on this and he will weep." Sardonically, a murderer says Gloucester weeps millstones. Next, one of the murderers explains that his brother Gloucester hates him, and sent them to the Tower to perform the foul act. Eventually, the murderer with a conscience is persuaded by Clarence not to kill him, but it is too late. The other killer stabs Clarence and drowns him in "the Malmsey butt within". The remorseful murderer regrets the death, and is chastised by the other for not participating. The first act closes with the perpetrator needing to find a hole to bury Clarence. Whether this murderer is Tyrell is unclear, but seems rather logical as Richard later says he "partly know(s) the man" when calling for Tyrell to perform a heinous deed in Act IV. Malmsey (also known as Malvasia or Malvazia) is a sweet Madeira wine made — in Portugal, the Azores, the Canary Islands, Sardinia, and Sicily — from fully ripe Malvasia grapes that are partially dried on the vine. ... The butt (from the medieval French and Italian ) or pipe is an old English unit of wine casks, holding about 477 litres or rather two hogsheads. ...

Edward IV, weakened by a reign dominated by physical excess, soon dies, leaving as Protector his brother Richard, who sets about removing the final obstacles to his accession. He meets his nephew, the young Edward V, who is en route to London for his coronation accompanied by relatives of Edward's widow. These Richard arrests and (eventually) beheads, and the young prince and his brother are coaxed into an extended stay at the Tower of London. Edward V (4 November 1470 â€“ 1483?) was the King of England from 9 April 1483 until his deposition two months later. ... For other uses, see Tower of London (disambiguation) Her Majestys Royal Palace and Fortress The Tower of London, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically simply as The Tower), is an historic monument in central London, England on the north bank of the River Thames. ...

Assisted by his cousin Buckingham (Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham), Richard mounts a campaign to present himself as a preferable candidate to the throne, appearing as a modest, devout man with no pretensions to greatness. Lord Hastings, who objects to Richard's ascension, is arrested and executed on a trumped-up charge. The other lords are cajoled into accepting Richard as king, in spite of the continued survival of his nephews (the Princes in the Tower). An 18th century illustration of Henry Stafford. ... William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings of Hungerford (~1431 - 1483) became one of the great powers of the realm during the reign of Edward IV of England, but after being found for conspiracy against one time companion, Richard III, was executed a week later. ... The Two Princes Edward and Richard in the Tower, 1483 by Sir John Everett Millais, 1878, part of the Royal Holloway picture collection The Princes in the Tower, Edward V of England (November 4, 1470 â€“ 1483?) and his brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York (17 August 1473 â€“ 1483...

His new status leaves Richard sufficiently confident to dispose of his nephews. Buckingham conditions his consent for the princes' deaths on receiving a land grant, which Richard rejects, leaving Buckingham fearful for his life. Richard tries his old dissembling to get into princess Elizabeth's "nest of spicery", but her mother is not taken in by his eloquence. As the body count rises, the increasingly paranoid Richard loses what popularity he had; he soon faces rebellions led first by Buckingham and subsequently by the invading Earl of Richmond (Henry VII of England). Both sides arrive for a final battle at Bosworth Field. Prior to the battle, Richard is visited by the ghosts of those whose deaths he has caused, all of whom tell him to Despair and die!. He awakes screaming for 'Jesu' (Jesus) to help him, slowly realizing that he is all alone in the world and that even he hates himself. Richard's language and undertones of self-remorse seem to indicate that, in the final hour, he is repentant for his evil deeds; however, it is too late. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Combatants Richard III of England, Yorkist Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, Lancastrian Commanders Richard III of Englandâ€ Nominally, Richmond In practice, the Earl of Oxford Strength 8,000 5,000 Casualties 900 100 {{{notes}}} The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field was an important battle during the Wars of the... William Hogarth (November 10, 1697 â€“ October 26, 1764) was a major English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, and editorial cartoonist who has been credited as a pioneer in western sequential art. ... Henry VII (January 28, 1457 â€“ April 21, 1509), King of England, Lord of Ireland (August 22, 1485 â€“ April 21, 1509), born Henry Tudor was the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty. ... Combatants King Richard III of England, Yorkist Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, Lancastrian Commanders Richard III of Englandâ€ Earl of Richmond (nominally) Earl of Oxford (in practice) Strength 6,000 (king had 15,500 but Lord Stanley with 4,000 and his brother, Sir William Stanley with 2,500 betrayed... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ...

As the battle commences, Richard gives arguably the least motivational pep-talk in English literature ("Let not our babbling dreams affright our souls; Conscience is but a word that cowards use... March on, join bravely, let us to't pell mell; If not to heaven, then hand in hand to hell...."). Lord Stanley (who happens to be Richmond's step-father) and his followers desert, leaving Richard at a disadvantage. Richard is soon unhorsed on the field at the climax of the battle, and utters the often-quoted line, A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse! He is defeated in the final "hunting of the boar", so to speak, and Richmond succeeds as Henry VII, even going so far as to marry a York, effectively ending the War of the Roses (to the evident relief of everyone involved).

In dramatic terms, perhaps the most important (and, arguably, the most entertaining) feature of the play is the sudden alteration in Richard's character. For the first 'half' of the play, we see him as something of an anti-hero, causing mayhem and enjoying himself hugely in the process: In literature and film, an anti-hero is a central or supporting character that has some of the personality flaws and ultimate fortune traditionally assigned to villains but nonetheless also have enough heroic qualities or intentions to gain the sympathy of readers or viewers. ...

Almost immediately after he is crowned, however, his personality and actions take a darker turn. He turns against loyal Buckingham ("I am not in the giving vein"), he falls prey to self-doubt ("I am in so far in blood, that sin will pluck on sin;"); now he sees shadows where none exist and visions of his doom to come ("Despair & die").

Themes and motifs

Comedic elements

The play resolutely avoids demonstrations of physical violence; only Clarence and Richard III die on-stage, while the rest (the two princes, Hastings, Grey, Vaughan, Rivers, Anne, Buckingham, and King Edward) all meet their ends off-stage. Despite the villainous nature of the title character and the grim storyline, Shakespeare infuses the action with comic material, as he does with most of his tragedies. Much of the humour rises from the dichotomy between what we know Richard's character to be and how Richard tries to appear. The prime example is perhaps the portion of Act III, Scene 1, where Richard is forced to "play nice" with the young and mocking Duke of York. Other examples appear in Richard's attempts at acting, first in the matter of justifying Hastings' death and later in his coy response to being offered the crown.

Richard himself also provides some dry remarks in evaluating the situation, as when he plans to marry the Queen Elizabeth's daughter: "Murder her brothers, then marry her; Uncertain way of gain...." Other examples of humor in this play include Clarence's ham-fisted and half-hearted murderers, and the Duke of Buckingham's report on his attempt to persuade the Londoners to accept Richard ("...I bid them that did love their country's good cry, God save Richard, England's royal king!" Richard: "And did they so?" Buckingham: "No, so God help me, they spake not a word....") Puns, a Shakespearean staple, are especially well-represented in the scene where Richard tries to persuade Queen Elizabeth to woo her daughter on his behalf.

Notable stage performances of Richard III

Alfredo James Pacino (born April 25, 1940) is an Academy, Golden Globe, Tony, BAFTA, Emmy, and SAG award winning American actor who is best known for playing the roles of Tony Montana in the 1983 film Scarface and Michael Corleone in The Godfather Trilogy . ... Photo of Booth Junius Brutus Booth (May 1, 1796â€“November 30, 1852) was a British and American actor. ... John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838 â€“ April 26, 1865) assassinated Abraham Lincoln the 16th President of the United States at Fords Theatre in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865. ... This article is about John Barrymore, Sr. ... Kenneth Charles Branagh (born December 10, 1960) is an Emmy Award-winning, Academy Award-nominated Northern Irish-born actor and film director. ... Unknown artist: Portrait of Richard Burbage, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London Richard Burbage (July 7, 1568 â€“ March 13, 1619) was an actor and theatre owner. ... Fahrid Murray Abraham[1] (born October 24, 1939) is an American actor. ... David Garrick by Thomas Gainsborough. ... Sir Ian Holm Sir Ian Holm CBE (born 12 September 1931), born as Ian Holm Cuthbert, is an English actor. ... Ian William Richardson CBE (7 April 1934 â€“ 9 February 2007) was a Scottish actor best known for playing the Machiavellian politician Francis Urquhart in the House of Cards trilogy for the BBC. // Born in Edinburgh, Richardson was educated at Balgreen Primary School and Tynecastle High School in the city,[1... Edmund Kean (March 17, 1787 â€“ May 15, 1833) was an English actor, regarded in his time as the greatest ever. ... Anton Lesser (b. ... Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CBE (born May 25, 1939) is an English stage and screen actor, the recipient of a Tony Award and two Oscar nominations. ... Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM, (IPA: ; 22 May 1907 â€“ 11 July 1989) was an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and four-time Emmy winning English actor, director, and producer. ... Sir Anthony Sher (born June 14, 1949) is an actor, and novelist. ... Donald Wolfit (1902-1968) was an English actor-manager, knighted in 1957 for his services to the theatre. ... Peter Dinklage (born June 11, 1969) is an American little person actor. ...

Adaptations and Cultural References

Film versions

The most famous player of the part in recent times was Laurence Olivier in his 1955 film version. His inimitable rendition has been parodied by many comedians including Peter Cook and Peter Sellers. Sellers, who had aspirations to do the role straight, appeared in a 1965 TV special on The Beatles' music by reciting "A Hard Day's Night" in the style of Olivier's Richard III. The first series of the BBC television comedy Blackadder in part parodies the Olivier film, visually (as in the crown motif), Peter Cook's performance as a Richard who is a jolly, loving monarch but nevertheless oddly reminiscent of Olivier's rendition, and by mangling Shakespearean text ("Now is the summer of our sweet content made o'ercast winter by these Tudor clouds...") Categories: Disambiguation | Stub ... Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM, (IPA: ; 22 May 1907 â€“ 11 July 1989) was an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and four-time Emmy winning English actor, director, and producer. ... Richard III is a 1955 British movie, directed by and starring Laurence Olivier. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Peter Sellers, CBE (8 September 1925 â€“ 24 July 1980) was a British comedian and actor best known for his three roles in Dr. Strangelove and as Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther films. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... A Hard Days Night is a 1964 hit song written by John Lennon and credited (as were all their songs) to John Lennon and Paul McCartney, performed by English band The Beatles and produced by George Martin. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Blackadder (disambiguation). ... In art, a motif is a repeated idea, pattern, image, or theme. ...

More recently, Richard III has been brought to the screen by Sir Ian McKellen (1995) in an abbreviated version set in a fictional 1930s fascist England, and by Al Pacino in the 1996 documentary, Looking for Richard. In the 1976 film The Goodbye Girl, Richard Dreyfuss' character, an actor, gives a memorable performance as a homosexual Richard in a gay stage production of the play. In 2002 the story of Richard III was re-told in a movie about gang culture called The Street King. Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CBE (born May 25, 1939) is an English stage and screen actor, the recipient of a Tony Award and two Oscar nominations. ... Richard III is a 1995 film adaptation of William Shakespeares play Richard III, starring Sir Ian McKellen, Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent, and Robert Downey Jr. ... Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... Alfredo James Pacino (born April 25, 1940) is an Academy, Golden Globe, Tony, BAFTA, Emmy, and SAG award winning American actor who is best known for playing the roles of Tony Montana in the 1983 film Scarface and Michael Corleone in The Godfather Trilogy . ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ... 1996 documentary directed by and starring Al Pacino, both a staging of William Shakespeares Richard III and a broader examination of Shakespeares continuing role and relevance in popular culture. ... The Goodbye Girl is a 1977 American comedy film. ... Richard Stephen Dreyfuss (born October 29, 1947) is an Academy Award-winning American actor. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... King Rikki is a 2002 drama film starring Jon Seda, Mario LÃ³pez, Tonantzin Carmelo and Timothy Paul Perrez. ...

The 2006 version, Richard III, stars Scott M. Anderson and David Carradine. Another 2006 film version of Richard III is part of the independent film-noir titled Purgatory, a retelling of three classic Shakespeare tales, including Richard III. Richard III is an film directed by Scott M. Anderson, based upon the play by William Shakespeare. ... David Carradine (born John Arthur Carradine on December 8, 1936 in Hollywood, California) is an American actor. ... This still from The Big Combo (1955) demonstrates the visual style of film noir at its most extreme. ...

In 1996, a pristine print of Richard III (1912), starring Frederick Warde as Richard III was discovered by a private collector and donated to the American Film Institute. The 55-minute film is considered to be the earliest surviving American feature film. Richard III (1912) is a 55-minute film starring Frederick Warde as Richard III. The film, a French/U.S. coproduction, was produced by Film dArt and released through the independent states rights film distribution system. ... Frederick Warde was a Shakesperian actor who moved from England to the United States in the late 1800s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A reel of film, which predates digital cinematography. ...

Cultural references

This article is about the television series. ... Jasper Fforde (born in London on 11 January 1961) is a novelist and aviator living in Wales. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... The Rocky Horror Show is a long running stage musical (opening in London initially, on June 19, 1973) that inspired the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show. ... Ian William Richardson CBE (7 April 1934 â€“ 9 February 2007) was a Scottish actor best known for playing the Machiavellian politician Francis Urquhart in the House of Cards trilogy for the BBC. // Born in Edinburgh, Richardson was educated at Balgreen Primary School and Tynecastle High School in the city,[1... Francis Urquhart (pronounced Urcutt) is a fictional character created by Michael Dobbs. ... House of Cards was a political thriller novel written by Michael Dobbs, a former Chief of Staff at Conservative Party headquarters, which was set at the end of Margaret Thatchers tenure as British Prime Minister. ... For the musician and bandleader, see Spike Jones. ... Being John Malkovich is a 1999 film written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Spike Jonze. ... BLEACH redirects here. ... Tite Kubo Pen name Tite Kubo (ä¹…ä¿ å¸¯äºº Kubo Taito), real name Noriaki Kubo (ä¹…ä¿ å®£ç« Kubo Noriaki, born June 26, 1977) is a manga-ka. ... Christopher Ferdinand Durang (born January 2, 1949) is an American playwright known for works of outrageous and often absurd comedy. ... Original run April 1, 2001 â€“ March 31, 2002 No. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... For the type of star, see Red dwarf. ... Red Green The Red Green Show is a television comedy that has aired on the CBC in Canada and on PBS in the United States from 1991 through the present (as of 2005). ... Family Guy is an Emmy award winning American animated television series about a nuclear family in the fictional town of Quahog (IPA or ), Rhode Island. ... The Smiths were an English rock band active from 1982 to 1987. ... For the Smiths song Cemetry Gates, see the album The Queen Is Dead Cemetery Gates is a seven minute song by heavy metal band Pantera. ... Laurie R. King is an American author best known for her detective fiction. ... Mystery Science Theater 3000, often abbreviated MST3K, is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc. ...

Note

Further reading

External links

Categories: Articles needing more detailed references | 1590s plays | Shakespearean histories | English Renaissance plays Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Wikiquote is one of a family of wiki-based projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation, running on MediaWiki software. ... Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to digitize, archive and distribute cultural works. ... Image File history File links Shakespeare2. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... William Shakespeare (1564 â€“ 1616)[1] was an English poet and playwright. ... William Shakespeare (National Portrait Gallery), in the famous Chandos portrait, artist and authenticity unconfirmed. ... Detail from statue of Shakespeare in Leicester Square, London. ... William Shakespeares influence extends from theatre to literature to the English language itself. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... William Shakespeare (National Portrait Gallery), in the famous Chandos portrait, artist and authenticity unconfirmed. ... The frontispiece of the First Folio (1623), the first collected edition of Shakespeares plays. ... Shakespeare wrote tragedies from the beginning of his career: one of his earliest plays was the Roman tragedy Titus Andronicus, and he followed it a few years later with Romeo and Juliet. ... Anthony and Cleopatra, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema. ... Venturia at the Feet of Coriolanus by Gaspare Landi Photo courtesy of The VRoma Project. ... The American actor Edwin Booth as Hamlet, seated in a curule chair, c. ... The Tragedy of Julius CÃ¦sar, more commonly known simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare written in 1599. ... King Lear and the Fool in the Storm by William Dyce (1806-1864) King Lear is a play by William Shakespeare, considered one of his greatest tragedies, based on the legend of King Lear of Britain. ... Macbeth and Banquo meeting the witches on the heath by ThÃ©odore ChassÃ©riau. ... For other uses, see Othello (disambiguation). ... Romeo and Juliet in the famous balcony scene by Ford Madox Brown For other uses, see Romeo and Juliet (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Timon (disambiguation). ... Title page of the first quarto edition (1594) The Tragedy of Titus Andronicus may be Shakespeares earliest tragedy. ... For the Chaucer poem, see Troilus and Criseyde. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Alls Well That Ends Well is a comedy by William Shakespeare, and is often considered one of his problem plays, so-called because they cannot be easily classified as tragedy or comedy. ... Walter Deverell,The Mock Marriage of Orlando and Rosalind, 1853 William Shakespeares As You Like It is a pastoral comedy written in 1599 or early 1600. ... Poster for a performance The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeares early plays, written between 1592 and 1594. ... Dame Ellen Terry as Imogen This article is about Shakespeares play. ... For the film, see Loves Labours Lost (2000 film). ... Claudio and Isabella (1850) by William Holman Hunt Measure for Measure is a play by William Shakespeare, written in 1603. ... Portia and Shylock (1835) by Thomas Sully The Merchant of Venice is one of William Shakespeares best-known plays, written sometime between 1596 and 1598. ... Title page of the 1602 quarto The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare featuring the fat knight Sir John Falstaff and is Shakespeares only play to deal exclusively with contemporary English life. ... For other uses, see A Midsummer Nights Dream (disambiguation). ... Title page of the first quarto (1600) Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy by William Shakespeare. ... Title page of the 1611 quarto edition of the play Pericles, Prince of Tyre is a play written (at least in part) by William Shakespeare and included in modern editions of his collected plays despite some questions over its authorship. ... Taming of the Shrew by Augustus Egg The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare. ... For other uses, see The Tempest (disambiguation). ... For other uses of Twelfth Night, see Twelfth Night (disambiguation). ... The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a comedy by William Shakespeare from early in his career. ... The Two Noble Kinsmen is a play written in 1613 by John Fletcher and William Shakespeare in collaboration. ... Florizel and Perdita by Charles Robert Leslie. ... Traditionally, the plays of William Shakespeare have been grouped into three categories: tragedies, comedies, and histories. ... The Life and Death of King John is one of the Shakespearean histories, plays written by William Shakespeare and based on the history of England. ... Title page of Richard II, from the fifth quarto, published in 1615. ... Title page of the first quarto (1598) Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare. ... Henry IV part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, first published as part of Shakespeares First Folio. ... Title page of the first quarto (1600) Henry V, also known as The Cronicle History of Henry the fift, is a play by William Shakespeare based on the life of King Henry V of England. ... The First Part of King Henry the Sixth is one of Shakespeares history plays. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Henry VI Part III is the third of William Shakespeares plays set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England, and prepares the ground for one of his best-known and most controversial plays: the tragedy of King Richard III (Richard III of England). ... Dame Ellen Terry as Katherine of Aragon The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eighth was one of the last plays written by the English playwright William Shakespeare, based on the life of Henry VIII of England. ... Title page from 1609 edition of Shake-Speares Sonnets Dedication page from The Sonnets SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS, or simply The Sonnets, is a collection of poems in sonnet form written by William Shakespeare that deal with such themes as love, beauty, politics, and mortality. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... The Earl of Southampton, painted in 1594, aged 21, the year that Shakespeare dedicated The Rape of Lucrece to him The narrative poem The Rape of Lucrece is the graver work promised by English dramatist-poet William Shakespeare in his dedication to his patron, Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton... The Passionate Pilgrim is a collection of poems, first published in 1599, attributed on the title-page to William Shakespeare. ... The Phoenix and the Turtle is a poem by William Shakespeare. ... A Lovers Complaint is a narrative poem usually attributed to William Shakespeare, although the poems authorship is a matter of critical debate. ... The Shakespeare Apocrypha is the name given to a group of plays that have sometimes been attributed to William Shakespeare, but whose attribution is questionable for various reasons. ... The Reign of King Edward III is a play attributed to William Shakespeare. ... Playtext from the 2005 Royal Shakespeare Company production. ... Publicity poster for the 2002 Los Angeles production of The Second Maidens Tragedy as The History of Cardenio is a lost play, known to have been performed by the Kings Men, a London theatre company, in 1613. ... Loves Labours Won, alternatively written Loves labours wonne, is the name of a play written by William Shakespeare before 1598. ... The Birth of Merlin, or, The Child Hath Found his Father is a Jacobean play, written in 1622. ... Locrine is an Elizabethan play depicting the legendary Trojan founders of the nation of England and of Troynovant (London). ... The London Prodigal is a city comedy set in London in which a prodigal son learns the error of his ways. ... Title page of the 1607 quarto The Puritan is a Jacobean comedy, published in 1607, generally considered to be written by Thomas Middleton. ... The Second Maidens Tragedy is a Jacobean play that survives only in manuscript. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sir John Oldcastle is an Elizabethan play about John Oldcastle, a controversial 14th-15th century rebel and Lollard who was seen by some of Shakespeares contemporaries as a proto-Protestant martyr. ... Thomas Lord Cromwell is an Elizabethan play, published in 1602. ... A Yorkshire Tragedy was an English play printed in 1608. ... Fair Em, the Millers Daughter of Manchester, is an Elizabethan comedy written ca. ... Mucedorus is a play at one time claimed to be one of Shakespeares. ... The Merry Devil of Edmonton is an Elizabethan comedy about a magician, Peter Fabel, nicknamed the Merry Devil. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Edmund Ironside is an anonymous Elizabethan play that depicts the life of Edmund II of England; however, at least two critics have suggested it is an early work by Shakespeare. ... Vortigern and Rowena, or Vortigern, an Historical Play is a play that was touted as a newly discovered work by William Shakespeare when it first appeared in 1796. ... Sir John Gilberts 1849 painting: The Plays of William Shakespeare, containing scenes and characters from several of William Shakespeares plays. ... Sir John Gilberts 1849 painting: The Plays of William Shakespeare, containing scenes and characters from several of William Shakespeares plays. ... The precise chronology of Shakespeares plays as they were first written and performed is impossible to determine, as there is no authoritative record and many of the plays were performed many years before they were published. ... The precise chronology of Shakespeares plays as they were first written is impossible to determine, as there is no authoritative record and many of the plays were performed many years before they were published. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... The BBC Television Shakespeare was a set of television adaptations of the plays of Shakespeare, produced by the BBC between 1978 and 1985. ... The following is a partially complete list of titles of works based on Shakespearean phrases. ... This is an index of characters appearing in the plays of William Shakespeare. ... In Shakespeare studies, the term problem plays normally refers to three comedies that William Shakespeare wrote between the late 1590s and the first years of the seventeenth century: Alls Well That Ends Well, Measure for Measure and The Merchant of Venice, although some critics would extend the term to... This list contains the biographies of historical figures who appear in the plays of William Shakespeare. ... In playwriting, a ghost character is a character that is mentioned as appearing on stage but neither says nor does anything but enter, and possibly exit. ...

Contents

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