Shakespeare's Richard III
Richard III is considered one of Shakespeare's most evil characters, one endowed with sharp wit and lacking in morals, who governs through fear and force. Richard III deals extensively with the themes of political corruption and dissimulation. Richard's reign is portrayed as a period in which nothing is sacred; neither on a political or social level, nor on a personal one. Richard will stop at nothing, not even at betraying his friends and murdering his kin, in order to become king. Although his traits of character are clearly illustrated through his deeds and words, Shakespeare provides the reader with an important contrast to the character of the king, namely the women of the play. These women are: the Duchess of York, Richard's mother; Anne who later becomes Richard's wife; Queen Margaret who was the former queen and Richard's arch enemy, and Queen Elizabeth, the current queen. Also, Queen Elizabeth's daughter, Elizabeth, is present in the plot but the reader is never introduced to her. Richard appears one-dimensionally evil, a flat character, the embodiment of evil and moral decay. His evil ambitions are expressed at the outset of the play; his purpose is to deepen the chaos in the kingdom and ultimately become king. He is p
The world of Richard III is a man's world in which women grieve, complain, or bury the dead. Richard's relationship with Anne is a mixture of love and hatred. These women illustrate how moral destruction is generated by the violation of social order, and how it generates further destruction resulting in the devastation of individual, the family, the nation, all leading to profound suffering. ), and will no doubt shortly be rid of me" (IV, i, 86) Lady Anne's role in the characterization of Richard is very important because her fate illustrates that love and violence are related in Richard's character. It is precisely this sense of helplessness and impotence in the face of fate that makes their voice that of retributive justice for the entire nation. After her husband dies, she is left to depend on the charity of his family's murderers to survive. " (I, ii, 232-234) Although she becomes aware of the empty promises and falls prey to violence and abuse from Richard, Anne is powerless and fearful of a public scandal or revenge. This is actually the turning point in Richard's fate, because it greatly influences Richmond's succession to the throne, which would have been feebler without young Elizabeth as his queen. Richard is the peak of this generation, an evil selfish man whom the two women call "the scourge", and referred to as the incarnation of evil that is generated by decaying public morality. Not only do these women point out moral truths, but they also ask for divine retribution and point to a higher moral authority which transcends the realm of human action. He appears incapable of expressing his love in such a way that the objects of his affection become aware of his feelings and can be able to trust them; on the contrary, he appears to be capable only of self-love and the love for power. Women in Richard III ask for justice and retribution but fail to realize that even though Richard is guilty of horrendous acts and is an evil despicable man, they themselves are not as innocent as they would like to appear. For her, Richard is the counterpart of her first husband whom she refers to as "angel-husband" (IV, i, 68). Anne, Elizabeth, the Duchess of York and Margaret are voices of protest and morality who condemn the actions of the king, and are able to see through his intrigues, and at times, even to foresee the consequences of his acts. Anne is truly destroyed by Richard because she loses everything.
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