The title character in Shakespeare's Richard III is extremely interesting because he functions both as the villain of the play as well as the hero. In the very first scene of the play, Richard tells the audience that he is "determined to prove a villain" (p. 752, line 30), but he also gains the sympathy of the audience because of his deformity, of which Richard points out that he is "so lame and unfashionable that dogs bark at me as I halt by them" (p. 752, lines 22-23).
             The audience is further led to believe that Richard is intrinsically evil because of his deformities. Even his own mother seems to believe this saying she has "for comfort but one false glass, that grieves me when I see my shame in him" (p.766, lines 53-54). Later, the Duchess of York laments ever giving birth to him saying, O, she that might have intercepted thee, by strangling thee in her accursed womb, from all the slaughters, wretch that thou hast done!" (p. 783, lines 136-139).
             Oppositely, though, Richard is also highly charismatic and likeable. He is able to manipulate almost every other character in the play through his words. For example, he tells Clarence that his "imprisonment shall not be long. I will deliver you or else lie for you" (p. 754, lines 114-115). He then has the murderers tell Clarence that the king sent them, and even when they confess that his brother hates him, Clarence still says in disbelief, "O no; he loves me and he holds me dear" (p. 763, line 234)
             His charisma also allows him to woo Lady Anne despite his deformity and even after he has killed her husband and her father-in law. He tells her that he murdered them to get her love. He even offers to let her kill him, but when she tells him "though I wish thy death, I will not be thy executioner" (p. 756, lines 184-185), he knows that he has her under his control and offers to kill himself if she wishe...