...Every good story needs some form of conflict, and what better way could there be to create conflict than a villain? Classic playwrights and those of today use villains as a device to create diabolical plots and schemes for protagonists to overcome. But William Shakespeare didn’t just let the antagonist be easily beaten by the hero. One of his most notable villains is Richard in Richard III. Richard is a ruthless, ambitious character who would stop at nothing to gain the crown of England. Shakespeare’s definition of evil can be explored through this diabolical villain of the historical play Richard III by analyzing Richard’s actions and character traits. It is most notable within Richard III, that Shakespeare exaggerates Richards’s deformities;...
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...The Women of Shakespeare's Richard III Margaret, Elizabeth, Anne, Duchess of Warwick Yorkshire Rose from a public domain image In his play, Richard III, Shakespeare draws on historical facts about several historical women to tell his story. Their emotional reactions reinforce that Richard the villain is the logical conclusion of many years of intrafamily conflict and family politics. The Wars of the Roses was about different branches of the Plantagenet family and a few other closely-related families fighting each other -- often to the death. These women have lost husbands, sons, fathers -- or will by the end of the play. Most have been pawns in the marriage game, but nearly all of them who are depicted have had some direct influence on the politics. Margaret (Margaret of Anjou) led armies. Queen Elizabeth (Elizabeth Woodville) promoted her own family's fortunes, making her responsible for the enmity she earned. The Duchess of York (Cecily Neville) and her brother (Warwick, the Kingmaker) were angry enough when Elizabeth married Edward that Warwick changed his support to Henry VI, and the Duchess left court and had little contact with her son, Edward, before his death. Anne Neville's marriages linked her first with the Lancastrian heir apparent and then with a Yorkist heir. Even little Elizabeth (Elizabeth of York) by her very existence holds power: once her brothers, the "Princes in the Tower," are dispatched, the king who marries her has locked up a tighter claim on the...
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...HSC Advanced English, Module A: Richard III and Looking For Richard, Essay Connections of commonality and dissimilarity may be drawn between a multiplicity of texts through an appreciation of the values and attitudes with which they were composed. Accordingly, the values and attitudes of the individual being may be defined as an acute blend of externally induced, or contextual and internally triggered, or inherent factors. Cultural, historical, political, religious and social influences, dictated by the nature of one’s surroundings, imprint a variable pattern of values and attitudes upon the individual. Thus any deviation in any such factor may instigate an alteration of the contextual component of one’s perspective. By contrast, the psychological fundamentals of humanity are sturdy and whilst they partake in the definition of the values and attitudes of the individual, they are unwavering. Shakespeare’s historical play ‘Richard III’ and Pacino’s docudrama ‘Looking for Richard’ confirm such theory through an exploration of the contextual and inherent. A scrutiny of the contradictory forces of humanism and determinism and the function of women as demonstrated by both texts imparts an incongruity of context. Difference is thus conveyed. Conversely, an acknowledgement of the strength of conscience common to both texts suggests an inherent influence. Thus it is through inspection of the prescribed texts that one may distinguish the degree to which the texts converge on inherent...
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...Question: Plays are often said to show rather than tell. How far does Richard III indicate that dramatic action and dialogue fulfill all the functions of presenting thought and action? "King Richard III", a play written by William Shakespeare portrays the true sinister nature of the main antagonist, Richard as he overtakes the throne of England through vile methods. Despite being deformed since birth and looked down upon for that very fact, his determination to be a villain replaces his lacking factors. Naturally, actions and dialogues of the characters in the play help the audience paint a portrait of other characters and the roles they occupy in the play. They uncover the unknown side of the characters and show the thoughts which these characters hold as they progress. There are conflicts and contrasts that vary but they are all essential to unifying the play as a whole. Without those factors shaping the play, one would hardly be able to find more about other characters of the play and understand the dynamics of the play. By including monologues and dialogues amongst characters, Shakespeare fulfills all the traditional functions of a play in presenting thought and actions. The play begins with Richard delivering a soliloquy in which he first explains his situation and then proceeds to accounts of his evil deeds. When Richard mentions his deformed body and poor conditions that make him hard to live as a “normal” human being, audience may at first feel sympathy, only to have...
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...context, text and responder that helps the audience to create meaning from a text. Through Pacino recontextualising Shakespeare’s Richard III, the audience is able to develop a better understanding and newfound appreciation of Shakespeare’s text. By comparing the structure and language of both texts the responder is able to go on their own journey of understanding and interpretation. Pacino builds a bridge that enables us to cross over and understand Shakespeare’s context. Pacino develops our understanding of ‘Richard III’ and helps us to recognize how values can be encoded within a text. This can be seen through the different values, beliefs and attitudes towards women reflected in Richard III texts in Act 1 scene 2. The wooing of Lady Anne demonstrates the climax of Richard’s role as a villain. The stichomythic language engages the audience which allows us to be seduced by Richard, for example when Lady Anne say, ‘‘o wonderful, when devils tell the truth’ and Richard replies ‘More wonderful, when angels are so angry’. This short declarative verbal exchange creates momentum in the scene resulting in the audience being in a state of anticipation. It reveals the power of language to persuade and Richard is able to capture the audiences’ admiration. Lady Anne’s capacity to verbally play with language implies her surprising intelligence. This may reflect Shakespeare’s passive unacceptance of the gender hierarchal system that existed during the context that he wrote in. Shakespeare...
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...understanding of text’s textual integrity. This is evident within William Shakespeare’s ‘King Richard Third’ and Al Pacino’s docudrama ‘Looking For Richard’, where composers portray, through literary and film techniques, texts which reveal to their respective audiences valuable insights into their differing contexts. ‘Looking For Richard’ is based on ‘King Richard Third’ and adapts Shakespeare’s values to a modern context. Exploration of connections between the texts enhances the understanding of the values and contexts of each text. Connections enhances context, character and perspective as these values intensify connections. Through exploring context and character connections between texts, new perspectives of each text are possible, creating textual integrity. Richard Third - Context Richard Third was written to a superstitious Elizabethan audience. It was written as pro-Tudor propaganda, whereby the representation of Richard as a sly and deformed character perpetuates the Tudor Myth, within the context of the War of the Roses. Richard exudes traits of a Machiavellian villain, with imagery exaggerating Richard as a “Deformed, unfinished” man who was “Sent before his time” in order to maintain his discontent. Furthermore, Richards evil characterization and relentless pursuit of power is highlighted to his audience through his opening soliloquy “since I can not prove to be a lover….. I am determined to prove a villain.” Shakespeare cleverly depicts the association between evil ones...
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...human aspect, being a person admired for its tolerance, sympathy and humanity necessarily exclude the opportunity or more likely the risk of being evil? We live in a world where everyone pursuits the perfect life with wealth and happiness while the way of getting it often requires a struggle that affects others negatively. We know that stress and anger easily can urge for even the happiest and most sympathetic man alive. But according to what we have influenced for instance from the fairy tales of our childhood or even the real classics like Shakespeare, being evil and being likeable are two separate things, which will never be anything but conflicting poles. Richard III claims that his incapability of being able to love and be someone’s lover determines his therefore villainous behaviour. Being born before term, Richard III had to live his life as a cripple and therefore an outcast. This was not a thing to easily let go in the Middle Ages as people was...
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...In the opening monologue of Richard III, Richard proclaims one of the most famous lines of the play: “I am determined to prove a villain” (Shakespeare, 11). Because of this direct address of Richard’s intentions, the audience is never left questioning why he commits the atrocities he does throughout the course of the play. Although Richard is undoubtedly evil, each viewer’s criteria for what constitutes this characteristic differs, so Shakespeare attempts to make Richard a universally evil character by giving him multiple unforgivable attributes. According to Shakespeare evil is defined by actions that benefit the perpetrator and cause harm to others, specifically in instances that would impact familial and English societal order. Losing a family member is akin to losing part of oneself....
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...Richard III is a play originally written by William Shakespeare in approximately 1592.The play tells a story of the determination of the main character Richard of Gloucester on his journey to gaining the throne occupied by his brother Edward IV after the Wars of roses between the houses of York and Lancaster. Richard eventually gained the throne but not before manipulating, deceiving other characters and using murderous tactics. The play was adapted by Richard Loncraine and turned into a film in 1995 .Richard Loncraine is an English born film director who has been directing films since 1974.Loncraine is known for being an extremely versatile director with various genres of movies to his credit. Before becoming a film director he was a sculptor and made the transition to directing starting with commercials, documentaries, and educational programs....
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...wounded captain’s account of his battlefield valor, our initial impression is of a brave and capable warrior. This perspective is complicated, however, once we see Macbeth interact with the three witches. We realize that his physical courage is joined by a consuming ambition and a tendency to self-doubt—the prediction that he will be king brings him joy, but it also creates inner turmoil. These three attributes—bravery, ambition, and self-doubt—struggle for mastery of Macbeth throughout the play. Shakespeare uses Macbeth to show the terrible effects that ambition and guilt can have on a man who lacks strength of character. We may classify Macbeth as irrevocably evil, but his weak character separates him from Shakespeare’s great villains—Iago in Othello, Richard III in Richard III, Edmund in King Lear—who are all strong enough to conquer guilt and self-doubt. Macbeth, great warrior though he is, is ill equipped for the psychic consequences of crime. Before he kills Duncan, Macbeth is plagued by worry and almost aborts the crime. It takes Lady Macbeth’s steely sense of purpose to push him into the deed. After the murder, however, her powerful personality begins to disintegrate, leaving Macbeth increasingly alone. He fluctuates between fits of fevered action, in which he plots a series of murders to secure his throne, and moments of terrible guilt (as when Banquo’s ghost appears) and absolute pessimism (after his wife’s death, when he seems to succumb to despair). These fluctuations...
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...HOW TO TEACH “OTHELLO” (The play by William Shakespear’s) I. INTRODUCTION Othello, like all of Shakespeare’s plays, particularly the tragedies, is complex and subtly nuanced. Through its complexitiesand subtleties, Shakespeare makes us care about the characters who people this story. We understand their weaknesses and their strengths, their passions and their nobility. In our engagement in their lives and our pondering over what has gone wrong and why, we are given the opportunity to analyze human life both in the abstract and in the particular of our own lives. Shakespeare’s ability to involve us in the lives and fortunes of his characters is one of the best reasons for reading and teaching Othello. Othello has particular gifts to offer to teenagers. It is a play about passion and reason. Intense feelings are exhibited here:love, hate, jealousy, envy, even lust. Teenagers struggling with their own passions can empathize with both Roderigo’s and Othello’s plight. It is also a play that examines, as do Shakespeare’s other works, human relationships and interactions. For teenagers in the first rush of attempting to understand how romantic relationships work and when and why they might fail, this text provides much to ponder. In addition, studying the play gives young people a rich literary vehicle for developing their critical thinking and analytical reading skills. The closer they examine this work, the richer they find it. II. SUMMARY OF THE PLAY The play is set...
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...History of English Literature Overview Anglo-Saxon Literature (500-1100) The Angles and Saxon conquered what is now called England in the 5th and 6th centuries. Christian missionaries taught the English to write. Northumbria soon produced Caedmon and Bede. Heroic poetry of a Christian kind is the chief legacy of Old English literature, notably Beowulf and the Elegies. A considerable prose literature grew up after King Alfred. Middle English Literature (1100-1500) Literature in England in this period was not just in English and Latin but in French as well and developed in directions set largely in France. Epic and Elegy gave way to romance and Lyric. English writing revived fully in English after 1360 and flowered in the reign of Richard II (1372-99). It gained a literary standard in London English after 1425 and developed modern forms of verse, prose and of Drama. The conquest of England in 1066 by William of Normandy displaced English as medium of literature. The language of new rulers was French. Saxons dealing with the King had to learn French and French was the language of court and the law for three centuries. Four genres of Middle English are: i. 1. Fabliau 2. Lyric 3. Dream Allegory 4. Ballad Geoffrey Chaucer Chaucer is the best story teller and the narrative poet. Chaucer tells his stories in a most effective way. He has the knack of transforming an old tale into a new one in such a manner that its appeal increases manifold and its human...
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...the great philosopher ENTER SHAKESPEARE – THE LITERARY GIANT Spelling of Shakespeare: Spelling not yet standardized, thus name spelled in different ways • Shakespeare, Shakspere, Shackspere, Shaxper, Shagspere, Shaxberd, etc. Shakespeare: The most well known playwright of Elizabethan times is Shakespeare. But there were also other writers who in their time were just as, or even more famous than him. WHAT MAKES SHAKESPEARE STAND OUT? – The volume of his works Plays firmly attributed to Shakespeare ■ 14 COMEDIES – funny play – with amusing events – ended in marriage / or happily o Midsummer Night’s Dream, Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Much Ado about Nothing… ■ 10 HISTORIES – Richard III, Richard II, Henry IV… ■ 10 TRAGEDIES – ends in death ← Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Julius Caesar… ■ 4 Romances – ( chivalry and love) Pericles,...
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... Claudius. Hamlet is melancholy, bitter, and cynical, full of hatred for his uncle’s scheming and disgust for his mother’s sexuality. A reflective and thoughtful young man who has studied at the University of Wittenberg, Hamlet is often indecisive and hesitant, but at other times prone to rash and impulsive acts. Hamlet is extremely philosophical and contemplative. He is particularly drawn to difficult questions or questions that cannot be answered with any certainty. Faced with evidence that his uncle murdered his father, evidence that any other character in a play would believe, Hamlet becomes obsessed with proving his uncle’s guilt before trying to act. Claudius - The King of Denmark, Hamlet’s uncle, and the play’s antagonist. The villain of the play, Claudius is a calculating, ambitious politician, driven by his sexual appetites and his lust for power, but he occasionally shows signs of guilt and human feeling—his love for Gertrude, for instance, seems sincere. Gertrude - The Queen of Denmark, Hamlet’s mother, recently married to Claudius. Gertrude loves Hamlet deeply, but she is a shallow, weak woman who seeks affection and status more urgently than moral rectitude or truth. Polonius - The Lord Chamberlain of Claudius’s court, a pompous, conniving old man. Polonius is the father of Laertes and Ophelia. Ophelia - Polonius’s daughter, a beautiful young woman with whom Hamlet has been in love. Ophelia is a sweet and innocent young girl, who obeys her father and her...
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...Early European Theater • The writings of this period were primarily hymns, sermons and similar theologically oriented works. • Latin became a literary medium. • Major preserves of learning are the monasteries. • 8th century Europe returned to greater stability under the Carolingian kings. ➢ Charles Martel – defeated the Moslems at Tours in 732 AD, through his innovative use of armored horsemen as the principal military force, initiating the development of knighthood. ➢ Charlemagne – extended his realm into the Slavic territories and converting non- Christians on the way. Charlemagne was crowned by the Pope and pronounced him as the successor to Constantine. The scenario was the first attempt to establish the Holy Roman Empire. • Charlemagne’s death caused Europe to break into small units isolated from each other and from the world. • Moslem controlled the Mediterranean and the Vikings, still pagans, conquered the northern seas. Early Middle Ages • Life was relatively simple. • Feudalistic patterns were fully established. ➢ Manor (large estate)- headed by a noble man, assumed absolute authority over the peasants who worked his land collectively. ➢ Vassals – supplies the lords a specified number of knights upon demand and the lords in return were bound to protect their vassals. The Theater (500- 900 AD) • The theater revived during the early Middle Ages. • After the Western Roman...
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