The character Richard III in the Shakespearean play Richard III is one of complex nature, though seldom do people recognize this. The Richard III that William Shakespeare writes of is a man driven by ambition, vengeance, and a thirst for power, who is willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve such distinction. Throughout the play, Richard manipulates the other characters for his own self-interest, and there is a cloak of innocence that misleads his fellow characters.
The audience is aware of Richard’s façade early in the play, as he reveals his intentions; however, until the end of the play, Richard’s adversaries are oblivious to it. Richard is often portrayed as having numerous physical deformities which make him profoundly unattractive, in addition to him being cunning, anti-social, manipulative, brutal, and as darkly humorous. The manner in which Shakespeare characterizes Richard III immediately casts Richard as the anti-hero, thus giving the audience a prejudice against him. Richard, however, is not the sole agent of evil in this play. Though he is the clever mastermind of the schemes and bears responsibility for the tragedies that take place in the play, he is merely the manipulator and rarely carries out such atrocious deeds himself. Despite having numerous accomplices in such schemes, most often the responsibility of the actions is placed primarily upon Richard. However, in actuality, there is a sense of duality in regard to the reprehensible acts committed in the play, though it often is not acknowledged because of Shakespeare’s need for a strong protagonist.
In the opening soliloquy of the play, the character Richard III is immediately designated as the anti-hero, as he reveals that he is “determined to prove [himself] a villain” (1.1.30). This quote foreshadows how Richard III will be portrayed throughout the remainder of the play. Such a statement wasn’t necessary; however, as Shakespeare described him in such a manner that the audience inevitably held prejudice against him, “Deformed, unfinished, sent before my time / Into this breathing world, scarce half made up / And that so lamely and unfashionable / That dogs bark at me as I halt by them” (1.1. 20-23). During Shakespeare’s time period, people tended to be susceptible to superstition, and many people viewed others inflicted with physical deformities, as if they were morally corrupt and the epitome of evil. As such, if the audience were to hold the same beliefs as the majority, than they most certainly would have seen Richard III as an immoral man (Munger par. 10).
Richard III, Duke of Gloucester, was the youngest brother in the York Royal Family, comprised of the eldest brother Edward IV, who was the sitting King of England, and the middle child George, Duke of Clarence. Richard was the fourth in line to the throne, following only his two nephews: Edward, Prince of Wales and Richard, Duke of York, and Richard’s brother George of Clarence. The plot of the play Richard III revolves around Richard’s quest for power and his ambition on assuming the throne, and in order to accomplish his desires, Richard must eliminate the three heirs to the throne before him, as well as King Edward IV himself. The actions that take place in order to eliminate his kin, further vilify Richard III, though he is merely the mastermind behind the schemes and doesn’t carry out such deeds himself. Despite this, Shakespeare has isolated the character Richard III so greatly through his vivid description of his deformities and the implications of his immorality, that the audience tends to focus on Richard’s sins, rather than the sins committed by the other characters in the play.
Richard’s plan to attain the throne was alluded to in the opening speech, when Richard says “Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous / By drunken prophecies, libels, and dreams / To set my brother [George of] Clarence and the king / In deadly hate, the one against the other” (1.1.32-35) which reveals his intention to instigate a family feud which will consequently eliminate George of Clarence as a potential successor to the throne. The relationship between King Edward IV and his brother George, was already strained and plagued with hostility toward one another, as George had briefly sided with the House of Lancaster during the War of Roses, while Lancaster was in direct opposition to King Edward. (Harlan par. 26) Eventually, George returned to the aide of his family and backed his brother’s crown, but there still remained a degree of distrust and resentment between the two, a factor that Richard capitalized on. Richard convinces Edward that George is plotting to kill him and take the crown through a false prophecy and his intention to manipulate Edward is seen when Richard says, “And if King Edward be as true and just / As I am subtle, false, and treacherous, / This day should Clarence closely be mewed up / About a prophecy which says that “G” / Of Edward’s heirs the murderer shall be” (1.1.36-40). This prophecy, which Edward interprets as referring to “George of Clarence” is because such wasn’t the case, as the “G” referred to was in actuality “Richard of Gloucester”. Edward, fearing for his crown and his own life, falsely imprisons George of Clarence in the Tower of London. Later in the play, Richard begins to fulfill this prophecy, as he sends two henchmen to kill George at the Tower, which is when Shakespeare acknowledges George’s past deeds. The two henchmen together, reveal George’s sins by saying “And that same vengeance doth He hurl on thee / For false forswearing and for murder too. / Thou didst receive the sacrament to fight / In quarrel of the house of Lancaster / And like a traitor to the name of God, / Didst break that vow, and with thy treacherous blade / Unrippedst the bowels of thy sovereign’s son. / Whom though wert sworn to cherish and defend”. (1.4.186-193) This quote implies that George was guilty of hypocrisy and murder, among other crimes. Though initially, George thinks that Edward was responsible for sending the executioners, he later realizes that he was betrayed by his brother Richard, after the henchmen tell him so.
The scene and circumstances surrounding George of Clarence’s persecution display the grossly unjust placement of responsibility upon Richard III, in comparison to the executioners and George himself. Richard III seems to have the majority of responsibility placed upon him for the death of George, as numerous characters throughout the play make reference to George’s death, but in a manner that implicates Richard as being the only person involved in the murder. Several characters make reference of the act, such as Queen Elizabeth who says, “Tell her thou mad’st away her uncle Clarence…” (4.4.284) and a later reference made by Prince Richard, the Duke of York, which says […] Marry my uncle Clarence’ angry ghost / My grandam told me he
was murdered there”, though these aren’t the only references made in the play. At first glance, the Duke of York’s statement was not directed at Richard III, but he said it in such a manner that the Duke of Buckingham was compelled to say, “Think you, my lord this little prating York / Was not incensed by his subtle mother / To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously?” Thus, the other characters in the play seem to have become fixated on the idea that Richard III is primarily to blame for Clarence’s death, but little, if any attention is given to the two executioners who committed the murder. However, such a perspective is unjust, because the two executioners were equally, if not more responsible for the murder of George than Richard was. Richard was partly responsible because of his manipulation of the two henchmen, and because George’s death most directly benefited him; however, the two henchmen had the opportunity and freedom not to carry out the act, but ultimately chose to go through with it. In fact, one of the murderer’s contemplates not killing George, because he knows that it’s wrong and he begins to feel guilty, as seen when he says, “”Not
