Shakespeare And Shakespeare : Shakespeare Histories And Tragedies

In this essay, I will identify, describe and explain causes as to why Richard III was known as a bad King. Many people think about him as an inadequate king, but was he really? And if so what made him so poorly thought of?

These traits that Richard displayed were not befitting to a king and a man who was suppose to lead. Rather than look out for the

Richard’s political ambition is revealed through his strategic calculations based on the order of birth in his York family which puts him third away from the throne. Ahead of him is his elder brother, George Clarence, a barrier which will have to eradicate. His brother, King Edward, is another political barrier, by simply being alive, in power and equally by being the father of the two young princes . Richard’s creates a political mistrust between his two

It is only during his deposition and his imprisonment that Richard shows his greatest strength as a dramatic figure. Although occasionally he seems to demonstrate self-pity, he also reveals himself to have an acute awareness of the ironies and absurdities in the structure of power of his kingdom. He still compels the court to reconsider his initial claim that the crown is divinely appointed: “Not all the water… can wash the balm of an anointed king (3.2.55)”. Although he keeps reminding those present of his God-given mandate to rule, he seems also to take pleasure in passing on the trails of kingship to his successor. As a King, He does have a God-given position of being the king. But as a king one should know the difference between moral values and ethics values. Just because Richard is King and is appointed by God doesn’t give him any rights to be an awful ruler. He can’t always fight a problem by saying that he is

The texts King Richard III and Looking for Richard both accept the centrality of power and the yearning for it, as a central plot driver and an assumed part of the human condition. However, each presents a different perspective as to the nature of power; its origins and morality.

Richard then gloats over his success in a soliloquy stating how he has won her heart even though he is regarded by her as the devil with dissembling looks and he stabbed Edward her love just 3 months earlier. This highlights how he thinks of himself as the best as he brags about his misdeeds as though he is immortal.

Richard speaks about how people see him as a curse to the land and how he is unfit to be there. He does not like that and to prove everybody wrong, he will rise up to be king, no matter what he has to do. He even stated in his opening soliloquy that he will, “set my brother Clarence and the King, / In deadly hate the one against the other.” (I.i. 35-36). He can’t live his whole life being told he is a villian just because of his deformity.

Late 14th century English king Richard II lost all of his power towards the end of his reign as a result of his exploded sense of self-importance and godly association, which led to fatal opposition from multiple prominent aristocrats and eventually England as a whole. This gradual growth of opposition can be seen in the persecution of Richard’s most favored advisors; the aftermath of fear and apprehension that followed Richard’s execution of the Lord’s appellant in 1397; and his swift and universally encouraged abdication by Henry Bolingbroke, future Henry IV.

Richard’s aspiration for power caused him to sacrifice his morals and loyalties in order to gain the throne of England. Shakespeare refers to the political instability of England, which is evident through the War of the Roses between the Yorks and Lancastrians fighting for the right to rule. In order to educate and entertain the audience of the instability of politics, Shakespeare poses Richard as a caricature of the Vice who is willing to do anything to get what he wants. As a result, the plans Richard executed were unethical, but done with pride and cunningness. Additionally, his physically crippled figure that was, “so lamely and unfashionable, that dogs bark at me as I halt by them,” reflects the deformity and corruption of his soul. The constant fauna imagery of Richard as the boar reflected his greedy nature and emphasises that he has lost his sense of humanity.

According to Higginbotham’s article, the King lacks knowledge and experience when it comes to economical leadership, he considers his character to be wasteful, selfish, wild and unwise. “Gaunt figures Richard’s extravagant spending as a “blaze of riot” that like a fire flames high initially but quickly subsides, with the expectation that Richard must soon “burn out”. This image captures both the wildness of Richard’s behavior (since his excessive spending is likened to a “riot”) and its dangerousness (since the height of a blaze still destroys, even if it is likely to dwindle to nothing” (Higginbotham

Ever since he had taken the throne, King Edward lived in his castle without worry or fear. But he was greatly troubled when one of his servants came back with the news that Richard was threatening to take the throne again. “Your Majesty! Your Majesty!” gasped the servant, out of breath. “There is something terrible going on!”

On Richard’s administration in the north, Mancini said, “The good reputation of his private life and public activities powerfully attracted the esteem of strangers” (The Controversies). Richard III had estimable behavior as a Duke, and it does not seem like he changed a whole lot between then and when he became King. “The intellectual depth and political ability was always there. So too were the gentler qualities of piety and generosity. The charm, persuasiveness and self-advertisement are constant features” (Hicks).

In Shakespeare’s history play Richard II, King Richard II’s relationship with God can be explored throughout the play as he gives up his crown. Richard II is easily seen as weak, making some think that he is not fit for the role of king. He does not listen to his advisors and takes money from the nobles. These actions lead Henry Bolingbroke to take the crown. Richard II does not put up much of a fight as he willingly hands the crown over to Bolingbroke, but he does prolong the process as he dramatically hands his crown and scepter over. Richard II even speaks out about his power that was given to him:

In particular, Richard’s failure to preserve his homeland and his oppressive leadership is punished by a rebellion from his already exiled cousin. As an elderly gardener notes, “Pardon me, madam: little joy have I To breathe this news; yet what I say is true. King Richard, he is in the mighty hold Of Bolingbroke: their fortunes both are weigh'd” (Shakespeare, 3.4. 16). Notably, the main motive message behind Richard’s disposal is that bad leaders will always face rebellion from well-intended leaders. Eventually, they will lose their power as people tend to follow ethical

It is in this scene that we witness the weakness of a king but the strength of a man. Richard stops the fight from happening, again with great ceremony. "Withdraw with us; and let the trumpets sound" (I.iii.130).