A Guide to William Shakespeare: 'Richard III'

Provides a basis for informed discussion of Richard III, one of Shakespeare’s most beautifully crafted plays, and the issues it raises – which are as ominously relevant to politics and people now as they were when it was new. After a brief examination of ‘Jacobethan’ attitudes to history and politics, the first chapter summarises some key concepts: the sort of world people thought they were living in, the issues of freewill and predestination, and the supposed (and in fact problematic) linkage at all levels between the world of man and the macrocosm. A short discussion of theories and types of drama and their topical application then follows. Shakespeare’s use of his sources, and what they suggested to him, leads us in to a full discussion of the figure of Richard: the dramatic types on which he is built, and how Shakespeare has subtly developed them are explored. We then examine in detail the progress of the play, before discussing some of its themes and issues, such as justice, vengeance, revenge and time. The last chapter suggests some ways of looking at the linguistic and semantic texture of this elegant play.