"Richard III"

English > Analysis
Shakespeare > Richard II and III

"Richard III"

An analysis of Shakespeare's play, "Richard III", focusing on the relationship between the Duke of Buckingham and Richard.

2,143 words () | 2 sources | MLA | 2005 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper concentrates on exploring why the Duke of Buckingham helped Richard III as extensively as he did to lie, cheat, steal, and murder his way to being king. It also explores why Buckingham left Richard III at a certain point after he was asked to arrange for the murder of Edward. The author argues that Buckingham left Richard not because of his conscience regarding the murder of the boy, but out of a fear that by helping the tyrant to gain his power, he would not get anything in return but his own death.

From the Paper:

"Shakespeare's "Richard III" was a play in the series of historical texts that also includes "Henry IV". With these texts, the author left the convention of setting his plays is exotic places like Athens and Italy, and concentrated on the theme of English history. Richard III was a monarch who is shown in Shakespeare's "Richard III" to have lost touch with reality more than a little bit in his quest for power, which has corrupted him deeply. At the end of the play there is little that can be done to redeem Richard III, such is his rejection of morality and his overriding ambition. These qualities caused Richard III to murder many of his own family members, and throughout the play he treats everyone as either someone to use or a potential threat. One of the people whom Richard III used was the Duke of Buckingham, who became his right-hand man during his quest for the throne."