'Richard III'

Paper Summary:

This paper takes a look at William Shakespeare's play 'Richard III' and two movie versions based on this play. According to the paper, 'Richard III' is both a tragedy and a historical account of the short career of the last medieval English king. The paper discusses how Shakespeare's 'Richard III' depicts Richard and his "reign of terror" both unflatteringly and beyond historical accuracy.

From the Paper:

" In the movie version, "Looking for Richard," Al Pacino creates, directs and stars as Richard III's obsession for power, lust and betrayal through the streets of New York to the birthplace of Shakespeare to an emotionally charged production of Richard III (Richard III Society 1996) It is a presentation of Shakespeare with an untraditional format more accessible to the modern audience and with which this modern audience can relate better. The cast includes Estelle Parsons as Queen Margaret, Alec Baldwin as Clarence, Kevin Spacey as Buckingham, Winona Ryder as Lady Anne and Aidan Quinn as Richmond. Al Pacino also puts in the enthusiasm and help of Sir John Gielgud, Sir Derek Jacobi, Kenneth Branagh, Vanessa Redgrave, James Earl Jones and Kevin Kline in an attempt at making everyone enjoy Shakespeare and his tales truly timeless in exploring human nature. This version is different from the first two interpretations in that Al Pacino and his actors needed to break down the barriers, which render Shakespeare's history complicated and intimidating. Al Pacino allows his viewer to go behind the scenes and witness the actual process of acting. The heavier aspects of the play are made mild by informal shots of actors dealing with their roles in either a comic or heated forum. Al Pacino's methods of analysis are insightful, amusing and engrossing. He transcends the barrier between actors and their audience as he stands in London's legendary Globe Theater and the halls of New York City's Cloisters Museum (Richard III Society)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data. (2000). The Tragedy of Richard III by William Shakespeare (c 1591-3). Oxford University Press.
• Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios. (2006). Richard III. Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios, Inc. http://www.mgm.com/title_title_do?title_star=RICHARD3
• Moorhen, W.E. A. (2006). Richard III. Society Research Office, Society of Antiquaries. http://www.richardIII.net
• Richard III Society, American branch. (1996). Looking for Richard by Al Pacino. http://www.r3.org/pacino
• Wikipedia. (2006). Richard III of England. Media Wiki. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_III_of_England

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