Richard .vs Richmond

Bryan Woodward

April 15, 2011

Dr. Slocum

Shakespeare

Richard vs. Richmond

William Shakespeare’s Richard III is a historical representation of the Machiavellian rise to power and the short-lived rule of Richard III. This play is found in Shakespeare’s First Folio and is believed to have been written around 1591. This play showcases a battle near the end between two men, Richard and Richmond. These two men are in battle over the throne. Leading up to the final battle between the two men and their armies, both men give speeches to their troops. These two men come from different backgrounds and have different motives, all of which I am about to explore.

Richard III is a man of great arrogance and that is shown throughout the play. He embodies the word evil, however is very cunning. Throughout most of the play you are able to see the commitment to evil that Richard has, yet for most of the play you could somewhat sympathize with him. He is extremely good with words, which allows him to play with the other characters minds which in turn has him playing with ours. Shakespeare leads us to believe that Richard is the victim early on in the play because of how the other characters torment Richard for his ugly appearance and mannerisms. This however is the exact opposite; Richard’s appearance is similar to his mindset and his lifestyle. In Act V Scene III Richard and his army are set to do battle with Richmond and his troops at Bosworth. Richard gives an oration to his army in hopes of rallying his troops against those of Richmond. However this all but backfires on Richard.

Richard’s speech initially appears to be slapped together with no sense of organization or preparedness. Throughout his speech, instead of trying to inspire his men, he just attacks the enemies and basically calls them the scum of France who have been “vomited forth”. “A sort of vagabonds, rascals, and runaways, / A scum of Bretons, and base lackey peasants, / Whom their o'er-cloyed country...