Richard III Questions and Answers
Richard III
How does Al Pacino in "Looking For Richard" portray the equality of women and men compared to their treatment in...
In "Looking for Richard," Al Pacino portrays women as important yet somewhat subservient compared to Shakespeare's "Richard III." While Shakespeare's female characters are cunning and influential,...
Richard III
Explain the lines from Richard III: "The weary sun hath made a golden set, and by the bright track of his fiery car,...
These lines come from act 5, scene 3 of the play Richard III, set on Bosworth Field, where Richard and Richmond are preparing for battle. Richmond is confident of victory and predicts "a goodly...
Richard III
Why is Queen Margaret important in Richard III?
Historically, Margaret was the widow of Henry VI, who died while in the custody of Edward IV. In the civil war between the Lancasters and the Yorks, Henry VI was a Lancaster, and Edward IV was a...
Richard III
What key lessons does Richard III present?
Richard III by William Shakespeare is a historical drama rather than a moral essay and thus does not offer simplistic moral lessons. It does illustrate that unrestrained power and ambition can...
Richard III
What role does the Scrivener play in Richard III?
The scrivener in Richard III serves two purposes. The first is that he draws attention to the fact that Richard has been able to take over power. The second is that he notes how terrible it is that...
Richard III
How are integrity, honesty, loyalty, and moderation presented in Shakespeare's Richard III?
Of the values listed—integrity, honesty, loyalty, and moderation—the protagonist, Richard himself, exhibits none. What's more, he tells us in his opening soliloquy that he isn't going to: "I am...
Richard III
The use of humor in Richard III
The use of humor in Richard III serves to highlight the cunning and manipulative nature of the titular character. It provides a darkly comedic contrast to the play's serious themes of power and...
Richard III
What is the language analysis of Margaret's speech in Richard III by Shakespeare?
In Act Three, scene i, the first of the two times that Margaret appears in Richard III, by William Shakespeare, Queen Margaret is furious and vengeful. Margaret is the widow of Henry VI (...who...
Richard III
What is Shakespeare's point in using the word "conscience" thirteen times in Richard III?
Shakespeare's point in using the word "conscience" thirteen times in Richard III is to explore the many meanings and subtleties of meanings of the word and also to mirror Richard's seeming lack of an...
Richard III
How does Shakespeare use soliloquy to reveal Richard's plots and character in Act 1?
Soliloquy is used to keep the audience informed as to what particular characters are thinking and, in this case, plotting. In all three scenes, Richard is shown to be 'mis'hapen' but very...
Richard III
Why was Hastings imprisoned before Richard III starts?
The issue at the opening of the play is who has sent Hastings to prison, rather than what he was imprisoned for. This is an important distinction, as it emphasizes the political nature of...
Richard III
How does rhetoric in Richard III demonstrate the play's themes?
Richard is the master of rhetoric. He is manipulative and uses his prowess with language to manipulate people into believing that he is not what he truly is.
Richard III
What is the significance of Tyrrell's soliloquy in Act 4, Scene 3 of Richard III to the play as a whole?
a) Tyrrell's soliloquy highlights the themes of good versus evil, ambition, and the corrupting influence of power. The monologue marks a turning point in the story. In having the young princes...
Richard III
The portrayal of Richard as a villain and the complexities of his character in "Richard III"
Richard is portrayed as a villain in "Richard III" through his manipulative actions, ambition, and lack of moral conscience. His complexities lie in his charisma, intelligence, and moments of...
Richard III
In Richard III, does Richard have a conscience?
Richard III shows no evidence of having a conscience until he wakes from his dream in act 5, scene 3, in which he sees the ghosts of everyone he’s killed during Richard III and two more people he...
Richard III
Why do the ghosts appear in the main battle scene in Shakespeare's Richard III?
In Shakespeare's Richard III, eleven ghosts appear in both Richard and Richmond's dreams the night before the battle. Each one of the ghosts had been murdered by Richard: Prince Edward, King Henry...
Richard III
How does the poem "Richard" by Carol Ann Duffy relate to the play Richard III?
"Richard" is a 2015 poem written by Scottish poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, in honor of one of Britain’s most well-known kings—Richard III. The king’s bones were found 500 years after his death at...
Richard III
What do the female characters contribute in Richard III?
Much of the play focuses on the power struggles between Richard and his brother Clarence, who is one of the main protagonists. Clarence has been betrayed by Richard and has been incarcerated in a...
Richard III
What are eight character traits of Richard III?
Richard III, who begins the play as Duke of Gloucester, is a remarkably well-developed character with a plethora of character traits. These include: Bitterness (this is amply demonstrated in the...
Richard III
What are the traits of Clarence and Buckingham in Richard III?
In Shakespeare's Richard III, Clarence is a weak, foolish, innocent character, too honorable and unsuspicious to survive. Buckingham is shrewder and stronger and follows Richard in his villainy up to...
Richard III
Why does Shakespeare include ghosts, curses, witchcraft, and prophecies in a historically-based play?
Shakespeare has chosen to populate a play supposedly based on history with so many ghosts, curses accusations of witchcraft, and prophecies because: He wanted to increase his audience, as...
Richard III
How does Shakespeare create an evil atmosphere in Act III, scene 4 of Richard III?
In this scene, the atmosphere is most a consequence of suddenness. Richard's behavior changes completely when informed of the loyalty to the princes. The change suggests instability to...
Richard III
In Richard III, how does Shakespeare make the audience dislike yet sympathize with Richard?
Shakespeare gives us a subtle characterisation of Richard so that we are manipulated into feeling sympathy towards him despite our knowledge of his evilness.
Richard III
The implications of the deaths in Act 3 of Richard III on the theme of justice
The deaths in Act 3 of Richard III underscore the theme of justice by highlighting the consequences of Richard’s ruthless ambition and treachery. The murders of Clarence, Rivers, Grey, and Vaughan...
Richard III
Explain the Duchess of York's "Dead life, blind sight..." speech in Richard III.
DUCHESS. So many miseries have craz'd my voice That my woe-wearied tongue is still and mute.-- Edward Plantagenet, why art thou dead? QUEEN MARGARET. Plantagenet doth quit Plantagenet, Edward for...
Richard III
How does in media res apply to the opening scene of Richard III?
Richard, Duke of Gloucester, begins the play with a soliloquy dripping with irony, in which he praises the current regime for ending "the winter of our discontent" and making everyone happy—except...
Richard III
How does the quote from Act 2, Scene 4 of Richard III support the play's theme?
This quote about tyranny supports the theme of the play in that it reveals that Richard III is a tiger-like, power-hungry ruler who will stop at nothing to achieve his ends. His maneuvers to gain...
Richard III
What is the theme of women and children in Richard III?
I am not so sure that this question is about theme, rather it appears to be about character, and the presentation of women and children in this excellent play. Clearly, the most important children...
Richard III
What is the importance of act 5, scene 3 in Richard III?
The importance of this scene to the play is that it shows Richard for the first time doubting his future success. It both creates a tense, pre-battle atmosphere as it begins with the leaders’...
Richard III
What motivated Richard III to take the English crown?
In the opening soliloquy, Richard tells us that he's bored with peace and that he intends to be villainous until he is king. He's already begun behaving villainously against his own brother,...
Richard III
The roles and characteristics of Richmond in Shakespeare's Richard III
Richmond in Shakespeare's Richard III serves as the moral and virtuous foil to Richard. He embodies justice, honor, and rightful leadership, ultimately leading to his triumph over Richard. Richmond's...
Richard III
What is Richard III's ultimate goal?
Richard III is delightfully, gleefully straightforward about what his ultimate goal is. He tells us right at the beginning of his play (in fact, he tells us at the end of the last play he appears...
Richard III
The significance of Richard III's character in Shakespeare's literary canon
Richard III is significant in Shakespeare's literary canon as he embodies the archetype of the cunning and ruthless villain. His complex character, marked by ambition, manipulation, and a lack of...
Richard III
Does Richard's personality and level of control change over the course of the play?
Although Shakespeare presents Richard III as being physically deformed, modern historians doubt whether this was true. Nevertheless, in the play, he is presented this way and it is intimated that...
Richard III
In Shakespeare's Richard III, what strategies does Richard use to make his plots effective?
In Richard III, Richard manipulates the views of others in an effort to achieve his ultimate goal - the English throne. In the beginning, he discovers that his physical deformity often causes people...
Richard III
What are specific examples of 'kingship' in Richard III?
Kingship and power is explored in this play through the impact that it has on the common people
Richard III
What is the importance of Richard's attempt to seduce Queen Elizabeth in Richard III, Act 4, Scene 4?
In act 4, scene 4 of Richard III, Richard uses his powers of persuasion and seduction to convince his brother Edward's widow, Queen Elizabeth, to give her approval for Richard to marry her daughter,...
Richard III
To what extent are moral or political concerns dramatised in Shakespeare's Richard III?
The play Richard III is set during a time in English history (the War of the Roses) when the monarch, the monarch’s family, and the aristocracy were far more important than they are today. The...
Richard III
What is the purpose of the conversations preceding Clarence's murder in Act 1, Scene 4 of Richard III and their...
I think the short answer to your question is "to build tension". Remember that the audience already know that Clarence is going to be murdered - we've seen Richard in an earlier scene give the...
Richard III
What are some examples of "dissembling" in the play Richard III?
Dissembling: putting on a false appearance; conceal facts, intentions, or feelings under some pretense.