Student Question
What are eight character traits of Richard III?
Quick answer:
Richard III is characterized by bitterness, as shown in his opening soliloquy, and cunning, as he deceives many characters. He possesses charm, persuading Lady Anne to marry him despite his crimes, and eloquence, being a persuasive speaker. His humor is evident in how he finds amusement in his villainy. Richard is highly intelligent, a strategic thinker, and a skilled liar. Lastly, he is ruthlessly pragmatic, discarding allies once they lose their usefulness.
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 opening soliloquy)
Cunning (he is able to deceive numerous other characters)
Charm (he manages to persuade Lady Anne to marry him, despite having killed her husband and his father)
Eloquence (while it is usual to attribute the brilliance of the character’s speeches primarily to the playwright, Richard is one of those characters, like Mark Anthony and Othello, who is evidently a brilliant persuasive speaker)
Humor (he finds his own villainy deeply amusing and shares the joke with the audience)
Intelligence (Richard is a brilliant strategist who anticipates the words and actions of others with the skill of a chess Grandmaster)
Mendacity (he is a brilliant liar, dissimulator, and hypocrite)
Ruthlessness (he jettisons allies as soon as they are no longer useful)
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