Themes: All Themes

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Themes: Succession

In Act II, Scene III of Richard III, a group of English citizens express concern about the future of the nation following the death of King Edward IV. With his heir, Edward, Prince of Wales, still a child, they understand that a Protector will be named to govern on his behalf until he is old enough to rule. They are aware that several of the prince's uncles are competing for this role, and they fear that the ensuing power struggle will plunge the...

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Themes: Language: Oaths, Curses, and Prophecies

Language serves as a formidable tool in Richard III, especially as a means of vengeance. Predictions and curses are pronounced and eventually come true. Promises that are made but subsequently broken lead to calamity. Indeed, curses, prophecies, and deceptive or reckless vows occur so often and with such intensity in Richard III that they significantly influence the play's conclusion.

As early as Act I, scene iii, Margaret impacts the narrative by...

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Themes: Dark Comedy

Richard III is laced with a consistent thread of comedy. Given that the play primarily revolves around betrayal and revenge, the humor is fittingly dark, featuring elements of dramatic irony and parody. Some of the comedic moments arise from Richard's self-mockery, but a significant portion stems from his derision of the misguided trust others have in him.

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience comprehends the true meaning behind a character's...

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Themes: Conflict between Evil and Good

The main theme of Richard IIIis the conflict between evil and good, with Richard embodying all that is foul, including the ability to mask evil with a fair face. Although times are still unsettled, it is Richard's psychopathology, his mad, self-destructive drive for power that moves the play forward. Neither Shakespeare nor Richard himself make any bones about the epicenter of the bloody, horrible events that take place. Richard's opening...

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Themes: Ambition

Ambition is a manifest theme of a play driven by its central character's evil quest for power. For Richard (as for all tyrants), this course is a lonely one. In Act I, scene ii, Richard tells us that he has "no friends to back my suit at all / But the plain devil and dissembling looks" (235-36). Richard, of course, has allies (Buckingham, Catesby) and hirelings (the murders and Tyrell), and he even takes Lady Anne as a wife. But as events show us...

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Themes: Civil War and Political Strife

For Shakespeare's audiences, as dastardly as Richard's crimes against individual victims are, his larger crime is that Richard of Gloucester's reign led to a resurgence of what they still feared worst a century later, civil war. Following the conflicts between the houses of Lancaster and York as dramatized by Shakespeare in the three parts of Henry VI, England could have been at peace: as his opening speech denotes, it is only because of...

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Expert Q&A

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.

How does the quote from Act 2, Scene 4 of Richard III support the play's theme?

"The tiger now hath seized the gentle hind; / Insulting tyranny begins to jut / Upon the innocent and aweless throne"

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 power are ruthless. Queen Elizabeth knows this and tries to remove herself and her child from danger upon realizing how serious the situation is.

What is the theme of women and children in Richard III?

In Richard III, women and children are portrayed as insightful yet powerless figures. The princes, despite their intelligence and bravery, are vulnerable due to their youth, serving as foils to Richard's deceit. Margaret represents the powerless rage of Richard's victims, symbolizing the plight of women in a patriarchal society. Her curses foreshadow the play's events, highlighting her role as a conduit for vengeance against Richard's tyranny.

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Themes: Succession

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