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Richard III has come down through history as a deformed badly twisted human with an evil heart. What was Richard III actually like and did Shakespeare actually perceive him as a villain, or just material for a good mystery? Due to lack of media, as we understand it, there was no one in 16 th century England to defend him. So let? s look at Richards? s life before he became king.
Who were Richard? s parents and where was he in line to become king? Would he have ever taken the throne without treachery? Why did Shakespeare lay all the guilt at Richard? s feet; did it make a good story or did he really believe it? This paper will attempt to answer these questions, as well as establish Richard?
s innocence on several counts. Richard III, in some people? s eyes, was one of the most villainous people in history. In others? , he was a King who just got a bad reputation with little background as to why. Richard was born at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire on October 2, 1452.
He was born to Cecily Neville and Richard Duke of York of the house of York (Fraser, 158). Richard was the twelfth of thirteen children and the youngest of seven to survive their childhood. His parents did not exclusively raise him because he very seldom actually saw them. Through his childhood there was great danger in England because of the War of the Roses.
The Yorks and the Lancaster's fought over the Crown of England for about 100 years. Part of his childhood was spent in the custody of the Archbishop of Canterbury, while his parents were in exile in France. After his father? s death in 1460, Richard? s mother took him and his brother, George, to the Burgundian Netherlands where they remained until their older brother, Edward, regained the crown for the house of York and made it safe to return. At the age of nine, Richard became a Knight of the Garter and four months later, his brother, King Edward IV created him Duke of Gloucester.
For the next four years he lived in the Yorkshire Castle of Middleham, residence of the Earl and Countess of Warwick. The Earl violently quarreled with the King, and Richard remained loyal to his brother. From 1469 until Edward? s death in 1483 Richard played a key roll both in military and administrative affairs of the kingdom.
In 1470, he went with King Edward in his flight to Burgundy, while the Warwick-Lancaster alliance regained power and restored Henry VI to the throne. Richard commanded a wing of his brother? s army successfully at the battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury in 1471 Henry the VI? s son, Prince Edward, was killed as well as the old Earl of Warwick (Lace, 8). It was rumored later that Richard was present or took part in the Prince?
s death; however, there is no basis for the accusation, the Prince was simply killed in this battle (Costain, 344). In the Fall of that same year, Richard married Anne Neville, the sixteen year old widow of Prince Edward and daughter of his old friend the Earl of Warwick who had become Richard? s enemy (Fraser, 159). Throughout history there is no actual recording of what Richard looked like, not even any contemporary portraits survive to show his true appearance. Over time his image has been described as that of a deformed hunchback with a clubfoot. This is because of how Shakespeare portrayed him in Richard III.
Shakespeare also claimed that Richard deceived Anne into marriage. History does not support this though; they had grown up together during Richard? s years at Middleham (Costain, 349). He was an attentive and faithful husband and treated Anne? s mother with kindness and generosity (Fraser, 159).
It is said that Shakespeare created the whole first act from his imagination. What little actual history he used, was completely twisted for dramatic effect. The manipulative scene, in which he woos Anne, is to establish the personality that Shakespeare needed him to have, i. e. , a person willing to do anything to conquer an obstacle. According to Shakespeare, Richard contrived to kill his brother Clarence. History, however, would indicate that Richard had nothing to do with Clarence?
s death (Fraser, 159). When the violence erupted between Earl of Warwick and Edward IV, Clarence unwisely sided with Warwick. After Warwick died, it was obvious that Clarence? s loyalties were divided; he was definitely not to be trusted.
He became such a nuisance with his divided loyalties, that his brother King Edward finally threw him in the tower for high treason. Even though he had been an unfaithful brother, Richard was genuinely grieved when he was drowned in a? butt of males. ? (According to legend, he requested to be drowned in wine) (Fraser, 159). After the loss of Clarence in 1477, Richard rarely came to court. He preferred to stay in the North on his own lands and he set out to achieve the people?
s trust and loyalty through favors and justice. He probably put some of the blame for Clarence? s death at the feet of Edward? s Queen, Elizabeth Woodville. The Queen naturally hated Clarence, because he had allowed the Earl of Warwick to use him to depose his own brother. His continued disloyalty was an obvious threat to her husband, herself, and her children who were in front of Clarence in the line to gain the throne.
Richard probably resented the royal favors being granted to her many relatives. Therefore, Richard primarily stayed in the North dedicated to a life of service away from the intrigues and luxury of Edward? s court. He was also named the Warden of the West March and part of his responsibility was to protect and defend the borders. From 1480 to 1482 he fought several hard campaigns against James III of Scotland. For his success and demonstration of his loyalty, King Edward made his Wardenship a hereditary office and gave him the entire royal manors and income of the county of Cumberland.
This was a very handsome reward and unfortunately, in two months, King Edward was dead. The king? s will, named Richard the protector of his two young sons, whom Shakespeare claims Richard killed. Within six months, Richard had the boys declared illegitimate because the king had indeed made a marriage contract with Eleanor Butler before his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, which would have invalidated their marriage. Richard had the King?
s best friend Lord Hastings executed for being a traitor and then seized the crown for himself (Fraser, 162). Did he kill the nephews to get them out of the way? No one knows for sure, although he could have. Richard? s troubles really began as the Queen allied herself to the Lancastrian, Henry Tudor who later became Henry VII. Henry Tudor could?
ve also had the boy murdered to eliminate any question surrounding his ascent to the throne (Lace, 91). Thanks to Shakespeare, the guilt is squarely on Richard. Richard died in 1485 on the field in the Battle of Bosworth thus ending his short reign of two years. Shakespeare took a tragic story of a few dysfunctional families burdened with greed, self promotion, and treachery, and turned it into melodrama by intensifying Richard? s villainy.
By doing so, it became his most frequently performed play. It may not be historically accurate, but it makes a good point; that in destroying others, we destroy ourselves Works Consulted Costain B. Thomas. The Last of the Plantagenets. Cutchogue, NY, 1962. Fraser Antonia.
The Lives of the Kings &# 038; Queens of England. Las Angeles, CA, 1995 Lace W. William. The Little Princes in the Tower. San Diego, CA, 1997. Shakespeare William.
Richard III. United States of America, 1963 Shakespeare William. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare with Temple Notes. New York, N. Y. , no date. 51 d Works Consulted Costain B.
Thomas. The Last of the Plantagenets. Cutchogue, NY, 1962. Fraser Antonia. The Lives of the Kings &# 038; Queens of England. Las Angeles, CA, 1995 Lace W.
William. The Little Princes in the Tower. San Diego, CA, 1997. Shakespeare William. Richard III.
United States of America, 1963 Shakespeare William. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare with Temple Notes. New York, N. Y. , no date.
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