Discuss some of the ways in which Shakespeare presents Richards reign of terror and its

consequences in the play.

In the play Richard III, the character of Richard is portrayed not only by himself but also with a
cast of other characters. the portrayal of Richard himself, along with the characters of the men,
women, and the citizens are important in bringing out different aspects of Richards reign. Even
as Richard confides in the audience and invites them into his plots, others bring out the evil of
his actions, causing the audience to experience tension, seeing from both sides how his actions
shape his reign of terror and eventual downfall.
As the play begins, Richard begins his soliloquy. He lists his grievances in this time of peace
and confides, or rather, proclaims that I am determined to be a villain. Throughout the play he
is the perfect Machiavelli, willing to do whatever it takes to gain power without a hint of moral
compunction. He justifies his villainy with his deformity, and has silenced his conscience,
enabling him to take glee in his manipulations and forget the consequences of his actions, at
least, until the end of the play. His laughs when he seduces Lady Anne Was ever woman in this
humor won? Was ever woman in this humor wooed? He promises Clarence that I will deliver
or else lie for you, But as soon as his back is turned smirks, saying Simple, plain Clarence, I
do love thee so, that I will shortly send thy soul to heaven. Richard embodies the theme of
power in the play, perhaps not knowing, definitely uncaring of the fact that his reign is one of
terror. It is only later in the play, in a parodoxical twist, he becomes powerless even as he
achieves the throne. He becomes snappish and paranoid to his own men, even killing
Buckingham, his loyal supporter. His actions are increasingly contrasted with Richmond, who is
good and kind to his men.
As Richard is the first character onstage, the first point of view the audience get is through
Richard, who is already confiding in them as his co-conspirators. Thus they identify with him,
and knowing his true nature, are able to see through his honeyed words and lies. They are able
to grasp the dramatic irony in the interactions between Richard and the other characters. As
Richard manipulates his way to the throne, he has the same effect on the audience as well as
the characters in the play, in which they are both repulsed by his actions but drawn to his
charisma. Shakespeare gives Richard a powerful use of speech which is witty and laden with
double meanings that are only evident to the audience. Richard is the character that pulls the
audience into the play and one they cannot help but identify with. As stated above, he is
incapable of feeling remorse for his actions, and this temporarily blinds the audience to his reign
of terror as well. But as the play ends, as Richards charisma fades, and the star of Richmond
rises, the audience will find less cause to excuse Richards crimes and turn to Englands
saviour, Richmond.
Another important aspect of Richards reign, and the play in general is the theme of
manipulation, which is perhaps emphasized by the men in the play. One of Richards most
useful abilities is his ability to put on two faces. But to other men he is predictable, a good man.
He clothes his naked villainy with odds and ends stolen from Holy Writ which is most evident
in Act 3 where he stands between two bishops even as he makes his play for the throne. Thus

he seems the saint when he most plays the devil. People like Clarence and Hastings do not
even suspect his machinations until it is far too late. Up to the final moments before his death,
Clarence believed that his brother loved him It cannot be; for when I parted with him, he hugg'd
me in his arms, and swore, with sobs, that he would labour my delivery. Moments before his
death, Hastings claims that no man could less hide his love or hate than [Richard], for by his
face straight shall you know his heart.
The juxtaposition between what people think of Richard and who Richard really is highly ironic,
and the audience, seeing both sides, is allowed to savor the dramatic irony along with Richard
himself. So far Richard, and by extension his reign, has proved to be extremely clever, and the
amusement the audience derives from both Richard himself and his glee at his cleverness
lessen the consequences of his reign. With the quick pace of the plot and Richards disregard
for the consequences, the audience might be similarly seduced into thinking its a game after all,
with negligible consequences.
The women in the play have very little political power, as was their role in the Elizabethan era.
But the women are the ones that truly see his darker side, and fling curses at him to no avail.
Lady Anne is first seduced by him, but later weeps as she finds out his true nature, lamenting
that her womens heart had grown captive to his honeyed words, but now proved the subject of
[my] own curse. Queen Elizabeth laments the loss of her children , Richards mother Ay me! I
see the ruin of my house! and Queen Margaret hurl curses at Richard as the Troubler of the
poor worlds peace. It could be argued that even as the women hold very little political power,
they wield a powerful weapon in language, the same weapon that Richard himself uses. All
three women curse Richard bitterly, and in the end, their curses prove prophetic.
It is important that in the play, the majority, if not all, of the laments for the dead are spoken by
the women. As the play progresses Richard continues to kill the people who stand in his way.
Perhaps the audience might not feel the full impact of the crime until they see the victims
mother mourning his death. The murder of the young princes was not shown in the play, but the
audience sees Queen Elizabeth grieving and cursing Richard bitterly. Lady Anne and Margaret
also hold many grievances against Richard, I had an Edward, till a Richard killed him; I had a
Harry, till a Richard kill'd him: Thou hadst an Edward, till a Richard kill'd him; Thou hadst a
Richard, till a Richard killed him. Thou hadst a Clarence too, and Richard killed him. It is the
women who emphasize to the audience the heinous crimes that Richard dismissed so lightly,
providing them a cause to hate Richard and even agree with Margarets curses, which inevitably
lead to Richards downfall.
Even when Richard is not present, his presence overhangs the entirety of the play. Even the
common people can recognize that Richard will not be a good king, as can be seen in the scene
of the three citizens. Here they are plainly concerned with the state of England, for by Divine
Instinct mens minds distrust ensuing dangers, as by proof we see the waters swell as before a
boisterous storm. As to Richard they acknowledge that Full of danger is the Lord Gloucester!,
Another example of this is when Buckingham tries to rally the crowd to Long live King Richard!
But the crowd remained silent. The scrivener who proclaims Hastings death as a traitor notices

that the script had been written while Hastings was still alive, who is so gross that see not this
palpable device? But realizes that who is so blind that says he sees it not? He concludes that
Bad is the world, and all will come to nought, when such bad dealings must be seen in thought.
In Shakespeares play, the common people give an air of smothered indignation, where they
realize that their rulers are tyrants, but are powerless to act or speak against it. The scenes with
the common citizens are short and seem inconsequential, but they are a subtle way of showing
the oppression of Richard beyond what we see in the courts. These parts with the citizens of the
city are the parts that will resonate most with the audiences watching the play, as they are
themselves mostly comprised of everyday folk. These scenes are also a subtle reminder of how
life would be if not for the Tudors. Shakespeare was merely being politically correct, where the
previous rulers were depicted in such a bad light that the current reign would be a blessing. It is
for this purpose also that Richmond is depicted in such a godly and heroic light.
Richards reign is characterized by many different viewpoints, his own, the nobles around him,
and the common people, allowing the audience a full, complete depiction of his reign and how it
affects every level of society. Though they feel a connection to Richard at first due to his
brilliance and his energy, they soon grow disillusioned as other characters make known the full
extent of his crimes. And as he grows powerless on the throne, losing that wit and charisma
which drew the audience to him, they leave him for the character of Richmond, who is then
portrayed in a much more positive light. The picture painted is one of an evil tyrant king who
does not care of the suffering he is causing, replaced by a godly benevolent king which is good
to his subjects, ending Richards reign of terror.