Exploration of the techniques used to foreshadow death in Richard III Shakespeare's tragedy of Richard III is a play where death is one of the central themes

Additionally Shakespeare uses curses to a great extent in Richard III, and they become a fundamental technique in the foreshadowing of death. Anne is a character who manages to curse, and consequently foreshadow her own death. ‘if ever he have wife, let her be made more miserable by the death of him’ 1.2.25-26. The audience then becomes aware that Richard manages to successfully woo Anne, and she is therefore foreshadowing her own unhappiness, and implying her death. Anne later acknowledges this curse ‘Lo, ere I can repeat this curse again’ 4.1.78. Here the audience can see Anne’s change in perspective, as at the time, she was merely speaking of her misery towards the deaths of Henry VI and Prince Edward, but now she realises that anyone would be ‘mad’ ‘and be they wife, if any be so mad’ 4.1.75 to marry Richard. Anne’s death is also foreshadowed after her curse with the ominous line ‘I’ll have her but I will not keep her long; 2.1.233 this line strongly signifies death for Anne. Anne’s death is also slightly foreshadowed through Richard ‘That Anne my queen is sick and like to die.’ 4.2.58.

However, even though Anne’s death is foreshadowed through her curse, Margaret’s character is used more principally with regards to curses. Richard is the first character whom Margaret manages to curse. ‘Hie thee to hell for shame, and leave this world’ 1.3.140. Margaret is being very blunt here, and is literally damning Richard to hell. She then goes on to curse Richard further, ‘The sorrow that I have by right is yours’ 1.3.170. As the sorrow that Margaret has is the death of her husband and son, this would suggest that the only way that Richard can have this ‘sorrow’ is through his own death. She also puts Richard in the same context as words such as ‘venom’ ‘sin’ and ‘death’, and by doing this she is consequently relating Richard to death, and subsequently foreshadowing his death. Margaret then manages to curse everyone who is of the York family. ‘That none of you may live his natural age, But by some unlooked accident cut off’ 1.3.210-11. The use of the word ‘unlooked’ implies that none of the characters will expect their death, or know when they are going to die, which not only succeeds in foreshadowing their death, but also the means surrounding their deaths. This adds further to the heavy irony surrounding the situation, as the characters do not believe in her curses. ‘False-boding woman’ 1.3.247, however this is ironic in the sense that Margaret is ‘false-boding’ in that she predicts Richard’s falsity to Hastings, Buckingham and the others. Margaret also foreshadows Buckingham’s demise in this scene, however not through curses as such, ‘O Buckingham, take heed of yonder dog…Have not to do with him, beware of him’ 1.3.289-292. Margaret is here warning Buckingham of Richard, however Buckingham dismisses Margaret’s warning ‘Nothing that I respect, my gracious lord.’1.3.294. This therefore implies that Buckingham will become subject to Richards treachery, as dramatic irony has previously been created so that the audience is aware of Richards true nature, and therefore know that Margaret’s words are in fact of truth. Even though the context of the play means that the audience will already take the curses that Margaret has put upon the characters seriously, Margaret herself seems to confirm that they are to be taken seriously ‘And say poor Margaret was a prophetess’ 1.3.300. This further emphasises the importance of her curses. Margaret’s curses also serve to show to the audience that anybody who has killed (the York family) will imminently die, highlighting significance in the fact that those who have done a wrong will be punished. In addition the fact that it is written in third person emphasises Shakespeare’s message that the curses should be taken seriously.

Margaret also uses animal imagery to describe Richard, some of which is used repeatedly throughout Richard III. Richard is described twice as a ‘bottled-spider’ by both Margaret and Elizabeth. This description serves as an implement for dramatic effect, it implies that these characters know what Richard is truly like, and they do not trust him. In addition it serves to implicate that Margaret’s curses will come true, as she knows what Richard is like, as does the audience, and therefore the audience is likely to believe in what she says.

Furthermore Buckingham’s demise is very much foreshadowed within Richard III. It seemingly becomes first apparent prior to the battle, when Richard and Buckingham have fallen out, ‘True, noble prince/O bitter consequence’ 4.2.15-16. The split line implies an unusually quick response by Richard, ‘That Edward still should live, true noble prince’ 4.2.17 Richard then reveals that Buckingham’s response is bitter to him because he says that Edward is the ‘true noble prince’, the fact that Buckingham has angered Richard is enough to partially foreshadow his death, as the audience is very much aware of Richards true character. ‘High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect’ 4.2.31, Richard is aware by this point that Buckingham is not fully on his side, as he says he has become wary, which is very portentous for Buckingham’s character. Additionally, references to clocks are used to foreshadow both the deaths of Buckingham and Richard. The dialogue about the clock in act four is in accordance with Shakespeare’s dramatic use of clocks throughout Richard III, the first occurring when Hastings is awoken by a messenger at an ominous hour. ‘What is’t o’clock?/Upon the stroke of four’ 3.2.4-5. Buckingham is later associated with the clock when he is promising Richard to persuade the citizens to support him. ‘I go, and towards three or four o’clock Look for the news that Guildhall affords’ 3.5.101-2. This mildly foreshadows the death of Buckingham, however with regards to Richard, he asks the time just before his nightmare on the battlefield, ‘What is’t o’clock?/It’s supper time, my lord; it’s nine o’clock.’5.3.48-49. The clock the actually strikes, which is a signal of the sun’s absence, and Richard’s impending doom, ‘Tell the clock there. Clock strikes Give me a calendar. Who saw the sun today?’ 5.3.277-8

Edward is another character whose death is very much foreshadowed throughout Richard III. The audience is very much aware by the second act that Edward is very ill anyway, however Edward’s death is one of the first to be clearly foreshadowed. ‘And says a wizard told him that b ‘G’ His issue disinherited should be’ 1.1.56-57, dreams are used here to foreshadow the death of Edward. In addition he, along with the rest of the York family gets cursed by Margaret.

In addition to curses, imagery is also a vital technique used throughout the play to foreshadow the death of characters in Richard III, ‘That cropped the golden prime of this sweet prince’ 1.2.250. This language suggests a premature harvesting of the ‘golden’ and ‘sweet’ young prince, and thus his death. This harvest imagery is also used to reflect Richard, ‘Right as a snow in harvest’ 1.4.231. The first murderer intuitively links Richard to Winter, a symbol of death, and in the context of the play harvest imagery is a metaphor for death rather than fruition, thus foreshadowing the death of Richard, as the ‘snow’ (Richard), has been but with the ‘harvest’ (death).

Furthermore, shadow imagery is another technique used in Richard III to foreshadow death, ‘Unless to see my own shadow in the sun’ 1.4.26. Richard had previously in scene one expressed his hatred of the ‘glorious summer’ and Richard claims that the only use for the sun is to see his own shadow, this shadow imagery is continued throughout the play, ‘Shine out, fair sun, till I have bought a glass, That I may see my shadow as I pass’ 1.2.266-67, this echoes Richards previous shadow references. The use of this imagery is very dark, and is somewhat reflective of the theme of tragedy, and therefore death, principally of Richard.

Other imagery that connotes tragedy and death is that of war, ‘Grim-visaged war hath’ 1.1.9. Although these references are not specific to a character it still strongly alludes to death. In addition it is strongly suggestive of a battle that is to come, this is highlighted further in a prophecy made by the Duchess, ‘Which in the day of battle tire thee more’4.4.189 Here the Duchess is punning on ‘attire’, wishing that in the battle Richard will be attired in his mothers heavy curse, along with that of Margaret’s curses, as well as his armour. Therefore signifying the importance of prophecies and curses in the play, as it shows just how strongly they are meant, in addition to his death. The Duchess also prophesises Richards death previously, ‘Either thou wilt die but God’s just ordinance and by my death doth attend’ 4.4.184, further emphasizing the foreshadowing of Richard’s death.

In the final scene of Richard III, his death is foreshadowed for what appears to be the final time, right before the battle, however this foreshadowing just emphasises his impending death, as the audience is very much aware by this point that Richard will imminently die. His death is finally foreshadowed through the use of the ghosts, principally through the comparison of what the Ghosts say to Richmond, whom the audience know will be victorious, and what they say to Richard, whom the audience know will die. The Ghosts use very ominous language when talking to Richard, and the phrase ‘Despair and Die’ is repeated many times, which goes to further accentuate Richard’s impending death.

Considering these ideas it can be concluded that from Richard’s first appearance, the entire play has been veiled with death, which is foreshadowed throughout the play of Richard III using techniques such as imagery which reflects the theme of tragedy, and using it to associate characters with seasons. Techniques such as these are fairly discreet; nevertheless they are still evident to the audience. However there are techniques used that are clearly apparent to the audience, for example Margaret’s curses which are sometimes very literal in their meaning, and often straight to the point.