Despite this, and in order to create more suspense within the play, Shakespeare builds on the audiences emotions to create empathy towards Richard, and then pulls them back to a mixture of feelings towards him, as his treachery is outline later in the monologue.
‘And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain,’
This is the first sign of Richard’s changing personality, leaving a subtle taste of what he may really be like, and causing an audience or reader to begin questioning where his vices may lie. Continuing after this change, we clearly see how deep Richard’s lust for power goes.
‘To set my brother Clarence ad the King
In deadly hate the one against the other;’
This tells us exactly what Richard’s main aim is, to create such a rift between his two brothers that they wipe each other out in some way or another and leave the path to the throne all the more clearer for him.
Following this part of his monologue, his brother, Clarence, enters. This scene demonstrates that Richard has already set his plan into motion, as Clarence is being taken to the tower on the orders of their other brother, the King. I felt that this almost cheated your trust in Richard,; due to the fact that Richard has openly expressed his motives and intentions, to suddenly find that he has already set this plan into motion without informing the reader, almost shakes you, and makes you realise that he can’t be trusted.
The dialogue continues to describe the reason he has been sent to the tower, and then it is made clear how fake Richard is: ‘I will deliver you or lie for you;’ This quote is a clear example of Richard’s clever wordplay, saying he will deliver his brother…the question that remains is whether he will deliver him from punishment or deliver him to heaven; but also demonstrates how appallingly cruel he can be to people, especially members of his own family.
Scene 2 of Act 1 bring in Lady Anne, later to become Richard’s wife, who mourns the loss of her betrothed and her future father in law, both Lancastrians. Her anguish is clearly expressed in a short monologue, and then entrance of Richard is seen as an insult because he was the person who murdered the two men.
Again, I felt torn at this point in the Act. It would be terribly disrespectful for someone who deliberately murdered a King, to arrive at his procession to their burial and continue to harass the mourning daughter-in-law in the process. Lady Anne makes this side of the argument a fore front issue in her rebuttal to Richard’s words, and implies his guilt to their murders.
‘O gentlemen, see, see dead Henry’s wounds
Open their congealed mouths and bleed afresh.’
Showing that she thinks, due to Richard’s presence, the King is suffering again because he is close to his murderer.
However, the witty and skilful way that Richard brings Lady Anne to his side makes me feel as if he almost deserves the things he is working for.
‘Look at how this ring encompasseth thy finger,
Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart.
Wear both of them, for both of them are thine;’
His clever use of wordplay throughout and, as shown above, his blatant lies to gain her as an ally; demonstrates how clever he must be. To be able to draw someone who would be, without a doubt, an enemy to him, and make them as close to him as a betrothed, is a tactic and skill worth applause.
Shakespeare uses paradoxes between the two characters, showing Lady Anne as weak in comparison to Richard, heightening the status of Richard within the eyes of the audience.
‘RICHARD DUKE OF GLOUSTER: Fairer than tongue can name thee…
LADY ANNE: Fouler than the heart can think thee…’
This technique is cleverly used by Shakespeare as not only does it demonstrate that Lady Anne is only able to develop a rebuttal to Richard’s argument through using his words and turning them around; but also allows Richard to mock her by once using the same technique, almost as if he is giving her a chance to be one up for a moment.
‘LADY ANNE: O wonderful when devils tell the truth!
RICHARD DUKE OF GLOUSTER: More wonderful when angels are so angry.’
Not only does Shakespeare develop Richard’s status as a character through this, but he also allows Richard to flatter Lady Anne.
The entirety of this act is simply another building block to Richard’s character, changing the opinion of an audience again, and leaving you almost confused as to his intention of this liaison.
Act 3 demonstrates the difficult relationships between the queen’s family and Richard. The queen is, historically, of noble birth and therefore seen, by many, as a disappointment. Furthermore, Richard makes it very clear within this scene, that he disapproves the advancement of the queen’s family, who were not noble before her marriage. ‘Since every jack became a gentleman,’ demonstrating Richard’s annoyance that many of her family members held higher positions than he did.
The act allows the queen to express her concerns for her future, and informs the audience of the King’s ill health. Not only this, but the entrance of Richard portrays yet another side to him, as it is clearly play acting to get a desired effect. ‘They do me wrong and I will not endure it.’ This is the first line that Richard speaks, immediately after he enters and is an attack on the queen and her family, as he makes it seem as if one of them have been spreading the rumours about the potential murderer of the Kind’s heirs, which of course, was actually Richard’s doing. ‘When have I injured thee, when done thee wrong – / Or thee, or thee, or any of your faction?’ This shows Richard’s intelligence again as he takes the offensive and attacks the family whilst still creating empathy towards himself, from the other characters.
This act also introduces Margaret, the queen of the King who was being buried by Lady Anne. She, understandably, has a vendetta against Richard, as he has taken her son and husband from her, this woman’s testimony and hatred towards Richard, made me look at his character in a different light. Although he has befitted his family through his action, this is the first time it is shown how much anguish the families of the murdered king and prince feel. Due to the empathy I felt towards Margaret, my feelings towards Richard changed. I no longer felt as intrigued by what he was going to do next because the effect it had was visible and clearly presented.
The last act again betrays our trust as we are not told of Richard’s ordering of Clarence’s execution. The scene plays out in front of you, Clarence is murdered, but no where does it show any sign of Richard being remorseful or regretful of his brother’s death. ‘… be sudden with the execution,/ withal obdurate. Do not hear him plead/ For Clarence is well spoken, and perhaps/ May move your hearts to pity if you mark him.’
Most notably; the speech of the executioners shows us that they are of a much lower class than Clarence himself, and were probably not highly trained.’…and I came hither on my legs.’
In conclusion, throughout the fist act, Shakespeare uses Richard’s intelligence, and vices to alter our perception of him, his interactions with other characters also create empathy and antipathy towards him. The idea of this first Act seems to be to introduce the audience to the depth and complexity of Richard’s character and to involve the audience as much as possible, and give the context of the play, to allow reasonable understanding of the future occurrences and actions in further Acts and scenes.