The second scene is at the funeral of Lady Anne’s father in law whom Richard killed, as well as Anne’s husband. This is the first scene of the play we see with women, the fact that the first woman we see is wooing and in grief, shows us the stereotype of women at that time. Shakespeare wanted us to have this image of how women were perceived, but also how the women in this play perceive as just before Richard enters, Anne has a monologue, cursing him, in which she says “Oh, cursed be the hand that made these holes / Cursed be the heart that had the heart to do it / Cursed let the blood that let the blood from hence.” We get the idea of women being these supernatural beings in this scene, and of course prophesizing and religion. The consonance of the ‘c’ in the beginning of cursing gives it a violent edge, as if Anne is trying to cut through Richard with her words. It shows that women only had power with what they said. The fact that Anne is perceived in a supernatural way, could link her to religion, as she is trying to punish Richard, we could say that Anne has morals, Shakespeare could have been reflecting what Richard wasn’t through the women. To portray this idea
I would have the actress playing Anne mirroring her words in her movements, physicality and vocal qualities. She would stand centre stage with the rest of the characters around her in a semi-circle facing towards the audience, like when a witch is burned at the stakes. Her face would look riddled with fury and sorrow. She would start with a whisper, to make the first curse eerie, and she would be bending over the body of her father in law. Then she would stand upright with her hands by her side looking up and out at the audience and let her eyes glaze over, like she is prophesizing. Then she would let anger take over her, and on the third line of the above quote she would really bellow and point at the audience and then pan round the rest of the actors on stage as if cursing every single person, even the audience. In scene 3 we are introduced to Margaret, and I would direct the actress in the same way as I would have directed the actress playing Anne, to emphasise the importance of the themes and ideas of women that Shakespeare is trying to get across.
Later in the same scene Richard offers his sword to Anne and gives her the opportunity to kill him. Shakespeare wants us to start questioning Richard, as he seemed to be looking for sympathy in his soliloquyn in the previous scene, he says “I cannot prove a lover” yet he is obviously able to seduce Anne and manipulate her as she doesn’t have the courage to kill Richard.
“He lays his breast open [;] she offers at with the sword
Nay, do not pause, for I did kill Henry,
But ‘twas thy beauty that provoked me.
Nay, now dispatch; ‘twas I that stabbed young Edward.
But ‘twas thy heavenly face that set me on.
She falls the sword”
We can see from this quote the way in which he is able to manipulate Anne, by repetition, he seems persuasive. Shakespeare could be saying a lot of things here, he could be again, showing moral through the women, as Anne doesn’t kill him, it shows she has a conscience, maybe she couldn’t live with the thought of having murdered someone, even if she thought he deserved it. Also, that Anne seemed to be able to quite easily slaughter him through her words, but she hasn’t the courage to do it; as women’s only power was their ability to curse. It could also be Richard’s stereotyping women, and saying what he expects women want to hear. Shakespeare was also saying something about fate. In Richard’s soliloquy he says “I am determined to prove a villain”. Therefore Shakespeare could be saying, that Richard did not make his own path so to speak, everything was meant to happen, otherwise, his life would have been taken by Anne in this scene. Here I would have Richard on his knees with his breast shown as directed but with his arms drawn towards Anne. I would have her hold the sword to him with one outstretched hand, as if the other one is trying to stop her and pull her away. As he admits to killing her beloved then she would clasp the sword with both hands, and then when Richard says the last line of the above, she would pause, and look away from him, losing the grip of the sword and throwing to his knees. I would have the actor playing Richard to really emphasise ‘beauty’, ‘provoked’ and ‘heavenly’ letting his voice get gradually softer.
In Scene 3, Shakespeare presents us with another of Richard’s roles. We learn at the beginning of the scene that King Edward is ill, so we see Richard’s perfect timing; everything seems to be falling into place for him. We also discover the Queen has knowledge of Richard’s hatred for her and her family, so we then start to question his intelligence about keeping his opinions to himself. This is where we see Richard ‘playing the innocent’ and putting on yet another act when he enters shouting “They do me wrong and I will not endure it / Who is it that complains unto the King / That I, forsooth am stern and love them not?” I would instruct the actor to use his voice and physicality to show his apparent anger and confusion; Richard playing another role. Conscience is a big theme in this play, and our certainty in Richard’s intelligence is restored when we see him using conscience against the people in this scene to make them feel sorry for him.
In this scene, we are introduced to Margaret (the previous Queen and Henry’s wife) not only do we get the prophesizing and the language of cursing, but we also get the use of animal imagery again. Margaret calls Richard a “dog”, “hog” and a “bunch-back toad”; all of these are very negative images. Here Shakespeare is questioning nature, as these animals are things of nature, they would usually be perceived in a positive light, but how could nature is so pleasant, when evil and repulsive things roam, like slimy toads and of course, Richard? When Margaret says these things about Richard we imagine the dog being violent and even maybe deceivable as dog is seen as mans best friend. Then there is a hog, this fat, greedy, pig-like animal, and finally the toad, slimy and revolting. I would have her scowl at Richard and speak as if all of these animals repulse her, by turning up her nose and frowning with distaste.
Right at the end of Scene 3, the audience is introduced to two murderers hired by Richard. In the beginning of Scene 4 we hear Clarence telling the Keeper of a bad dream he had in the night of Richard betraying him and ‘accidentally’ “struck” him. We have just seen Richard’s betrayal, and now Clarence is finally seeing it; in a supernatural way, which links to superstition and prophesizing; having visions etc. But what makes it even more tedious is the fact that Clarence thinks Richard would never mean to hurt him and he “thought that Gloucester stumbled, and in falling / Struck me, that thought to stay him, overboard / Into the tumbling billows of the main.” Clarence seems to be completely naïve. Therefore, as a director I would instruct the actor to act in such way. When he speaks these lines he could add a little laugh, as in disbelief of his dream, in denial that his brother could be so cruel. Then look to the sky and frown, with confusion on his face, wondering what would make him think such frightful things.
The end of Scene 4 is when Clarence is, murdered. Shakespeare wanted the end of Act 1 to leave the audience questioning the ideas he is trying to portray, especially about conscience. The murderers in particular bring this theme to light:
“SECOND MURDERER: Some certain dregs of conscience are yet within me…
FIRST MURDERER: When he opens his purse to give us our reward, thy conscience flies out.”
The question of whether greed can take over our conscience comes through. They seem to be having second thoughts but the use of the word ‘dregs’ seems to suggest waste, or trash. As is a conscience is a bad thing to have. Although we also get quite poetic imagery coming across when the second murderer says “thy conscience flies out” as if a moth just flutters away. It gives me the image of something so feather light, and so fragile, something they find so easy to just throw away. But we also get the theme of pragmatism vs. moral principle. This is obviously their job, they need money, so even though they know what they are doing is morally wrong, pragmatism takes over them, they need to do the practical thing in this situation. The way in which the murderers keep referring to the devil also suggests their conscience taking over. As the second murderer says “take the devil in mind” Shakespeare is portraying this constant fight between their conscience, their superstition and pragmatism. To bring all these factors to light through direction here is how I would have the actors perform the sequence in which Clarence is killed:
Clarence is on hands and knees pleading for his life (look as if praying, to reflect his innocence), right at the first murderers feet holding onto his thigh. The first murderer is his holding sword above Clarence biting lip, as if fighting with himself.
CLARENCE: A beggar prince, what beggar pities not?
SECOND MURDERER: (looks at first murderer, then turns Clarence’s head away (therefore they wont have to look into his eyes when doing it) Look behind you, my Lord. (Nods to first murderer, then closes his eyes)
FIRST MURDERER: (raises sword high with both hands, slowly, then plunges swiftly) Take that, (raises and plunges again) and that.
Shakespeare has used structure and language to emphasise the ideas and themes that run through the play. By doing this Shakespeare has made everything clear as to what he wanted to get through the production and therefore the director can see how to portray it to the audience. To make them take into consideration of whether Richard is evil, whether he is meant to be that way, through nature or it has been nurtured within him. Religion and the role of women and how they reflect Richard’s character in this play, as well as power and superstition. During the time Shakespeare was writing, new ideas were becoming apparent. He seems to be exploring and questioning everything people where inquiring at the time.
