Additionally, in the first set scene Anne uses personification to describe Richard’s deeds. For her, ‘o gentlemen, see, see, dead Henry’s wounds…open their congealed mouths and bleed afresh.’ This type of imagery is used to give human traits to non-living objects, in this case it personifies how Anne’s relatives are dead and so she is saying that open their hard mouths and bleed again, however they can’t as they are already dead. On the contrary in the second set scene Elizabeth uses emotive language to insult Richard and reminds him of what he has done to her relatives. For her, ‘I have no more sons of the royal blood…for thee to slaughter.’ This emotive language deliberately creates an emotional impact or response on Richard but he does not show this as he says, ‘you have a daughter called Elizabeth … virtuous and fair, royal and gracious.’ Richard just wants one thing and that is to marry Elizabeth’s daughter, so he mumbles on about Elizabeth and tries to persuade Elizabeth with all of his effort.
Furthermore, in the second set scene Elizabeth uses hyperbolic language to remind Richard that he killed her relatives. For her, ‘the purple sap from her sweet brother’s body.’ This is hyperbolic language as it is exaggerating the blood from her two son’s blood by saying it is purple coloured and sticky like sap from a tree. On the other hand in the first set scene Anne uses personification to exaggerate her comment and make it more dramatic towards Richard. For her, ‘or earth gape open wide and eat him quick.’ This shows Anne’s hatred towards Richard, as she is basically saying part open the earth and eat him alive. This is quite hurtful towards Richard as who would want to be eaten alive!
Moreover, in the second set scene Elizabeth uses a simile to compare Richard like a poor ship of sails. For her, ‘like a poor bark of sails and tackling reft.’ This is emotional blackmail towards Richard as it can make him feel insecure and bad about himself because she is using it to describe the death of her two sons as a sacrifice and that like a poor ship (‘bark’) without sails and supports she could wreck herself on Richard. On the other hand in the first set scene Anne uses a metaphor to insult Richard. For her, ‘blush, blush, thou lump of foul deformity.’ This insults Richard by saying that he is abnormal and unclean. Similarly with Elizabeth’s line this is emotional blackmail as it can make Richard feel self-doubting and unworthy. But Richard doesn’t give in and show his deceptive side, which shows that he has very good control of his emotions.
In conclusion the women in the two set scenes have different ways of using imagery to describe Richard and his deeds. Anne uses mostly metaphors and personification but Elizabeth uses mostly metaphors but some personification and similes. Their usage of imagery expresses their hatred towards Richard whilst giving him a pictographic image in his mind. They use it because it is a stronger way of insulting him. But Richard cleverly controls his emotions and he doesn’t get angry over Anne and Elizabeth’s language. For example in the first set scene Anne uses a metaphor like, ‘foul devil.’ This start of a line is at the beginning of a monologue. Once Anne finishes her lines Richard says, ‘lady you know no rules of charity…which renders good for bad, blessings for curses.’ This basically means that Anne knows no rules of the Christian belief, which turns into good for bad, blessings for curses. Richard is using antithesis to make Anne feel less certain or confused about him, and he doesn’t lose his temper over her monologue because he has very good control over his anger and when he wants something so badly he will do anything to achieve it.
Similarly in the second set scene Elizabeth uses a metaphor to describe her sons and to remind Richard of his deeds. For her, ‘to revel in the entrails of my lambs.’ She is basically saying that her sons were beautiful and innocent as ‘lambs.’ This can remind Richard of what he has done as she is describing her sons and what they were like which usually makes people feel guilty. Then Richard says, ……‘as I intend more good to you and yours…than ever you and yours were harmed.’ He doesn’t lose his temper and this is one of the ways he is able to deceive the two women.
