“Simple, plain Clarence, I do love thee so that I will shortly send thy soul to heaven,”
The fact that Richard calls Clarence “simple and plain” emphasises the disrespect he has for him. It is as if he is mocking his naivety and emphasising how easy it is to manipulate him. He also shows his villainous side through talking to the audience about killing Clarence. He says that he loves Clarence but will shortly send his soul to heaven and you can sense a tone of sarcasm and this shows how little respect he has for Clarence. Through this speech he also expresses how calm and confident he is about his plot and these are the qualities of a hero.
During Richards opening soliloquy he mentions his looks and how he feels about his looks to the audience and while he talks to us about his feelings, we feel sympathetic for him and we feel he has been treated unfairly by both God and Nature and this is an attempt to get the audience on his side.
“I that am rudely stamped and want love’s majesty to strut before a wanton ambling nymph, I that am curtailed of this fair proportion, cheated of feature by dissembling nature, deformed, unfinished, sent before my time into this breathing world scarce half made up, and that so lamely unfashionable that dogs bark at me as I halt by them,”
As Richard mentions how deformed he is, we grow more sympathetic for him. The word “cheated” shows that he feels unfairly played with and the fact that he says that “nature” has cheated him highlights that the elements are against him. Richard seems to be disliked by everyone and everything; he even says “dogs bark at me as I halt by them” which enforces the fact that nobody likes him. This makes us realize how displeased he is about his looks and this makes the audience feel very sympathetic for him.
Also in act 1 scene 1, line 30, Richard actually reveals that he intends to be a villain so he is already building his villainous image to the audience.
“And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover to entertain these fair well-spoken days, I am determined to prove a villain and hate the idle pleasures of today.”
Here Richard admits that he intends to be evil so we accept that he is evil and his actions further into the play only contribute to this. He tells us why he wants to be a villain, “And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover to entertain these fair well-spoken days…” he says he cannot get a wife who will love him so he wants to turn evil and this makes us feel slightly sympathetic for him, however here we would consider him to be a villain rather than a hero.
In act 1 scene 2, Richard tries to convince Anne that his murder of the king was in the kings best interest as he would be better suited to heaven and here his qualities of a hero is shown to the audience. However he interrupts the funeral of who he has murdered and this highlights his villainous side to his personality.
“Let him thank me that holp to send him thither- For he was fitter for that place than earth.”
This shows how Richard tries to manipulate the truth to show him as caring and considerate rather than ruthless and violent. We would consider him to be a hero here because his skills of manipulation are skills a hero would and leader need. He also play acts with confidence and shows wit, flattery and charm as he tries to ease the tense atmosphere between Anne and himself. On the other hand we could also refer to him as a villain because he disrespects Anne by interrupting the funeral of her husband Henry VI. He just walks in, un-invited and delays the funeral which shows utter disrespect.
In act 3 scene 1, Richard is insulted by York, his young cousin then Richard pretends to care about York and Prince Edward who are going to be kept in the Tower of London were he plans to have him assassinated along with his brother Prince Edward and here his villainous side shows. However his determination to achieve his goal is a heroic quality
“So wise so young, they say, do never live long… (York) Of my kind uncle, that I will give. And being but a toy, which is no grief to give.”
(Richard) A greater gift that I will give my cousin.”
Here Richard highlights the tone of death and gives very vague, yet sinister clues about what he has planned for York and Edward. He says “So wise so young, they say, do never live long…” which emphasises how he feels, young people never live long. The fact that he is planning his own cousin’s murders to get to the throne emphasises how he is willing to let nothing stand in his way to prevent him reaching his goal. No member of modern society would happily murder their own family and considering that he is willing to murder members of his own family; two young, innocent children; highlights his `sinister and corrupt personality. In contrast to this his determination to achieve his goals are his qualities of a hero because all hero’s need determination to fight for What is right, if hero’s had no determination then there would be no justice.
Richard has a wide contrast of personalities. In Act 5 Scene 4 Richard dies but as he dies everyone realizes that he is plainly a villain because he doesn’t respect the kingdom he had worked so hard for. This is reflected when he says…
“A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!”
He is willing to give up the kingdom he has planned for; manipulated for and even assassinated members of his own family for and the fact that he is willing to give up such an achievement for a horse. We do not feel sympathy for him because he was willing to fight for his country but when he is going to die, he only wants to save himself, even give up on the people who are putting their lives in his hands.
In this play Richard displays a range of different personalities, both good and evil however, overall I would portray Richard as a villain because from the beginning he says to the audience that he is determined to prove a villain and he hires people to murder members of his own family to get to the throne. He also manipulated Anne into loving him and he manipulated Hastings into believing that he was trying to help Clarence. He is also a master at play acting and this shows when he acts like he cares for Clarence before he enters the tower and he also acts like he cares for Clarence’s two innocent children. Richard has all the skills required to be a hero but instead he uses them for conspiracies against his family, killing them, all for his own benefit.
Rhys Ambrose 11F
